The sun., 1918-08-27
GERMANS SHOOT
THEIR OFFICERS
BEFORE FRENCH
POilus on the Divette Wit
ness Revolt of Soldiers as
Drive Increases.
OFFICERS SLAY MEN TOO
Humbert's Army Holding on
Tenaciously and Is Gain
ing Bit by Bit.
OFFICERS SLAY MEN TOO
By GERALD CAMPBELL.


Special cabie Despotch to THr suS from the
London Times sevtIce.
Copp,oht. 1915; all rights rcserrod
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY. Aug. 26.-
On the north bank of the Divette
River. well east OF Plemont. young
French officer and his men were lying
in a position in a hollow road to
which they had advanced three Gays
ago. Even AT night It is practically
impossible TO pass food to these ad-
vanced positions, as the ground slop-
ing down TO the river on this side is
constantly swept by the enemy's FIRE
from the village and high hills on the
other side. Their friends kept them
supplied. however. by passing tins OF
preserved meat from shell hole 70
she'll hole. there being plenty OF these
about, since the fighting in this vicin-
ity has been constant for nearly a
fortnight.
These Frenchmen are in about the
most uncomfortable position one can
INA gine. but they decline TO be re-
lieved as they wish to he first into
Guny when the time comes for fur
ther advance.
That In tbs kind Of temper one hnds
e~erywMerv~er-ssss-f% s-f%suua.---a ahsrs- --ia m
holding the rnen hack. They want al
WAYS - be on the move just returned
from Piemont ana on the way hack / had
talk with the oficers and men OF the
division which captured Belval from in
front after Il had been surrounded by
other divisions. The ground they now
have before them is rather worse from
the attackers point OF view than the
mass!f Of Thiescourt. which they had TO
win step by step before they could get
within range OF Plemont
Have Met StiH Fighting.
These men do not know what Marshal
Foch's plans are. but II asked TO push
straight ahead they would ask nothing
better. Yet the nghting they had 10 go
through with TO take Comont was about
as stir as fghting could be. Their own
share began when they relieved d.
vision which had pushed the French
front well up on the plateau OF 81
Claude Farm. From there they had 10
push down the slope OF the plateau into
the woods and rsrines in front OF the
village Of Flessierre
Their artillery opened the way for
them and when they reached the hrst
German trench a corporal from Nancy
regiment jumped down on the heads o:
squad OF Germans. who promptly
lifted their hands in token OF surrender.
From then until the 2lst they never
stopped fighting,
This whole country is a mare OF
trenches, those of the original French
front line Of lsl4-l7 covering a belt OF
land two miles wide. From these and
other strong positions the Germans re-
sisted with the utmost resolution. There
was no question here OF running away.
Constantly the French found themselves
in front OF machine gun nests which
could not be directly carried. over and
over again they had to flank the Ger
man positions. crawling up on each side
until they were within 10 or 20 yards,
from where they would rush the Ger
mans with grenades and bayonets.
Al some OF these nests the Germans
held out for hours after they were sur
rounded. At one plaie. after the French
broke In, the Germans refused TO sur
render and fought until the last OF
twelve men was dead. That sort OF
thing was continually happening,
As the French advanced from point
Continued on Second Pace