les
northwest of Cambrai.

Caught between the jaws of the pincers, the German forces occupying
Cambrai made haste to escape outright capture. The city that had been
the objective of British hopes and thrusts for two years, fell into the
hands of the Allies. The German retreat extended over a thirty-mile
front and included both St. Quentin and Cambrai. Simultaneously the
German forces between Arras and St. Quentin fell steadily backward. Le
Cateau and Zazeuel fell into the hands of the British October 17th,
three thousand prisoners and a quantity of war material being included
in the bag.

In the meantime General Mangin attacking in the Laon sector, drove the
Germans from the strategic Chemin des Dames and with General Berthelot
captured Berry-au-Bac, the St. Gobain massif and completed contact with
Generals Pershing and Gouraud on the right and with Generals Rawlinson
and Debeney on the left.

The Allied advance now became a huge steel broom, sweeping the Germans
irresistibly before it. The operation extended from the Oise southeast
to the Aisne, broadening thence until it included the entire front. The
Hindenburg line, the Somme battle-field, the Hunding line, were all
quickly overrun. The fortress of Maubeuge, fifty miles northeast of St.
Quentin, which was connected with that city by a triple railway
connection, was evacuated as a direct result of this operation.

When St. Quentin itself fell into the hands of Debeney, it was found
that the Germans had deported the entire civilian population of 50,000.

This was the crux of the operations by Foch. Germans were given no rest;
night and day the pressure continued. Every clash showed the increasing
superiority of the Allies both in men and material and the corresponding
deterioration of the German forces. This demoralization of the Germans
extended from the High Command to the private soldier. Prisoners poured
into the hands of the Allies. Evacuation of Lille was commenced on
October 2d and Roubaix and Turcoing also fell.

It was the beginning of Germany's military debacle. The time was ripe
for the coup-de-grace soon to be delivered by Americans co-operating
with the Allies on a seventy-one mile front.

The Kaiser, Ludendorf and von Hindenburg abandoned hope. The command
went forth from the German general headquarters to retreat, retreat,
retreat, while Prince Maximilian of Baden appealed to America for an
armistice. The sword in Germany's hand was broken. Au