Evening star., 1918-08-25
BRITISH ACHIEVE
SPLENDID SUCCESS
,Haig's Army, In Tremendous
Struggle, Throbs With
Expectation.
BATTLE ROLLS TO ENEMY
ny JOSEPH ". GRIGG.

CAblegfam to The Sunday Star ana
New York Weria- Cepyrfsht. 1918.
ON THE BRITISH FRONT. August
zi.-Suiidng the enemy on q wide front.
the British third and fourth armies have
achieved splendid successes. They have
taken from the enemy some Of the chief
points along the main line OF resistance
and numerous prisoners. The whole
battle front between Lihons on the south
and the Cojeul river on tho north has
been afiame today.
When the harvest moon g1owed over
the pleasant land last night the third
army launched an attack against
Gommiecourt. which. with Erviuers,
Of defense. The quiet OF the night
had frequently been broken by ex-
ploding bombs and casual outbursts
Of artillery; now 1t was suddenly
the British rushed for this important
town and got 1t. This action proved
to be the torch that set dre to the
! whole Cojuel-Lihons front Before
the moon had finished its course for
the night the boche was to find that
it had heralded another perfect day.
but not for himself
Women Work in Fields.
In the early morning I made my
way by motor car to the scene OF
fighting between the Cojeul river and
Gommiecourt Up to the very edge
| of the battlefield women were in the
fields, stacking the rich grain There
was a thunderous roar over miles Of
front. / had to pass behind much OF
that array of big British guns which
were pulverizing the enemy strong
holds.
This bird cage" Somme country
is already shattered out Of all recog-
milton. The trees are gaunt and black
as in winter. CHEEKY wounded were
altering down the road.
How did it eor l asked wound
sir" and when i asked if he had
helped take certain villages he an
swered, II don't know what it was
named. but we took it."
Boche Prisoners in Droves.
Coming along in droves were boche
prisoners. lusty-looking and far from
/ disconsolate. Many of them had well
coined the opportunity to surrender
when the British pressed into Com
mecourt and other places. but there
are boches who still fight bravely
and these welded machine guns until
! killed by bayonet or bomb.
In the Ludendorh scheme to try to
hold wide strip of territory by
| means OF resistance at strong points
! tnes6 are only Two courses LOT ms
men-they must fight or surrender.
| When they fight it is to their un-
! doing, for the boche who makes a
/ stand is up against British troops
who mean to mop up all such him
of enemy resistance. as they did sue
cessfuily in many places today.
Wherever the main line has been
I rushed today the boche has been
forced TO get out or go under.
Wish to Retrieve Region.
This shell torn Somme region. de-
spite all its mud and discomfort IN
winter and its forlorn appearance
] now when wild flowers and grass
partly camoudage its wounds. is a
| region the Britisher wishes to re-
trieye because that spells defeat for
! the enemy Every suare mile torn
from him Is ground for which the
4 German high command must explain
/ it's reasons for retirement British
| objectiyes are now always toward the
main enemy lines with the view of
making a stand-up fight and effect
ing great enemy retreat, and the
| enemy has a job in hand to put on
retirement. ! would not convey the
impression that the Germans arc
yielding easily. for at Royelles and
iAchiete-le-Grand, to mention only two
places they hung on grimly today. al
| though without avail
Boche Prisoners Look Back.
! After my first survey I went today
to the hilltop overlooking Ervillers
/ later in the morning, just as nerce
I harrage had been fung down upon
the enemy stronghold and and on part
of his main line of defense before
the Bapaume road. Masses OF white
smoke spouted geyserlike along the
while Ervillers front and behind this
4 m A trzG &NnGh a.
with the success of his weeks work.
was advancing to attack. AS the
| troops marched along the road to get
| into the fighting they passed big
companies of boche prisoners shut
of soldiers with fixed bayonets and
headed for the cage They were
mostly big fellows and many or them
young. as has been conspicuously no.
ticeabie of late. Some of them were
| looking back auxiously over their
shoulders as enemy shells searched
the valley near by and as the many
British batteries were mercilessly
pouring she'll after shell into the
| enemy lines ana lar oack on ms CON-
munications.
On one part of the road they came
abreast Of the fine big guards bat
TALON going UP to take part in the
battle. They swung along al orisR
the edge of a battle and soon to face
a hail of boche machine gun bullets
and shrapnei.
British Army Confident.
The enemy expected in these Au-
gust days to be overrunning the allies
before America could throw in her le-
Sions, Both conditions and prospects
are reversed, for the tide OF battle rolls
toward the enemy lines. The British
army that the boche stigmatized as
without morale or striking power now
throbs with confident expectation ana
| is Impatient to strike deep within the
enemy lines.
There is not an enemy plane visible
over the British lines today in any
mart of the battle zone 1 have visited
Troops and lorrie trains sweep unmo-
Tested over the dust-laden roads to-
ward the battle line and guns are
belching everywhere over the open
tcountry.
Attack Field Batteries.
heard today of a brilliant attack
which certain British units made two
days ago over the main line OF the
Arras railway. They got in among
the field batteries of the boches and
did great damage with bombs and
bayonets But they were unable then
to hold that part of the line. because
other troops on the flank had been
temporarily held up in the mist. So
the raiders reluctantly fell back. To-
went wholly right. and the ground
fell and remains in British possession.
In view of the recent developments
md OF the menace now raised against
German morale 1t will not be surpris-
ing If the enemy makes q strong ef-
o. "a H,1 m, pornnna