Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-12
MANY BATTLES MARK
". SOMME OFFENSIVE
LudendorH Tries to Gain Time
to Withdraw Guns and
-, Stores

with the British Army, Aug. 12.
Won Ludendorff Is obviously trying to
gain time to bring up more reserves In
Picardy possibly to permit withdrawal
Of his heavy Prtillery and stores to the
right of the Somme.
The Americans are with the British
before Bray as this Is written. South
of the Somme the Australians are push
Ing on slowly, despite steadily increas-
ing opposition.
Unless Won der Marwitzs army is
able to make stand, the situation may
become critical 1t Is not surprising.
therefore. that the Germans are mass
T. ing beyond Proyart Ga mile and half
south Of the Son1me at Bray.
The Canadians have progressed be-
yond Chilly (two miles southwest of
Chaulnes). cutting the Chaulnes-Roye
railway at Hallu. while below this, at
= Damery (three miles northwest of Noye)
] personally witnessed the taking of the
last portion of high ground before Noye,
the English and French cooperating.
: The hill Is 400 feet above sea level.
Across its crest runs the Amiens-Roye
= road. Three miles from Roye thick
wood crowns the hill. To the left of the
road the German positions were de-
Tended by concrete pickle boxes and
nests of machine guns, while trees were
fitted up as observation posts. A mile
to the northward lies Damery village.
Half way between is Damery wood.
With the possession OF these positions
the Allies could control the entrance or
exit of Noye.
The attack began at $3.50 with half
an hours barrage from the British
heavy guns, the Germans replying in
kind. Dhe enemy's counter-battery work
yesterday showed he has brought up re-
serve artillery.
Four tanks came up from behind lis
and charged the woods in plain sight
Enemy shells fell to the left and right
but none of the tanks were hit. Each
tank had to cross the highway twice.
Machine-guns on our left began pour
ing bullets into the wood, the Germans
retaliating blindly. The French began ad-
yancing up the hill, crossing the road
within short distance of the wood itself
Meanwhile the British were approach.
ing Damery wood. The tanks were now
close UP and our barrage was lengthen.
, ed falling in the wood itself. Then, Us
though from signal, vast mass OF
Germans ran out of the north end of the
wood toward copse to the eastward
The gunners never had finer target the
enemy running in compact bunches car.
rying machne-guns and machine-gun'
parts. All enemy machine-gun fire STOP
ped and all but the heaviest artillery
ceased
From Albert to south of Montdidier
there are many little battles inside the
big one. but they are timed to fit In
with each other, while whippets. cavalry
tanks and airplanes pave it into a com.
pact whole.
Rupprecht is throwing in his reserves
as fast as he Is able to bring them VI
for the purpose of slackening the ad.
vance.
Since Thursday ten At divisions of his
already limited reserve have been iden-
tilted. making a total of thirty-one divi-
sions engaged since the start. Prisoners
say that six of these divisions were hur-
ried from the Vesle region In omnibuses.
=" Indications are that the German high
command will make its biggest effort
within the next forty-eight hours to hold
" up the Allies on the present line, which
is virtually the same as the old Somme
line. ,--......-.