File:The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources- American, British, French, German, and others (1919) (14777928474).jpg

Identifier: literarydigesthi05hals (find matches)
Title: The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Halsey, Francis W. (Francis Whiting), 1851-1919, comp
Subjects: World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: New York, London, Funk & Wagnalls Company
Contributing Library: Columbia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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was now the greatGerman problem. On September 5 the Allies smashed forward on five sectorsof the 140-mile front between Ypres and Reims. On almostall this line the beaten foe was giving way. Under terrifichammering from Franco-American guns the Germans begana general retreat from the Vesle between Soissons and Reims.The Allies advanced three miles on a twenty-mile frontfrom north of Soissons to a point east of Fismes. Mangin,by a new thrust northeast of Soissons, stormed forward morethan a mile on a ten-mile front and captured 1,500 prisoners.The British fought their way across the Canal du Nord andthe Tortille river at nearly all points on a twenty-mile frontbetween the Scarpe and Somme. Northeast of Noyon theFrench hurled the enemy back along a ten-mile front, push-ing forward a few miles at several points and reachingwithin three miles of the railroad center of Ham. TheFrench were within a mile and a half of Chauny. Chaunyand La Fere were in flames. In Flanders the Anglo-Ameri- 344
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V. V—23 345 ox THE WESTERN FRONT cans pushed their lines to within a mile and a half of Armen-tieres, capturing six towns. The enemys broken forces wereretreating steadily before fresh Allied onslaughts. There had been no serious fighting at Lens. Pushing care-fully into its outskirts, patrols met no opposition from southand west. From the great slag-heaps they had had a com-manding view of the city, the broad main streets strewnwith brick and the debris of wrecked buildings, houses merestumps, with no resemblance to places of habitation. Noneof the public buildings was distinguishable, nor was thecathedral. Lens as a city simply was not. On the southside only four feeble men remained, wandering stealthilyamong brick heaps. Lens in one sense was the most im-portant of all these towns for the French because Lens meantcoal. The economic gain to France, and indirectly to Eng-land, that promised eventually to result from its actual re-capture and occupation was almost incalculable. But

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