The three French armies, forming the Allied right centre between
the Upper Oise south of Le Cateau and the Upper Mane at Bethel, began a combined offensive on Thursday week. The enemy had constructed strong lines from the Oise to the Berm and from the Serre to the Aisne as a protection for the railway between Hirson and Mezieres, on the western outskirts of the Ardennes: His works were particularly formidable to the west of the Aisne, between Stamina and Chfiteau-Poroien. However, the French advance
proved irresistible. On Friday week our Allies, supported by tanks, broke clean through the Sissonne lines on a five-mile front ; by Saturday last they had taken two thousand four hundred and fifty prisoners and compelled the enemy to abandon the whole position. They resumed the advance on Tuesday, though the enemy had been strongly reinforced and fought stubbornly. The effect of this move is to outflank the German forces holding the north bank of the Aisne. When they retreat, the enemy west of the Meuse will, in turn, be outflanked from the west and the Ameri- cans will be able to press forward on Sedan.
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