The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-17


With British Army in France, Aug.
12 (By the Associated Press) Dur
inc the lull in the battle there are
further indications that the line Isl
hardening.
This afternoon Crown Prince Rup-
precht of Bavaria, seems to nave
brought in more fresh troops, and
while the Allied forces are pauslns
of their own accord, the enemy WIN
in the area Of his new tattle 'front.'
with the Somme at his back, is. having
most uncomfortable time. Ihe
British guns are hammering Chaulnes
while cannon of large caliber are COM
ing ND all the time and drenching the
enemy rear with steel. They are also
pounding away at the bridges across
the Somme at Bethincourt-
The shelling of the bridges here IS
a serious matter for the enemy, rs
bombs from the air are continually
being dropped by British alrplanes
from a low altitude at the bridges III
the Peronne district. This bombing
has been going on day and night since
the battle began, forcing the Germans
to divert their transport, so that the
general movement was southeast.
Now his bridges to the southeast are
under heavy fire. :,
With the comparatively small
force of Americans there has been no
real heavy fighting today They st,.l
are holding the line and their patrols
have been sent out now and then 1eei-
ing out the foreground.
At many places along the new
front, especially just south OF the
Somme, the Germans are oceupylns
the old line dugouts built by tne
French more than two years ago. Tnse
Germans have concentrated artlile'S
at many places and today are send
ing in more shells than on any oay
since the battle began. Llhons Wn1ch
came into British hands yesterday was
being steadily shelled today.
A party of cavalry charging down
the Rove Road ran into the cross fire
| of large German pill boxes studded
with machine guns just this side OF
! Rove and received a check, but the
Germans who happened to get the
opportunity to do this execution palo
!. the extreme penalty later.
Today the resistance by the enemS
has been stiffening progressively but
his troops appear to be nervous and
/ apprehensive of what the future
holds out for them and what the al
/ lies intend to do. In order to feel Out
i the Allied force it is expected further
| heavy counterattacks may be
1 Stories OF the air fighting oyer the
| battle lines are amazing. One ppsery-
er coming into this station shot down
| four machines. In the same fg1uns
a British pilot chased one enemy plane
/ TO earth fand was swooping down to
! finish his antagonist when the man
climbed out of his machine and held
fup his hands in token of surrender.
$50 I did not kill him. the British
pilot said. But on my way home
met n group Of enemy machines ana
got a bullet in me but managed 10
Hand inside our lines
The report Of this incident ENDS
with the statement that the pilot dleo
in a hospital shortly after relating
his experience. zne,
A British two scatter shot down
two enemy machines during a battle
royal in the air. The pilot was bad
ly wounded and fell across his con-
troll. The observer, however, leaned
forward and secured his comrades
body and managed to get control OF
the machine. He brought it to earth
where it crashed, but both the occu-
pants escaped death.
Another pilot during the course OF
fight started for home wounded.
When ten feet above the ground in
side his own lines, he collapsed iron:
loss of blood.
There are dozens of thrilling tales
of how machine after machine, SKIM
ming close to the ground, fired point
blank into bodies Of enemy troops,
killing a great many. despite the fire
from the ground and how they wiped
out the crews of enemy machine
guns holding up the allied advance.
They also effectively attacked the
poorly constructed German tanks be-
1 lore In0y ever lIdu q CIid1CC ~ o.
into action.
Prisoners from fresh Prussian and
Bavarian divisions have been captur-
ed in the past few hours. The morale
o. these men is extremely low, a
great many of them expressing the
opinion that Germany, twice badly
beaten in recent weeks, and perhaps
having further defeats in store for her,
is On the down grade headed for de-
feat
French families, who for months
have been refugees from their homes
in this district, are now returning
whenever possible Many, of course
will find their homes, but others
which were within range of the Ger
man guns before the Allied offensive
were torn to pieces by shell fire.
The contrast between the number
of prisoners taken and the Allied
casualties is regarded as remarkable.
IT,. bo oocro1tioc the