The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-12-15
BRITISH GIVE up
BOURBON WOOD
Gen. Byng Successfully With
draws Troops to Prepared
Line Farther Back.
HUNS UNAWARE OF MOVEMENT
German Guns Continued to Shell Va
can't Position for Several Hours
Force Italians Back.

British Headquarters in France, Dec.
THE British have withdrawn from
the salient about Bourbon Wood to a
prepared line which should make
their position much stronger and more
desirable in many ways. The retire
ment was carried out successfully.
mainly between the hours of u and
o'clock Wednesday morning and IN
der cover Of darkness. Not until
many hours later did the enemy dis
cover he was facing evacuated terri
tory.
The Germans today had sEarmed
over much OF the vacated zone and
were digging themselves in along the
advanced line, but as late as 1:50
O'Clock yesterday afternoon they were
still Smelling Bourbon Wood and be-
/ tween noon and o'clock they launch
/ ed heavy attack against the empty
! trenches near Moeuvres, showing that
they we're uncertain Of the situation
even then.
A Remarkable Achievement.
The successful manner OF the with
drawa1 places II in the category Of 3
remarkable military achievement, for
had the Germans become aware that
1t was impending grave losses might
have resulted to the retiring troops.
The question Of abandoning the sa-
lient must have been under careful
consideration some time
Wednesdays retirement cannot be
designated as a retreat for there is no
reason TO believe that the British
could not have maintained themselves
I r,1-z
desirable and it would have cost the
lives Of too many men to have held
on to the sharp salient which could
be swept by enemy gunfire from sew
eral directions.
Italians Forced to Retire.
Rome, Dec. Under tremendous
pressure from great masses of the
enemy, Italian troops strongly defend
ed positions around Meletta until or
der came to retire, today's official
statement declared. Fighting on a
scale of almost unprecedented vio-
lence was reported as attending the
renewed Germsn-Austrian drive.
Fought With Bare Hands.
With the British Army in France
Dec. 6.-The best OF many exciting
episodes related in connection with
the Cambria fighting was that inTolT-
ing fifty American and Canadian en-
gineers, together with some British
fighting troops. These men were cut
off in the German turning movement
near Gouzeaucourt and were taken
prisoner A German escort OF twenty
soldiers or more started with them
along the road leading from Gouzeau-
court to Cambria As they were pro
ceeding disconsOlately toward the
zone Of the German prison cages, they
came upon a small body OF British
troops, who had also been cut off from
their comrades, and were wandering
about The British lTommies immedi-
ately charged towards them
Fought Guards Barehanded.
The Germans tried to drive their
captiyes off towards La VacQuerie,
but the prisoners hurled themselves
upon their guards and struggled bare
handed until the Tommies arrived and
disposed OF the Germans. The engi-
neers and their comrades took the
German rifles, and worked their way
back with their rescuers until they
we're able to reach a point where they
could join the British line
A party OF Americans and Canadians
also had an exciting time in a motor
lorry, which, coming unexpectedly
upon six Germans holding the cross
roads with machine guns. charged at
full speed. Eanklike, bowling over the
surprised enemy and escaping down
the road before the Germans recover.
ed from their shock and fright.
U. s. Doctors on Duty There
The engineers were not the onIy
men from the Unite5 States who did
their bit during the most intense part
Of the German counter attack at Cam.
brai Not less than ten American
army medical officers were working
in the British casualty stations along
the Gouzeaucourt front In fact, they
had been labOring there since Genera.
Byng began his great offensive.