The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-28
BATTERED ENEMY
TROOPS LEFT TO
PUT UP DEFENSE
German Command Saves
Fresh Men to Make Stand to
Rear of Present Line.
sBy Associated Press)

WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE. Monday. Aug. 26-The ex-
tension of the British line north of the
Scarpe has brought the attackers to
within striking distance of a good part
of the Hindenburg line, back of which
is open country with the terrain and
roads in excellent condition for the
movement Of tanks and horses
The British made steady progress
again today, especially on the new sec
ton of the front, around Bapaume and
astride the Somme. German resist
ance again was stubborn. However.
it is beginning to look as though the
enemy is fighting rear guard actions
with the hope OF holding up the Brit
ish until he can move his material
to the rear.
No fresh German divisions have
been identified in the recent fighting.
The strategy of the German high COM
mand now is to leave battered divi-
sions to fight rear guard actions and
incidentally, to have large part of
the remnants of these formations
chewed to pieces by the British fire.
Gen. Ludendorff perhaps has some
plans to make a stand the rear of
the present line and is saving what
men he can for that purpose 1t
would not be surprising II the enemy
intended to put up stiff defense
somewhere on line running north
and south through Peronne
New Gains Important
There was hard fighting today
around Bapaume. Favreuil, just north
OF Bapaume, has been taken and the
! streets run red with the blood OF
Germans killed there. The enemy
| was prepared to launch a counter at
tack here. but as his troops moved to-
| ward the town from the east, they
were caught under the fire of the Brit
ish artillery. The British then storm
ed into the town and captured what
remained Of the enemy's forces-110
| men and five officers. From Faveuil
! the British pushed east and south
further encircling Bapaume.
There are unconfirmed rumors that
British patrols have reconnoitered in
! to Bapaume and have gone some dis
lance without seeing any OF the en-
envy. British shells have been rain
ing down on Bapaume for many hours.
Large numbers of prisoners captur-
ed have not arrived yet at the cages.
because they are some distance to
the rear. This accounts for the fact
that many captured Germans, perhaps
the number runs well into the thou
sands, while well outside the zone or
fire in accordance with the rules of
war, have not yet reached the base
| cages.
| The new section of the battle front
just south of the Scarpe offers great
! possibilities. The alta cking forces
| here are driving eastward astride the
| Arras-Cambrai railroad and are now
| beyond Monchy-Le-Preux and Wan
court. These points virtually are on
the Hindenburg line. The rain dur
ing the night did not interfere with the
British advance, for the operations
now are on hard ground The rain
put the Germans at q disadvantage.
particularly those in crater holes with
machine guns, as many of the holes
were turned to puddles.
AS soon as the rain ceased scores
OF British planes took the air and con-
t1nued their systematic attacks upon
the enemy troops
Tanks again distinguished them
| selves by overwhelming difficult points
where the concentration of machine
guns delayed the advancing infantry