Bisbee daily review., 1918-08-22


 smoke from innumerable shells fired for just this purpose of increasing the protecting screen.
 The German guns retaliated only feably, but there was sharp fighting ct various points, where isolated posts filled with machine guns and gunners put up a stiff battle At the little shell-ruined village of Comedies. about | the center of the battle front, the Ger man garrison made a desperate fight, and eor a time the advance of the in fantry was held uU at this place.
 Then the tanks arrived on the scene and charged into the enemy positions. | quickly transforming them from strOnghOlds to shambles. The tanks repeated this performance at other 1 places in the line where the stubborn ! boChes held out courageously. But their courage availed them nothing in ! the face of the great tanks, dipping in and out of shell holes and across old trenches that have seen some of the wars fiercest fighting, and the smaller ] whippet tanks and armored cars which | sped over the ground at great rate on their mission of clearing the way for the infantry, sweeping in at the rear ofa the positions from which ,hc enemy was working his guns. In comparison with the harder fishi- tng it is worthy of mention that at some places no resistance of any prac- tical importance developed. For ln- stance the village of Beaucourt was taken with only three casualties. One wounded man returning from the fight ing said he went in three kilometers through the enemy lines before seeing a single Boche This is explained by the fact that the German positions were very thinly held at some points.
 As to prisoners ther is no definite information but more than one thous- and have reached the cages and they have come in from considerable dis tance, most of them having been cap tured during the early fighting Some of the first prisoners arrived at the cages with handbags and long curved porcelain pipes. They seemed clean and were as pleased with themselves as if going on leave One of them, on being questioned said he was very happy to be taken.
 A wounded British soldie4 told of
  the fog, but he pressed on neverthe- less and joined other groups. One said that plunging blindly through the fog, he ran directly into a German machine gun, which opened fire on him. It managed to get in one shot, taking off a finger before he and his comrades finished off the Germans with their rifles.
 In the forenoon the fog cleared away completely and the sun appeared and ever since the battle has been pro- crossing under a broiling sun. As the fog disappeared the roar of airplanes increased, the British machines pur- suing the same tactics as at the Soni- me, harrasing the enemy at the rear and strafing the German troops gen orally, upsetting them completely at many places.
 The fast Title whippet tanks had as | one tank officer said, gone out in the l wide wcr.d" and there is no doubt that | they are exacting as great a toll here | as they did south of the SOmme The | aTmored cars had gone into action also, | operating far forward, chasing the 1 Bochc from his many lairs and making | quick work of those who would not | run.
 In this battle the advancing troops 1 did not stop a moment at thir early | Objectives. Several formations joined 1 forces and pressed on together Sue 0ssive echolons were merged at a l place where the going was heavy. tl
 The battle continues with unabat- ed fury and there is no sing that it's conclusion is near.