The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
BRILLIANT AID
GIVEN TO HAIG
BY HIS ALLIES
French Capture FewerGuns
Than British Because of
Enemy Prudence.
CROSS AVRE CLEVERLY
After Encircling Movement at
Morisel They Throw Pom
tOOns Over River.
CROSS AvRE CLEvERLY
BY GERALD CAMPBELL.

Special Cable Despatch 10 The sUS from the
London Times.
Copyright. 1913; oil rights reserved.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY, Aug. 10
The French army operating to the right
Of the British continues to make good
progress. although. as might be ex-
pected. the rate OF advance slackened
somewhat compared with the splendid
advance Of the first day.
The French continuously engaged
the German infantry as it fell back.
the Germans, as usual, depending
upon rear guard machine gunners to
hold up the Allies while they con-
Quoted their retreat.
The French captured fewer guns
than the British for the reason that
the enemy was expecting an attack
further north. and in consequence had
moved his guns north Of the Amiens-
Roye road to hold Rawlinson's men in
check.
Many Comic Adventures.
TIE surprise In the frst stages OF the
offensive resulted In many comic advsn.
lures. One group OF German offcers.
including three regimental commanders.
not expecting an attack. were dressing
when their quarters were invaded by
the poilus. One Colonel looked up while
winding his puttees and found himself
staring into the face OF grinnine
Frenchman who stood, gun in hand,
waiting for him to finish.
Other German officers. seeing the
French coming. left their huts and
started down the road on a run. the
poilus after them. shooting into the dust
to frishten them. They were finally
caught and with other officers were COM
PEELED to walk back to our lines. They
could not conceal their disgust over this
treatment.
On the other hand the captured Ger
man soldiers rejoiced to find themselves
in French hands. Many OF these
prisoners are middle aged and the
French officers were amazed to fnd
that the majority wore spectacles. They
flung themselves like famished animals
on the first food that was offered them.
French Ala Brilliantly.
Although the French have taken a
secondary part in the campaign con-
Quoted by Field Marshal Haig they have
conducted themselves brilliantly, At
Morisel they took 400 prisoners despite
stubborn resistance. At this point the
French infantry threw itself across the
river, which was a difficult task. The
Avre at this point. while only about
fffty feet wide, has steep banks on both
sides. and on the east side a glacis led
directly up to the German machine gun
positions. After an encircling movement
by which they cleaned out the Germans
at the top OF the slopes they threw
pontoons across the river and passed
over.
At Ottreuil the enemy met the French
advance with the stiffest sort of resistance
and did not give up until the French had
worked around the village to attack on
both tanks. AS soon as this village was
taken the Germans seemed to lose heart
and from that moment the French con-
tinued their ADVANCE more quickly and
with less difficulty.
After passing Nizeres to the Amiens-
Roye road they progressed Ave miles
with practically no resistance. The
French artillery did very little. firing
only few rounds at the beginning of
the advance. So easy. in fact, was the
French advance at some points that the
men laid aside their guns as coon as
they got inside the old German lines
and began to gather in the harvest,
which was badly In need OF cutting.