The New York Times/1918/11/11/French Drive Ahead, Taking Vast Booty
FRENCH DRIVE AHEAD, TAKING VAST BOOTY
Enemy's Retreat Becoming More Precipitate—Many More Villages Freed.
PARIS, Nov. 10.—Further important advanced by the French are reported by the War Office tonight. Heavy German counterattacks against the troops who crossed the Meuse were repulsed, and numerous villages along the whole line have been freed of the enemy.
The troops this morning renewed their pursuit of the Germans. The early official statement issued today says that the retreat of the enemy is becoming more and more precipitate. Everywhere along the line the Germans are abandoning great quantities of war material.
Cannon, numerous vehicles of all description, and in some instances entire railroad trains, have been captured by Foch's forces.
The text of the night bulletin follows:
In the pursuit of the enemy rearguards our troops have made extensive progress during the course of the day on the whole front. North of the Oise we hold Eppe-Sauvage, seventeen kilometers east of Avesnes, and Moustiere-en-Fagne.
In Belgium we have gone beyond Bailievre and Salles.
Further east our advanced guards, despite the increased German resistance in the wooded zone north of Signy-le-Petit, placed their lines on the northern outskirts of the forest of the same name near Gruerie. We have occupied Maubert-Fontaine and have reached within four kilometers of Rieges de Maubert, as well as the heights to the northeast of Sevigny forest.
The valiant Italian corps, operating further to the right, after having captured Tremblois and Rimogne, penetrated the Potées Wood and Harcy Wood, pushing vigorously in the direction of Bourg Fidèle.
West of the Meuse we have progressed north of the general line of the Renwez, Montcornet, Arreux, Damouzy, and Belair, two and a half kilometers north of Charleville.
East Mézières the Germans violently counterattacked our troops, who had crossed the Meuse in the region of Donchery. After spirited fighting we drove the enemy back, and maintained our lines on the north bank.
The material captured in the course of the pursuit still accumulates. Parks of automobiles, provisions of all sorts in great quantities, and wagons fell into our hands. Numerous villages were freed.
The text of the day statement reads:
Our pursuit of the enemy was renewed this morning under favorable conditions.
West of Mézières the French passed the Sormonne River and took the village of Sormonne. They reached the Hirson route at Mézières-sur-Renwez.
On the right the French continued to cross the Meuse River between Lumes and Donchery.
In his retreat, which is becoming more and more precipitate, the enemy is abandoning everywhere considerable material. The French have captured, notably between Anor and Momignies (southeastern Belgium), cannon, numerous vehicles of all kinds and whole railroad trains.
The Belgian official communication tonight says:
The French Army in Belgium continued to force back the enemy today. It reached this afternoon a front comprising the eastern outskirts of Nederzwalm-Hemelgem, Boucle-St. Denis, and Segersem.
On the left American units crossed the Scheldt east of Heuvel. The advance in the south was fifteen kilometers and in the centre opposite Audenarde seven kilometers.
The Belgian army made a crossing of the Scheldt with some of its elements at Boucle-Semmerzacke.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN FRANCE, Nov. 10, (Associated Press.)—The French General Gouraud made his official entry into Sedan at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
Disorder is beginning to show in the ranks of the retreating German Army. French troops, with their cavalry in the lead, are pressing the enemy closely all along the line.
The booty increases in importance as the pursuit goes on. Several railroad trains, batteries of artillery intact, immense munition dumps and stores, and wagon trains fell into the hands of the allied troops yesterday and today, together with a large number of prisoners.
The pursuit of the enemy is being rendered extremely difficult by reason of the shortening front, which makes necessary the withdrawal of materials rendered useless on the diminishing line and the doubling of traffic on roads already congested by the convoys following the advancing troops.
French territory occupied by the enemy along the Belgian frontier is diminishing rapidly in size. Everywhere the French troops are now within a short days march of the border line, and could complete the liberation of French soil in the north before the end of a day if the roads were not becoming more and more incumbered by the increasing traffic and by the booty left behind by the enemy.
At this hour it appears that it will be a close race between the final crossing of the Belgian frontier all along the line and final action on the armistice proposals.