Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-27


ish pressing forward with grim per-
sistence which the enemy could not
withstand and the hamlet was finally
cleared of most of the German troops.
Today some few or the enemy still
remained in Bourbon. but all the main
streets of the place had been closed and
surrounded by strong force Of British
soldiers.
A little to the southwest of here an
other intense struggle was being staged
in the village of Mouevres. into which
the British had battled their way with
rifle and bayonet and pushed the Ger
mans out of the southern half. Else
where along the Cambria front there
was no infantry action of Importance.
Prisoners continued to arrive at the
British cages from the front. Nearly TO-
900 captives thus far have been counted,
including 200 officers.
Have Important Point
In the capture of Bourbon wood and
village the British have acquired pos
session of one of the most important
points they have secured since the
great drive began last Tuesday. This
high ground controls a wide sweep of
territory and it's occupation holds out
the possibility that the Germans even
tually will be forced to withdraw their
lines to the northwest.
The Bourbon position also overlooks
Cambria. but this city might be a hard
nut to crack. because the central part
is walled and many suburbs radiate
from it, forming natural barriers
against an advance from the west. 1t
seems possible that Cambria might ul-
timately become a part of No Mans
Land. dominated by the big gums on
both sides and that this ancient town
with it's fine old cathedral and pic
turesque walls would go the way of
SO many other places.
, A large amount of traffic in the past
few days has been pouring out or
Cambria toward the southeast, indicat-
ing the probability that the Germans
have evacuated the civilian population
and are preparing for eventualities
That the Germans attached greatest
Importance to Bourbon wood and the VIII
lage was fully evidenced by their
strenuous resistance and the intense
counter attacks hurled against the Brit
ish lines Several counter thrusts were
delivered by the enemy Saturday. Some
succeeded temporarily. but the British
Immediately pushed forward again ana
regained the lost ground.
The fighting over the wooded slopes
of this elevation has been among the
most spectacular of the war, for the
occupation of the forest was due large
ly to the work Of tanks and airmen who
paved the way for the crushing infan-
try. A number of iron monitors led the
advance to Bourbon wood Friday with
British planes circling over the enemy
at a height of from thirty to fifty feet
and carrying on a vigorous warfare
with their machine guns and bombs.
1t was hard fighting. but the advance
was continued successfully until the
northeast corner Of the wood was
reached where the tanks were held up
by a strong force. British airmen, who
had been fighting close to the ground,
deliberately charged down on the en-
envy infantry with machine guns pump
ing steady stream of bullets into the
German ranks. The battle was short
and decisive. The airplanes wheeled and
rewheeled over the heads of the Ger
mans and maintained such an intensive
fire that the defenders were forced to
retire from the position after suffering
considerable losses. The tanks then
pushed on, the conquest of the wood be-
ing completed and an entering wedge
having been driven into the village. AL
most Immediately the Germans deliv-
cred a heavy counter attack on the
troops who had penetrated the hamlet.
and after a stiff engagement FORCED
them to withdraw again to the edge
Of The wood. Saturday morning the
British renewed the attack on the VII
lage.
Back to Open Again
It was a battle in which the British
troops. gloried, for 1t took them back to
the days of other wars when men strug-
gled in the open. The trying period OF
lighting behind sandbag parapets was
temporarily past and they were at close
grips with the enemy where they could
employ the bayonet. The Germans had
rushed up achievements which they