Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-15
Special Cable TO Evening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918. bp New York Times Co.
With the British Armies. Aug. Is.

Special Cable TO Evening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918. bp Neto York Times Co.
With the British Armies. Aug. 15.
Except for the gradual strengthen.
ing OF the enemy's resistance, both
upon our front and that of the French,
there has been little change in the
situation.
Increased resistance was, of course,
10 be expected, as the enemy has
brought up his reserves. The only
question is how many divisions that
command opposite this sector of the
line still holds now that we'll over
thirty have been identified. including
those opposed to the French south of
Roye road, which may be estimated
at nine. In any case, a surprise at.
tack such as ours usually slackens
after the first few days, owing to the
aii1culty of arranging the supply of
big guns, fresh troops, stores and ra.
tions over the length they gained.
Consequently today we have no very
conspicuous news to narrate.
Monday night a German party of
ABOUT 100 men attempted a local at.
tack upon Fouqucscourt, a village ly.
ing about mile south Of Chilly, which
tne AUSTRALIANS now hold, and mile
north of Parvillers, which. unhappily.
Is still occupied by German machine
guns hidden In a small. surrounding
wood. But the attack was driven off
without much difficulty and the rest
OF our front line, including the sector
north or Somme, is reported fairly
quiet.
British Get 10000 Prisoners
/ understand that the British cap
lures since the beginning of our ad-
vance last Thursday exceed 10000
prisoners. including five regimental
commanding officers, twenty battalion
commanding officers and three army
brigade commanders, making about
600 officers in ALL Further. there
were captured one corps and three
divisional headquarters more than 400
guns, several thousand machine guns,
a number Of trench mortars not yet
counted, three complete railway trains
and a vast stock of stores and en-
gineering materials. Such is the spoil
of five days battle.
| OF the enemy's losses Of men in
killed and wounded have heard esti-
mates that at present are too vague
to mention. Undoubtedly his losses
have been very severe and his pres
ent defeat adds fresh significance to
the order recently issued by General
Won Ludendorff and captured during
the fighting. 1t was dated June ?5,
and especially lays stress on the duty
of avoiding unnecessary losses of mon.
I extract the following sentences:
1t Is essential that all command.
| ers Of whatever rank. and all troops,
should be imbued with the idea that
the war cannot be won by stub
born defense. but only by further
succession of vigorous attacks,
These attacks, however, cannot lead
to victory unless we adhere to ana
improve on the methods of warfare
adopted in the recent offensive. In
eyery case where the well-tried prin-
ciples Of the Manual Of Infantry
Training in War. Part II, and the
appropriate additions made to them
by the higher command as result OF
actual experience were properly ap.
Piled success was gained at small
cost
An instance Is given from the con.
| duct of the Eleventh Division in an
attack southwest of Noyon on June D,
where, in spite of great difficulties,
ground had been gained at small cost
owing to the observance OF the new
principles Of warfare. The order con-
| tinues:
TT is absolutely essential that
we should avoid our fault of at.
tacking in too dense formations
and reduce our casualties by every
possible means. This necessity
holds equally good for the defensive
fronts-even for those who sooner
or later may become offensive fronts
again.
Divisions in the line must do
their utmost to reduce their casual
ties to an absolute minimum by
distribution in depth and by the
creation of an extended outpost
zone. In spite of all instruction, too
much attention is still paid to the
possession Of ground. to the holding
or the retaking of portions OF trench
villages. parts Of woods. etc. and
, to fighting for parts whose only
value is their prestige"
After dwelling on the advantage o.
p, elastic defense the order proceeds: