The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-30
STORY OF SLAUGHTER.
GERMANS WADE TIIROrCv
FLOODS OF THEIR OWN
BLOOD.
BRITISH kill With Cannon, Machine
Gun and Rife Us They Fall Back
Before Masses of Advancing Ger
mans.

rms has been another day OF most
desperate and sanguinary fighting
along the whole front of the new bat
tie zone. In fact in the northern sec
tor there has been no cessation i'm the
aWful work since yesterday morning
The Germans have continued to hurl
great forces of infantry into the con-
fiict, depending largely on weight of
numbers to overcome the increasing
opposition offered by the heroically
resisting British.
On the northern wing Of the Often
sive the enemy this morning brought
up additional troops after an all night
struggle of the fierccst nature and
renewed his efforts to break the Brit
ish front in the region of Ervillers.
To the south, near the center of the
line. an equally strong attack is being
made by the invaders to extend their
long narrow salient, which they had
pushed in south Of Bapaume, near
ongueval-famous in the annals of
the battle of the Somme.
These places were again the scene
OF shambles in which the British ma
chine gunners and rlemen exacted
terrible toll Of death from the close
y pressing enemy. Still farther south
the Germans were pounding the front
hard in an endeavor to push on and
get firm grip on Nesle and swing
the British right flank back, while
the determined defenders were bat
Ting doggedly to force the enemy
back and reclaim the positions pre-.
viously held by them along the river
The decision at all Of these centers
still in abeyance. so far as is known al
this time. and the struggle goes on
| with unabated fury. The resistance Of
the British right wing has been par
| ticdlarly spectacular.
On Saturday the Germans essayed
the crossing of the Somme on RATS
in the Nesle sector. but these expedi-
tionary forces were caught in q hail
| OF artillery, machine gun and rifle
ire and virtually wiped out. Yester-
day, however. the Germans succeeded
in getting troops across in this man.
ner and followed these advanced
guards up with strong forces which
pushed on in the neighborhood of
| Morchain. The British were contesting
he enemy advance fiercely.
The battle today on the historic
ground about Longueval was perhaps
The most spectacular of any along the
front. 1t was day for machine gun
,ers and infantry. The Germans were
pursuing their tactics Of working for
ward in massed formation and the
| British rapid firing squad and rifle
men were reaping a horrid harvest
from their positions on the high
sround.f Notwithstanding their terri
BILE losses, the Germans kept coming
on, filling in the places of those who
had fallen and pressing their attack
The British artillery in the meantime
poured in perfect rain of shells on
the enemy, carrying havoc into his
ranks. In this section the Germans
were operating without the full sup
port of their guns, because of their
rapid advance.
| In the north, in the region Of Er
villers, the British last night were
forced once more to abandon Mory
which had changed hands several
lines in the last few days. They fell
| pack for a short distance and the bat
| lie this morning was staged largely
| ,long the Bapaume-Arras Road. The
iermans employed a large number O.
| divisions in this assault which in the
| ,arly hours was held off by the Brit
| sh gunners.
For the last four days French ref
Igees have been streaming back from
he evacuated towns in large numbers
Everywhere along the roads leading
% the front were to be met old men
women and children, all trudging
toically behind their horse-drawn
ARTS of household furniture or even
packing a few belongings in q bag or
their backs.
1t is possible today to give details
Of that most important phase of the
battle fought in the sector between
GouZeaucOurt and st. Quentin. The
country here was shrouded in mist
Thursday morning and the Germans
advanced without being seen. Strong
forces of infantry flung themselves
against the British front line and af
ter a fierce struggle broke through il
1t several places They then continued