Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-21
Lumbering Monsters Move
Against Enemy Fortified
Positions and XIII or Cap
ture All Teutons Found.
KAISER'S ARMY MADE
UP OF RAW YOUTHS
Prisoners Say Boy Officers
Are Inefficient and Recruits
Are Too Young to Know
How to Fight Veterans,
'-s MORNING jour, a. rr.e,st ,s.s.o w,.,,

! British Front in France and Bel
| gium Aug. 30 (by the Associated
Press).-British tanks scored another
| triumph in the capture of important
German positions yesterday morning
in the neighborhood of the Ypres-
Poelcapelle road, north of st. Julien.
1t was tank show almost from start
to finish and the infantry in this case
played the part of supernumeraries in
support of the leading actors while
large numbers of the enemy troops
added final melodramatc touch by
surrendering abjectly or fleeing in
terror as the heavy leads numbered on
the stage and reached for their
shooting irons"
AS recorded in the official COM
munication the British captured Ger
man defenses along mile front to
depth of 500 yards. Among the strong
holds occupied We're the famous Tri-
angle. Hibau and Cockcraft farms,
the sites of exceedingly strong con-
crete and steel machine gun ledoubts
that menaced the infantry advance.
Tanks Start at Dawn.
1t was dawn when the tanks lined
up and waited for the signal to ego
over the top" The British artillery.
observing no less of chivalry to the
tanks than to the infantry in the past
poured a preliminary stream of shells
into the German lines, then dropped
barrage ahead of the iron monitors,
which started forward, looking for all
the world like great dragons that had
rolled out from one of Hans Ander-
sons conceptions into the gray morn
ing light that shrouded this battlefield
In the cockpit of Europe"
Behind them came the infantry,
ready to do the cleaning up of the
remaining enemy after the tanks had
finished their part But there was
little for the infantry to do except to
assemble and care for the prisoners
as the tanks progressed. There was
hard fighting at several positions such
as the three redoubts mentioned, but
ii was always brief.
Death or Surrender.
The tanks wheeled into position and
turned a heavy fire on the fortifica-
tons and the Germans were killed or!
else they surrendered. The enemy
casualties were heavy. Great num-
bers of Germans were seen fleeing,
terror-stricken, as the tanks appeared
in the distance, and considerable
number threw down their arms and
surrendered without offering resist
anCe.
The tanks cleared the whole terri !
tory desired and then trundled back
home. They suffered no damage and
the casualties for the operation to- |
tailed fifteen. This has been the
most striking incident of the latest
fighting along this front.
There have been intense artillery
bombardments and the air services OF
both sides have been unusually active.
Last night the air was full of British
and German planes which bombed |
their way into each others territory
amidst picturesque but awesomc
flashes from breaking shrapnel and
long white rays from searchlights.
Working i'm Marshes.
The French engineers have encoun-
tered considerable difficulties amid
the marshes into which their troops
have advanced on their left but the |
work is proceeding with mavelous
rapidity.
Up to date the French have cap
tured about twenty-five German guns
since this offensive began on July 81 |
ha b.
Vulnerable. Some of the captured re-
doubts were found to be veritable
nests of machine guns. One field gun
which a German artilleryman was
about to blow up was taken near Les
Lilas, the gunner being shot just as he
was placing the explosive.
The examination of German pris-
oners taken by the British continues
and out of $40 questioned. only rs per
cent were found to belong to the 1910
class. Non commissioned German Of
ficers relate how they are hampered
by the decentralization of the younger
recruits with whom they are supplied.
Soldiers Too Youthful.
They say they cannot rely on these
youngsters, and similar complaints
are heard about the ineffciency of
the young German officers in the bat
tie of Flanders. The decentralization
of certain German regiments at |
Langemarck and Polygon wood last
Thursday was complete and this was
due, according to captured non-com-
missioned officers. to the preponder-
ance of 1syear-old youths in the
ranks.
The g61st and 2O2nd regiments of
the seventy-ninth division fled to the
rear at Langemarck and many were