The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-09

HAIC CAUGHT HUNS
MAPPING WHEN HE
hit PICARDY Line
Great Confusion Prevailed Be-
hind German Front.
A British Tank Chased One
German General.
OFFICERS RAN IN PAJkMAS
OFFICERS RAN IN PAJAMAS
Allies Found Little Barbed
Wire in Their Path.
Casualties in Early Fighting
Were Very Light.
RY wM. pHIPpa sYMMs.

With the British Armies in France,
Aug. (12:30 a. m.1.-Great con-
fusion has been caused behind Crown
Prince Rupprecht's front, in General
Won Der Marwitz's second army and
General Hutier's eighteenth army
Airmen report the rapid flight of
enemy transport eastward along the
Somme in order to escape capture.
General Chased by Tank.
A number Of high officers have been
taken prisoner The last seen of one
German general he was running head
] & down a road with a tank lumber
ing after him, splitting machine gun
bullets in his direction. Our artillery
had to timber up and advance in order
to keep the retiring eneL.y within
T.. nge- The PariS-Am1ens main rail-
way line is now well out of range of
any save the heaviest German guns,
V lille the Paris-Compiegne-A miens
railway is cut only at Montdidier. The
latter city is now directly threatened.
British airmen, despite heavy
weather. low clouds and showers, are
hampering traffic into aid out of the
enemy salient, especially along the
Peronne-Roye and Amiens-Ham rail-
ways. Their Junction at the Chaulnes
bridge across the Somme, over which
every ounce of supplies and reinforc-
ing divisions must pass, likewise is
being harried.
Enemy Reply Is Feeble.
While the allies' heaviest guns
pound the German military centers far
in the rear, Rupprechts reply, by in
fantry, artillery and air, is very feeble
sofar. Some counter attacks were at
tempted but they were easily repulsed-
With the coming up of reinforcements,
however, it is inevitable that the enc
my resistance will stfffen. Our cas-
uaIties are exceptionally light A.
some casualty clearing stations very
few patients had been admitted up to
a late hour last night. One entire
army corps estimated its casualties IN
the first two hours fighting at two
officers and fifty men. This is aoso-
Iutely proof of the complete surprise
of the attack.
German Officers Escaped In Pajamas
some high Germ.n staff officers
were captured. others escaped by the
skin of their teeth, fleeing in scant
attire after leaving everything behlno
save pajamas and their hide. Some
among the prisoners were so clean anu
unruffled that it was obvious they nae
been called out of their beds and
dressed-only in time to be captured
one division reported more prisoners
than It could handle and had to en-
pioy slightly wounded men to escorl
the captured Docnss " " :t..a -
of the unwounded TommleS winning ~
leave the fighting.
Tanks Did Good Work.
Every variety of the hundreds OF
tarfEs did good work. Some preceded
the infantry and acted as strong
points until the troops came up: Ble
tanks surrounded by the little whip
pets" looked like drsadnaugnts esI
corted by destroyers. The "Wh1ppets
are able to dodge and turn faster thar
a man. Operating over rough GROUNDS
they ran down enemy groups ana IN
dividuals flattening out machine CUR
nests, grinding the crews into the muc
and terrorizing whole sectors.
was told that members OF the tanH
staff kept in touch with their ma
chimes from low flying airplanes, thu:
covering the whole battlefield in rev
minutes and returning with first hanC
information regarding the entire stu
alton.
Little Barbed Wire in Way.
Neither the tanks nor the troops en-
countered a great deal of barbed wire
or trenches. Obviously, Rupprech
either over estimated himself or un
der-rated his opponents. 1t Is cleal
that he little expected a serious alliet
offensive. Rather he was aiming t
push on himself. The present battl'
ground is just south of the old Somm'
she'll hole country which Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg laid waste IL
1917 during his retreat. He destroyed
farms, villages, felled orchards anC
trees bordering roads and even cleared
away the underbrush, giving as his e1
cuse that he was preparing the grounC
for open warfare in the future, whe1
the British would have this desert a
their backs and the dreaded German
''supermen" in front.
Pressed Back Against Waste.
Tr,1a IL dor7 fay1r 1ocy -
being pressed back against the Hun
made waste, with scarcely one small
tree or wood for protection.
Marshals Foch and Haig apparent
ly have caught Won Hindenburg un
e~ares. If he escapes a bitter drub
Ding the present signs are totally mis-
leading.