Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-27
Companies of Silesians
sil in Attempt on Brit.
ish Near Meteren
KPECTED A WALKOVER
ince Rupprecht Sacrificing
B Line Troops to Keep Re.
serves Intact
By PHILIP GIBBS

Et<& Suo WcStern 'FRONT.', July 2f
xxEYA fairly strong attack, futile in
,fyW result, was made by the Germans
Eeyafnst some Scottish troops yester.
&@y morning southwest OF Meteren.
Hne enemy's object was to take a
An4t or road going east and west
Il &1rough the British position, and six
f1qmpanies. two of each regiment of
4 Ae German Twelfth Division. were or
iQefed to carry out this attempt.
~ That division Is made up of Silesians
tHom Breslau lately come into the line
~ Meteren to relieve the Elghty.first
division; which. Jas I have told sew.
sef4l times lately. has been almost
t01otroyed by Australian and Scottish
}fr0ops. The Twelfth was one Of those
which took part in the Austrian of.
;1ensive against the Italians before
their reverse on the Piave, and one
regiment of 1t, the Sixty-third, re-
celved a special shoulder strap in
honor of its service with the letters
*. X. Kaiser karD and the Emperor
~ Austria became their colonel-in-
On our front they suffered in the
i0rhting across the Arras Cambrai
road on March "a, and afterward on
fAprfl II, when they were hammered
~ the Australians near their present
5 R0undary in Flanders when they set
feut with the ambitious object to get
teehfnd our hill country and failed to
F1et anywhere. Now, after a rest,
they are back again. and after a few
days In the line have been hit hard
yoAce more.
Never Reached Their Goal
The attack began after heavy bonn.
4ardment of the Scottish positions and
fehe six companies then advanced in
n resolute way. hoping to have an
toAey walk.over after the work of their
jEuns, but they were raked with fire
Izfom the start, and never reached
the road which was their goal
On the British right they made
fnpme progress and for a time the re-
Ascrts that came through from the
Hoots there left the situation obscure
70 that II seemed as though the enemy
&Ad gained part Of the line, but later
fthts was cleared up, and the grim
Nefense of the Scottish infantry re-
hailed the assault and drove back the
1nemy with severe losses.
y His only gain was one small out
best. He took similar post the night
Goeore last and held it only until Aus
txalians hoxed it in with shell fire and
kAAn cleared it out with rifle grenades.
r. ~ the Twelfth German Division has
6Svthing like the history Of its prede-
o0oeors in this part Of the line, the
iuon will soon be very miserable. for
~ Australians and Scots have com.
hlned In making the enemy positions
Uoeribly uncomfortable and inflicting
lily losses which have reduced divi.
rms there to mere skeletons.
Not only the Eighty.first Reserve
6 the Thirteenth Reserve and 2O7th
: 3nnan divisions hereabout were
&1fn down by constant harassine
HRtil only weak remnants of their
npanies were left in line. A com
Hnny Of the Second Battalion Of the
Hhlrteenth Division, which went into
5So lire ninety strong. was cut to
tenty.five or thirty: Fourteen com,
1Shies of the Third Battalion were
3tbt as weak when the Australians
&ad done with them.
kThe high command means to leave
~ In line" said a German officer we
AAptured a few weeks ago. until one
6Iold kitchen is enough to feed us all. >
Keeping Fresh Reserves Intact
Il II ID. of course, the deliberate policy OF
Nt1nce Rupprecht and his army generals
rs make these wretched divisions hold
M In the line until they can hardl,
&kaeger up to the outposts, so that be
MID the line he may keep intact hi.
6tkSh reserves for another great as
S6hlt
from that point of view, It is perhap
nound policy. but II is cruel on tn,
WI left so long under shell fire.
I'm this sector of the line. as at He
koterne and Aveluy and other parts, th
6H11ish gunners give no peace to tn
6nnrmAn troops. All round about Me
koRen they harass and scourge the en-
&ys position day and night. The.
4 Kip out ingenious programs Of harass
- 6re, 30 that one day they smas
SWn all the little bridges which tn
GKmans have built over the canal, an
Hen another day put lines of shell
yCoWn his tracks and crossroads, an
Eaxt concentrate on his ammunitio
t1mnpe. which go up in smoke, and the
Nnfry machine gun posts and assembl
< I1Kces and lines of reliefs.
X Ea1t causes incessant wastage in tn
4 E3emy's ranks. keeps their nerves o
6GGe and knocks out their fighting spiri
y organized brutality, which is III
~ of war and inevitable in the winnin
61sWar. Itsis what the Germans did t
p 4&o British In the bad old days OF 191
ND 1915 and part of 1916, when the
~ great gun power and the Britis
&3d very little and could not answe
III nek- Gradually, after the monstrou
IDprts of the enemy to smash them I
3Uce0 from the opening OF his OnenSiN
~ March 81, the British are regainin
- power Of initiative. and it is no.
b ~ Germans who have to Withstand SUI
gIDe attacks.
On . big scale they were nightly SUI
1sed by Foch's counter offensive. be
~ wing he was still without reserves I
Z - his own theories into practice, an
f.s 3 smaller scale, they were utterl
70 }pFised by the attack of a few day
between Moreuil and Montdidier.
DKit1sh tanks played part in causin
70 ~ latter surprise, in cooperation wit
Uo0eh Infantry. The French general |
M ElmAnd called one tank headquarters
~ eIplained his idea. He is believe
$1ouks. and said that IL he could haN
~ o1Tvices of a score or so he coul
4. euge some important ground held b
~ enemy as stepping stone
1nns and round up many prisoners
- halped little.
s - 1Pitish tanks were ready for AZ
q 1GRa and they were placed und
- command. They made their wa
~ The French lines, took cover unit
6ment of attack and then advance
I ~ blue coats, who were mightil
- BY these comrades in arms. ma
- ~ their method of maneuvers an
AZ Allied with enthusiasm for the ga
n of their crews.
~ ~ German lines were stormed ar
~ (anks and French infantry penetra
~ ~ enemy positions and assaults
z.lxt