The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-07-02
SuddenneSS of Attack Hurled
the Enemy Back to Average
of 1.500 Yards.
AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS
Front of the Attack Was 5000
Yards in Length Between
NieuN Berguin and Pont
Journal.

With the British Army in France
July 1.-Field Marshal Won linden
burg's troops east of the forest OF
Nieppe got nasty and unexpected
knock when the British suddenly
drove forward in the surprise attack
along front Of more than three
miles and hurled the startled grey
coated soldiers back to an average
depth of 1900 yards.
The operation was an unqualified
success from its inception. and the
attacking infantry reached all their
objectives in remarkably short time
BY this thrust the British not only
have geatly improved their positions
in this important and much-contest-
ed sector. which lies just north OF
Merville, but they inflicted punish
ment on two hostile divisions that
were holding the line here-the thir-
ty-second division OF Saxuns and the
forty-fourth reserve divisions OF
Prussians.
Large numbers Of the enemy were
killed in the hurricane onslaught,
and some $50 Of the more fortunate
had been collected in the prisoner
cages before noon.
The front of the attack was 1000
yards in length and lay approximate
ly between VieuX Berguin on the
north, and Pont Tournai. which is
1000 yards northwest OF Mervillc
on the south.
West OF Merville the British and
German lines here had been iammed
M almost against the edge Of the
Nieppe forest in places, with the re-
suit that the British felt lack OF ell
! bow room for operations It was
in order to acquire more leeway that
the assault was projected
The detectives settled upon Law
, long the winding little stream known
as Plate J aCque, which bowed out
toward the east in a scmi-circle back
of the German lines Prussians and
SaXOns We're cOlding this zone with
a series Of machine gun posts linked
up with barbed wire.
The first stages OF the drive were
comparatively easy. In fact all the
final obiectives were reached without
much difficulty.
At two strongly fortified farms
near the center of the line the enemy
Gt N
stand out long against the furious
onslaught Of the British. who attack
ed them from all directions
LOSSES Extremely Slight.
The losses among the storming in
fantry for the entire engagement
wer" extremely light. which was due
largely to the fact tnat the show was
over before the enemy was able to
organic" serious resistance
As special feature OF the pro-
gram Australian troops on the left
of the columns carried out a simuIat
ed attack OF their own which had an
amazing result. adding nearly half a
hundred prisoners TO the bag.
~ IloIdI' OF me prisoners taken
was not high. These men and 9th
ers captured recently in this sec
tor have appeared to be much dis
heart"ned by their failure to get
bigger results in their offensive
They had expected to get ahead much
faster than they have.
These men have professcd to have
believed that the United States was
not going to be able to render much
assistance TO the allies The helm
lessness of the United States is beinp
preached assiduously to the troops
by the German high command ann
this propaganda undoubtedly has
been having its effect among tbe
men in the trenches.
With the German officers. natur-
ally 1t is different. for they have no
deIusions on the subject.
Dnring the spring the low living
Ground here had beer. little better
S' morass hut the warm woatb.
~ recent days dried 1t ont enough
aassset 10 .vcrsM Infantry op-
tern Bake.-f>A
scrS<a Rr,'f- 49, ~