Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-14
BRITISH ARMY CAPTURES NEW
PARTS OF OLD HINDENBURG LINE

the enemy was preparing to deliver a
formidable counter-attack. His troops
were seen massing in valleys and
sunken roads and low-hying airplanes
came In reconnaissance to support the
infantry.
A bombing and Notwithstanding
attack was delivered at I o'clock last
night against the Yorkshires and rifles,
but the British Eunfire smashed it,
and small parties of men were dealt
with by rifle fire. 1t is possible they
will try again. but while l was on
that front there was no German &C.
tivity beyond pot.shots from long
range.
l passed a little group of prisoners
newly caught. mostly of the 18th Di.
vision. and many of those taken Thurs.
day were resting on their way back
in ruins of their own making in this
world of ruin. They were muddy,
but not ill.clad. | noticed especially
their good field boots and their thick
gray tunics.
Prisoners Were Respectful
They stared about them in an ami.
nal way, like trapped beasts, but were
alert and respectful when spoken to
by the British officers, and seemed
! content to sit and stare at the pass
ing of the men and gun.
1t is queer sensation TO go through
| this country again, beyond Bapaume,
down old roads which were familiar to
us last year. through these fields and
villages where amid old ruin and
wreCkage the British built thousands
of huts and many officers clubs and
cinema sheds and pitched camps of
tents and established workshops and
camouaaged gun positions.
/ Everywhere now among the old Brit
ish graves are the graves of Ger.
man soldiers They stick. up out OF
mud and swamps ir these ravaged
| fields with wooden crosses, different
| in shape rom the British and sur
mounted with steel helmets, Camou
| naged by streaks Of color. belonging
TO the men below who walked in them
down these roads.
Dead bodies, not yet buried anC
dead horses lie amid the muck heaps
Of these battlefields, and everywhere
there are old boots, Old bottles. strips
Of field gray uniforms, haversacks
stick bombs, German letters, the lit
ter of the masses of men who went
Iaway in Il hurry.
Many Germans Sign Signboards
They are great sign writer's, these
Germans and everywhere for mile!
land miles at every turn in the roac
and at every broken wall, leading tc
a village smashed TO dust and ashes
there are notices on big boards warn
ing the German soldiers not to loite
pointing the way to dugouts and firt
trenches.
They are the notices of the life tina
lpassed a few days ago or n few weeks
IaGo and from them one is able to pic
turc in ones mind how it all LOOKED
here when thousands of field gra,
men swarmed in all these places.
The spirit of the gray wolf still
turks about these ruins because wher
ever men have been they leave
little of themselves like a ghostly ex
altation.
In a wood not far from Havrin
court there were more than a fey
Finely camouflaged under trees, tn
Fourteenth Reserve Corps had mad
its headquarters here when tn
place was beyond the British range
and. as becomes the grandeur of
German corps staff and the comfor
of such officers. the German soldier
ing place for them.
They had built a large number @
wooden bungalows, beautifully fitte
up with cupboards and panels, lik
summer houses in a garden suburb
Each small house was provided wit
a dugout, approached from an indco
entrance, to which the German stat
officers might descend with dignit
at the first distant drone of an Eng
lish airplane.
|