Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-24
GERMANS BEATEN,
CAPTURED, KILLED,
ROUTED BY BRITISH
Disaster Overwhelmed Crown
Princes Armies in Yesterdays
Biggest Battle of War.
WHOLE BATTALION LOST


disastrous days ever experienced by the
Germans.
Victorious on battle front of twenty
three miles, extending frusl the CoIeul
River on the north, across the Ancrc and
Somme Rivers almost to Lihons, the Sd
and 4th British Armies, under Gems.
Byng and Rawinson. gave the Germans
the worst thrashing they have ever re-
ceived
The enemy has lost wide stretches of
ground numerous towns, thousands OF
men made prisoner and large quantities OF
materials and guns. He also again has
had heavy casualties.
ONE BATTALION WIPED oUT.
Crown Prince Rupprecht OF Bavaria
the German commandcr, has thrown hls
mon in before the advancing British
armies IN an effort to stave off the IN
cvitable. only 10 have them moved down
again and again by storms of metal from
? the British guns. One entire enemy bat
TALON was annihilatcd during the fighting
Dcad Germans in great numbers are scat
tered everywhere over the battlefield
* ain example 400 enemy dead were
observed this morning on the small
plcrc oi ground
With all tins fierce tIghtlng and not
,,I.hstaptling that the British NJ many
places have fought over open ground
against m enemy prot CCtcd IN bot hotes
and strong points Of other kInds, the l'ut-
lsh losses seem to have been CNtraor-
dinarllv light Tins probably IS due 10
The confusion the Germans hnd behind
their lines rs they are fighting losing
battle. which FOR thcnu hourly grows
moro disastrous.
Crown Prince Rupprccht today had
strengthened his hnc ut many places, hut
/ this. instead of stopping the British,
simply meant that the Germans suffered
bigger losses.
BATTLE FRONT w1DENS.
During the night and this morning the
iron, upon which the battle was being
fought Yesterday has widcncd appreClahly
both 10 the north and the south, while the
ground in the middle between Albert and
Observation-Disclosures which heretofore
had hcsv1 faiFN quiet. suddenly was drawn
into the uhlh
From the northern edge ot the battle
cld 10 the south tho situation AZ last
reports seemed to hC As follows. New
attacks from tho River Coieul and
south carried the British across the Al
hcrt-Arras railroad embankment Tho
British apparently hold BoirNl}ccquerclle
and BoyelleS and have passed Beyond
the ArraS-3apaumc road
The troops Just to the south. who
Tor two DAYS had been fighting for and
aftcrward from the embankmcnt, Storm
ed forward and reached Hamclincourt and
pushed on oward Ervillcrs. St Lcger and
Croisiles tCroisIiles IS An important
point on the old Hindenburg hnc) Air
planes reported that British tanks had
crossed the road between Ervlilers and
II Icgcr An alrplane reported that the
Germans had disappeared from their
positions northwest OF II Leger and
ictwtet. that town and Hamelncourt and
that the lighting Rntish found time in the
midst Of their task 10 cheer heartily.
This locality Was one Of the places where
tn, Gerl.saLs had doubled their strength.
SWING TOWARD BAPAUME.
The fighting TO the south Of this region
began in the hight when strong British
forces ass,4lled ComIecourt just a few
minutes before the Germans had antlcl-
uated launching an attack at the same
l,lace. Gomiecourt was British Al day
light As ii happened the British upset all
the enemy plans, and. after killing many
Germans and capturing 500 IN the town
Of CioInicCourt alone Field Marshal Halg
-Incn continued their forward movement,
and at last reports were pushing steadily
onward.
Gorniecourt by reason of its terrain,
apparently was considered the pivot OF
q turning movement. for, once having
taken il, the British sent troops swinging
down south in the direction of Eapaume.
The Germans on this portion of the battle
front were badly dlsorganized. There
were Germans all over the place, but they
seemed to have no ideas of counter-at-
tack. Some apparently did not even
know exactly where they were,
The fighting south Of Gomecourt was
especially severe incidentally, this move
ment cut in around the rear OF Achiet-le-
Grand At the same time the British
here. having launched another frontal
attack on the enemys stronghold. were
again in hard fighting While the battle
was raging here British planes were help
ing the fighters on the ground by heavily
bombing or using machine guns against
the enemy Among other things OBJ
tanned were several direct hits on a
building at the rear of which were a
number of touring cars. The building
apparently was a German headquarters
SURRENDER IN A BODY.
South of Achiet-le-Grand the British
did not start todays operations SO early
as farther north The New Zealanders
here stopped work TO let German counter
develop They played dead until the
advancing enemy infantry was almost Oh
top Of them. Then they put down heavy
machine gun barrage Just at the rear
of the Germans, who surrendered in q
BODY This happened just north Of Mira
mont Many of the prisoners were non
commissioned officers, and all Of them
appeared TO be glad that they had been
captured When asked about the Aus
TRANS, the prisoners expressed the great
contempt for their allies as soldiers say
ing they were no good whatever
Slightly to the south the British have
crossed the Ancer River and started
back il the general direction Of Courcelet-
te Already they are reportd to be south
east of Grandcourt. This move menaces
from the rear the German stronghold
at Thiepval, which is an old fortress
PUSH BEYOND ALBERT.
At Albert the British pushed forward
toward Tara Hill, and an airplane report
at about noon said the British troops
held the entire position. Considerable
numbers Of prisoners were taken In this
locality
The British troops seem 70 be progress |
ing we'll UP the road from Albert 70 Ba-
paume Welsh troops are participating
in the fighting In this neighborhood
South of Albert, Meaulte appears to
be in British hands. having been cap