The sun., 1918-08-24
GERMANS CRUMPLED
ON % MILE FRONT.
Thousands of Prisoners and
Many Guns Are Captured
by Haig's Men.
VILLAGES ARE STORMED
Day One of Disaster to TeutOns
as Attackers Sweep Toward
Bapaume. .-.
Bv the Associated Press.

| =.
| Bv the Associated Press.
| WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE,
Aug. 2a.-victorious on battlefront
o. twenty -thyec miles. extending from
the Cojeul River on the north, across
the Anors and Somme rivers almost to
Lihons, the third and fourth British
| armies under Gems Byng and Rawiin-
son at mid-afternoon were vigorously
I following I'D their successes OF to-day,
| which apparently has been one Of the
most disa strous days ever experienced
by the Germans.
| The enemy has lost wide stretches OF
ground, numerous towns, thousands OF
men made prisoner. large quantities OF
| materials and many guns. He also
| again has had heavy casualties.
| Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria,
| the German comma nder. has thrown his
| men in before the advancing British
! armies in an effort to stave on the IN
evitable. but only to have them moved
down again and again by storms or
metal, which poured from the British
| guns One entire enemy battalion was
| annihilated in the hghting.
| Dead Germans In great numbers are
| scattered everywhere over the battle
1 field. As an example, 400 enemy dead
were observed this morning on one
small piece Of ground over which the
battle had swept.
| British Losses Light.
With all this fierce lighting and not
| outstanding the fact that the British
l
ground against an enemy protected IN
pot holes" and strong points OF other
kinds. the British losses everywhere
seem to have been extraordinarily hght.
This probably Ii due TO the CONFUSION
the Germans f,nd reigning behind their
lines, as they are fighting losing pat
tie. which for them hourly grows more
disastrous.
Crown Prince Rupprecht had strength-
ened to-day his line at many places, ou'
this instead of stopping tbe BRUSH.
simply meant that the GERMANS suho'eo
larger losses
| During the night and this morning the
front upon which the battle was being
fought yesterday was widened apprecia-
bly, both to the north and the south
while the ground ip the middle between
Albert and r-Ancre. which
heretofore had been fairly quiet SUD
l
| From rhe Northern edge OF the BATTLE
field to the south the situation at last
reports seemed to be as follows: New
attacks from the River Co5eul and south
| ca rried the British across the Albert
Arras railroad embankment. The Brit
ish apparently hold Boiry-Beequerelle
and Boyelles and have passed beyond
the Arras-Bapaume road.
Attackers Beyond Railroad.
The troops Just to the south, who for
two days had been fighting for and
afterward from the embankm.nt.
stormed forward and reached Hamelin-
court and are pushing on toward Err
villers, ST. Ledger and Croisiiles. Air
planes reported that British tanks had
crossed the road between Ervillers and
st. Ledger, while some infantry was re-
ported to be less than thousand
yards west OF Ervillers some hours ago.
At about that time an airplane reported
. that the Germans had disappeared from
their positions northwest of st. Ledger
and between that town and Hamelincourt,
and that the fighting British found time
, in the midst Of their task to cheer
heartily
Apparently the hard pressed Germans
| rather than suffer more here. where
they have met with some Of their heav-
lest losses, decided to get out. This To-
cality was one Of the places where the
Germans had doubled their strength.
II The fighting to the south OF this region
began in the night. when strong British
forces assailed Gomiecourt just few
/ minutes before the Germans had antici-
pated launching an attack at the sane
place. Gomiecourt was British at day
light As II happened the British upset
all the enemy plans, and after killing
: many Germans and capturing 500 in the
town OF Gomiecourt alone, Field Marshal
Haigs men continued their forward
movement and at last reports were push
ing steadily onward.
i, March on Bapaume.
, Gomiecourt, by reason of its terrain,
!. | apparently was considered the pivot Of
, | q turning movement. for, once having
i. taken II. the British sent troops swing
ing down south in the direction of Ba-
I paume. The Germans on this portion
, OF the battle front were badly disor-
, | ganized There were Germans all over
a the place, but they seemed to have no
idea Of counter attack. Some apparently
Q did not even know exactly where they
= were.
e The fighting south OF Gomiecourt to-
q day was especially severe. incidentally
this movement cut in around the rear OF
h | Achiet-le-Grand. At the same time the
e British here. having launched another
e frontal attack 'on the enemy's stronghold,
: were again in hard fighting. While the
!. battle was raging British planes were
v helping the fighters on the ground by
Y heavily bombing or using machine guns
Z against the enemy. Among other things
| obtained were several direct hits on a
q building at the rear of which were a
= number of touring cars. The building
= apparently was German headquarters
q South of Achiet lie Grand the British
did not start to-day's operations so early
as further north. The New Zealanders
= here stopped work to let German coun-
. ter attack develop. They played dead
until the advancing enemy infantry was
almost on top Of them. Then they put
(, down a heavy machine gun barrage Just
= at the rear OF the Germans. who sur
rendered in a body rather than be killed
/, in their tracks. This happened Just
= | north OF Mraumont.
Many of the prisoners were non-com-
; missioned officers, and all of them ap-
peared TO be glad that they had been
: captured. When asked about the Aus
. 'trians the prisoners expressed the
greatest contempt for their allies rs SOL
diers, saying they were no good what
ever .,.t
Slightly to the south the British have
!. crossed the Ancre River and started