Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-13
LINE HARDENING

With the British army in France. ,
Aug. 12.-(By The Associated Press).
During the lull in the battle there
are further indications that the line
is hardening. This afternoon Crown
Prince Rupprecht seems to have
brought in more fresh troops and
while the allied forces are pausing
OF their own accord, the enemy with
with the Somme al his back. is hav-
ing a most uncomfortable time Ths
British guns are hammerins Chaul-
hes. while cannon OF larger calibre
are coming UP all the time and
drenchinS the enemy rear with steel.
They are also pounding away at the
bridges across the Somme at Beth
encourt. The Smelling OF the Bridges
here is a serious matter for the ca
envy as bombs are continually be-
ing dropped by British airplanes
from low altitude at the bridges IN
the peronne district This bombing
has been goin on day and night t
since the battle began. forcing the /
Germans TO divert their transport so :
that the general movement was
southeast. Now his bridges to tho
southeast are under heavy fire.
With Shc comparatively small
force Of Americans there has been
no real heavy fighting today. They
still are holding their line and their
patrols have been sent out now ard
then feeling out the foreground. At
many places along the new front eS-
pecially just south Of the Sonmc the
Germans are occupying tffc Old line
dugoutS built by the French more,
than two years ago. The Germdrsl
have concentrated some artillery at
many places and today are sending
in more shells than on any day
since the battle began. Lihons,
which came into British hands yes
terday when Field Marshal Haig's
men stormed the place after having
been driven out in n Counter-attack,
was being heavily shelled today.
A part of the cavalry charging down
the Roye road ran into the cross fire OF
large German pill boxes studded with
machine guns Just this side of Roye and
received A check, but the Germans who
happened to get the opportunity to do
this execution paid the extreme penalty
later
Today the resistance by the enemy
has been stiffenng progressively, but
his troops appear TO be nervous and ap-
prehensive.
In order to feel out the allied forces
it is expected that heavy counter at
lacks may be launched by the enemy
Stories of the air lighting over the
LATHE lines are amazing There are doz-
ems of thrilling tales Of how aviators,
skimming close to the ground, fred
point blank into the bodies Of enemy
troops, killing 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 before
they ever had a chance to get into ac-
ton.
Prisoners from fresh Prussian and
Bavarian divisions have been captured
in the past few hours The morale Of
the men is extremely low, a great many
of them expressing the opinion that
Germany, twice badly beaten in recent
weeks and PERHAPS having further de-
feats in store for her, is on the down
grade, headed for defeat.
Families which for months have been
refugees from their homes in this dis.
trict are now returning whenever DOS
sible. Many homes which were within
range of the German guns before the
allied offensive were knocked to pieces
by shellfire.
The contrast between the number
of prisoners taken and the allied cas-.
uaities is regarded as rema rkable.
For instance, the casualties of the en-
tire allied forces were considerably
less than the total of prisoners TAX
en-. When it is understood that this
battle has not been waged for the
purpose of taking prisoners, the cas-
ua;ties inflicted on the Germans must
nave reached large figure.