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Show VITAL SECTION; Many Towms Taken Between St. Quentin and Cambrai, 5,000 Huns and Numerous Numer-ous Guns. (By A.'iiociated Press.) WITH THE BRITISH ON THE ST QUENTIN SECTOR, Oct. 3. The British troops smashed a large and I vital section of the Hindenburg line today betweon St Quentin and Cambrai. Cam-brai. They havo occupied many addition addi-tion towns and villages, and 6000 pris oners "and numerous guns have been I taken. j The battle was resumed at 6 o'clock i In the morning and continued through-1 out tho day, English and Australian divisions driving deep into the enemy defense. The ground over which the British troops fought thpir way against the inevitablo swarms of machine ma-chine guns was littered with German dead. Principal Hindenburg Defenses Shattered. Shat-tered. The advance has reached a depth of about five miles at its apex, and it follows that the principal Hindenburg defenses here havo been shattered. A few hours may see the British all the way on the other side of the great German defensive system.. From tho north comes most significant signifi-cant news. The Germans who were gradually being left In a salient havo (begun a retreat on practically the I whole Armentleres sector and appear to be in full flight British troops have entered and are now passing through Lens. v War's Greatest Retreat. Aubcrs ridge, south of Armontieres, has been taken, and the British are easi ot nere. indications are not wanting want-ing that the Germans have been forced to begin one of the war's greatest retreats. re-treats. The troops co-operating v.'itb the Belgians have taken Villagers near Roulers after hard street fighting They have forced the Germans well back and are still going. The Germans Ger-mans must get out of the Belgian coast as far as Ostond, If the advance here continues, as it gives every sicn of dojng. Germans Applying the Torch. As the Germans tretroat in the Armentleres Ar-mentleres sector they aro appiying the torch wherever they havo tho time, and their retreat is marked by great explosions as amuiunilio'n 'stores are destroyed. It is known that tho Germans are becoming so short of ammunition that many of- the higher officers are alarmed. In the retreat the destruction destruc-tion of dumps has been absolutely necessitated. ne-cessitated. In the battle between Cambrai and i St Quentin the Australians and English Eng-lish yrcre assisted by largo numbers of tanks which carried out their tasks with the customary efficiency. Somo few of these attacks were manned by Americans who had been i attached to British tank units. if j Reports from aviators say that the II tanks ha'e rolled rapidly over tho j j country materially helping: th Infantry flj ; to clear out the Germans who had at made a dive for cover from the hurrl-, II cane of British shells. 11 As the infantry gained ground the British guns were constantly moved ! up to positions from which they could f continue pounding tho Germans, who il at least in the northern battle area II seemed to be in full flight II Tho roads in the general direction IK east of Gouy are reported full of trans- 1 ports and men and some bodies of ill troops have reached points at least ftA fivo miles in the rear. No new Ger ''jh, man troops appeared in the battle Ki here, although the enemy certainly must have known that the position was bound to be attacked. 9 This is a sign that cannot be ig- nored and one in which the British commanders find considerable satis- 1 lacuon. Among the towns captured on this 1 battlefront were Gouy. LcCatelat, M Ramicourt, Squehart, Wiancourt and Beaurevoir. . Extensive German Retreat LONDON, Oct 3 The official text of the Haig statenfent reads: "The progress made by the Allied i offensives in Flanders and before Cambrai and St Quentin combined ' with the heavy loss incurred bv his troops in their endeavors to resis't tho 4 successful attacks has compelled the enemy to undertake an extensive withdrawal with-drawal of his line. "From Lens to Armentleres the enemy ene-my is ovacua.ting tho highly organized positions held by him since the commencement com-mencement of trench warfare and i which he had hithorto defended with the utmost resolution. 1 "This movement which was not un- ' expected is being followed up closely , by our troops who aro maintaining con- M slant touch with tho German rear 1 guards. Inflicting many casualties and 1 taking prisoners. f i "On the front of the retirement we 1 1 .have already reached the general lino m v,i.v- .ji. iiutusiu, uouvrin, east ot v La Bassee, east of Aubors, and west of Bois Grenicr. Tho advance is continuing. con-tinuing. "Yesterday evening tho enemy attacked at-tacked our positions north of Cambrai. Cam-brai. He was repulsed", leaving: prisoners pris-oners in our hands. "This morning wo rerfewed our attacks at-tacks north of St. Quentin." Bulgarian Army In Mutiny. j AMSTERDAM, Oct. S.After representing repre-senting the Bulgarian army as In a state of mutiny and confusion, a Vienna Vien-na telegram to tho Rotterdam Nieuwc ; Courant concludes: "This state of affairs has forced the Central powors to leave In the capital capi-tal (Sofia) sufficient forces to preserve pre-serve order and especially to guard the legations and tho stores of food and war material." nn M |