New-York tribune., 1918-08-31

not had much time to offer fight, even
if they really desired to.
The casualties inflicted by the Brit
fish shells have been larger perhaps
than ever before, because the gunners,
advancing closely behind the infantry,
have had many opportunities on this
terrain, which alternatively is slightly
rolling and fat, to lay on their weapons
with open sights and pour a rapid fire
of steel into the Boches. The artillery
, has materially helped to increase the
number of prisoners by throwing com
pletely out Of gear all the enemy fight
ing arrangements. The cmptier Ger
man stomach The more docle is its
owner Still more has the artillery
helped to catch prisoners by drop
ping barrages behind large groups cut
ting Oft their retreat And all this fire
has hau Is effect in even more ways.
Bapaumc seems to have been capt
ured without much resistance by New
Zealand troops, who were assisted by
pressure from the English on the south.
The town was entered from the north
and cast. There was only short street
/ fighting and then the Germans who had
been left behind surrendered.
/ North of Bapaume, the most inpor
tant captures have been made. The
strong defences which had been erected
by the Germans at Bullecourt, Hcnde-
court lcz- -Cagnicourt and Ricncourt-
( lez- Cagnicourt have been stormed and
captured. At R;encourt especially were
the defences strong, as the town
sits atop high ground, which in itself
forms a natural defensive position. It
had been thought that the Germans
would hold on to this place desperately
and they did for the first part of the
attack.
Under the terrific British fire, how
ever, the enemy broke, rs Haig's men
stormed the place, and it is now firmly
in British hands Here the British arc
famous Drocourt- -Queant line, which
probably is one of the strongest posi-
tions the enemy has ever erected on
the Western front.
Bitter Battle Predicted
The Drocourt- Queant defences now
consist of five lines of trenches, many
machine guns and immense quantities
of wire, and the ground is honey.
combed with deep dugouts to offer
shelter from bombardment.
1t is along this line, perhaps, that
one Of the most bitter struggles of the
war may soon take place.
Another new Prussian division has
been identified in the fighting during
the night. This division was one which
the Americans had smashed to pieces at
Chateau Thicrrv and since had been
rcfitting and filing great gaps in the
ranks somewhere in the enemy rear
Reports Of Germans refusing TO fight
continue Reliable German information
says:
CON August 2S it was learned that
| the 5th Company Of tho 22d Reserve
Infantry Regiment refused to go for
ward to relieve the 4th Company
which had suffered heavy losses. as il
had only gone out of line itself four
days previously.
ITO He'll With Fatherland"
"The men refused for two hours
during which the commander threat
ened to send them forward under es
cort. In the end the men were per
suadcd, after heated argument about
their duty to the Fatherland, to which
some of the men openly retorted: TIC
hell with the Fatherland'
Terrific losses continue to be inhct
cd on the Germans. On large sec
tion Of the front to the cast OF
Bapaume they have not had hot fooc
for three days because British bomb:
smashed large number of their roll
ing kitchens.