The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-03
BRITISH ATTACK HUNS.
STRIKE SUCCESSFULLY ALONG A
FRONT OF THREE MILES.
Operation Proves Unqualified Success
Infantry Reaching All Objectives
and Forcing Startled Germans Back
to Average Depth of Fifteen Hum
drcd Yards.

With the British Army in Frame.
June 20 (By the Associated Press) =
fleid Marshal Won Hindenburg's !
troops east OF the forest Neippe got a
nasty and unexpected knock today |
when the British suddenly drove for
ward in surprise attack along q
front OF more than three miles ard
hurried the startled Germans hack 70
an average depth of 1900 yards. The
operation was an unqualified success
from its inception, and the attackio:y
infantry reached all their objectives
BY this thrust the British not only
nave greatly improved their position
in this important and much contested
, sector, which lies just north of Nor
Vile, but they inflicted heavy punish
ment on two hostile divisions that
were holding the line here-the
Thirty second Division of Saxons and
the FOrty-fourth Reserve Division Of
Prussians.
Large numbers of the enemy were
killed in the hurricane onslaught and
some $50 had been collected in the
prison cages before noon.
! The front of the attack was 5000
yards in lengh and lay approximate-
ly between VieuX Bruquin on the
north and Pont Journal, which is g.
900 yards northwest of Merville, on
the south
West of Merville the British an
German lines were jammed almost
against the edge of the Nieuppe Forest
with the result that the British felt Il
lack Of elbow room. 1t was in order
to acquire more leeway that todays
assault was projected.
The objectives settled upon law
along the winding little stream
known as Plate Becque. Prussian aud
Saxons were holding this zone The
first stages Of the drive were COM
paratively easy. In fact, all the final
Objectives were reached without much
difficulty. The losses among the
storming infantry for the entire en-
gagements were extremely light Aus
tralian troops on the left of the
columns carried out a stimulated at =
Jack OF their own which had an
amazing result, adding nearly half a
hundred prisoners.
The morale Of the prisoners tallen
To-Day was not nigh. These men and
others captured recently have an
peared to be much disheartencd bv
their failure TO get bigger results in
their offensive. These men have pro-
fessed to have believed that the Unit
ed States was not to be able to rem
der much assistance to the allies.
With the German officers naturally
II is different, for they have no delu-
sions on the subject.
The British pushed off at o'clock
this morning after sharp lombard
beginning to arise along the numer-
Gus streams which thread their tor
tuous way about this region. State
ments by prisoners show that the enc
my had not the slightest expectation
OF the British taking the initiative
The Germans felt so secure that they
were devoting most of their time to
n campaign against the epidemic
known locally as the Flanders
grippe
! The British were over the top and
at the enemy before the latter rea lizei
their danger. Machine gun posts wero
StOrmed and cleaned out with hand
grenades and bayonets. Where the
Germans were holding stretch Of
trenches the attacking troops rushed
up with rapid fircrs and swept the
bitches with an intense fire that an
Inflated the defenders
London. June 2S.-British troops in
attacks against the Germans have ad-
Vanced their line over a front o.
hearty three and IL half miles to an
average depth OF nearly mile east oi !
the Nieppe Forest, which lies between !
Bailleu and Bethunc, according to the
British official communication iSsueJ
this evening. West of Merris An;
tralian troops also captured enemy
positions. ON both sectors prisoners
and machine guns were taken.
The text of the communication fol-
lows:
This morning English troops car.
ricd out a successful operation on ::
front of about three and oneha,f