Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-05
NUMBER OF BOCHE
TAKEN WILL THRILL
THE ALLIED NATIONS
Loss of Fismes Crushing Blow to
Huns; Prussian Guards, Its
Defenders, Smashed.
FOES RETREAT is COSTLY

Paris. Aug. 5.-By crossing the Aisne
east of Scissors and the Ncsle to the west
of Rheims today the Allies greatly in
creased the menace to the Germans and,
according to some military observers,
appear to have turned the cnemys flank.
Another important development was
the capture by the French and Americans
of Fismes. the great enemy supply base,
the outskirts of which the Americans took
Yesterday 1t is officially reported that
the Allies also have captured Jonchery,
on the Ncsle, five miles east of flsines
In the battle for possession OF Flsmcs
the crack Prissian Guard units put up
desperate resistance even after the town
had been surrounded hy the Allied forces
Keeping a foothold in the northern
part of the town tho Germans fought
back and the conflict became n house to
house fight before the Allies finally were
victorious.
CAPTURES TO THRILL WORLD.
II was sand that. when announced, the
number Of prisoners captured by the
Allies during the last two days will thrill
the Allied world
The French crossed the Ncslc at several
points east of tlsmcs and west OF Rheims.
and also the AIsnc between Solssons and
Nenizcl. five miles 10 the east. They
occupied st. Waast, about a mile north
of the Aisnc and the same distance cast
OF Scissors 1t is this advance that seri-
ously menaccs the Germans right flank.
Hampcrcd by their equipment IN the race
across the river, they Will have 10 make
desperate drive if they arc unable To stop
the Allies from making general crossing
of the NeSlC further cast.
TIL, ~ tbr tins
wing is faltering though rcinforcCments
are reported arriving from the north.
He Is resisting cast of Fismes border and
between Jonchery and Champlgny, north
west OF Rheims. still has \ small foothold
on the southern bank Of the Ncsle.
RETREAT ~ COSTLY.
The Germans succeeded only nj
great cost in getting behind the AIsn1
from Scissors to Condc-Sur-Aisnc, where
the Nesle flows into the larger stream.
They also lost heavily along the Ncslc
from the Aisne to Rheims The booty
reported taken 10y the Allies is but small
part of what the enemy was Obliged to
abandon to the flames The entire
country along the battlefront has been
lighted up nightly by immense fires con
stIming war material which had been
laboriously transported across the AIsne
and the NcSle for the great assault on
Paris
The Vesle and Asnc swollen by recent
heavy rams, constitute sufficient OBJ
stacle to slow up the pursuit whlrh has
been 50 close that the Germans have been
Obliged TO fly precipitately, sacrificing
almost everything else TO save their
artillery. German rearguards unable TO
ford the Nesle, had to fight for their
lives Most Of these Germans were
killed and the rest were made prisoners.
HAVOC INDEsCRIBABLE.
Allied forces in pursuit of the Germans
have passed through verItable charuel
houses, strewn with the debris of war.
Bodies of men and horses are. mingled
with broken down vehicles alongside of
monster ammunition dumps, some par
TALLY exploded and Others intact. Bodies
of Germans found In clusters beyond the
range of the Allied artillery Indicate that
severe punishment was inflicted on the
fleeing columns by the French American
and British avlators.
The capture of Mont Belleu which
overlooks the Ainse south Of Scissors"
SAYS a correspondent at French head
quarters. gave us footing on the plateau
which fills the angle between the Aisne
and the Nesle and forced the German left /
and centre 10 retrea The Germans /
with their line cschalored facing south /
west in the angle between the rivers were I
driven from Mont Belle and scissors on !
their extreme tight and in order to avoid I
being turned each successive centre had .
to be abandoned as far as Flsmes
ALLIES PRUDENT IN ADVANCE.
The Allies are continuing their advance
within prudent limits The Allied left
wing has moved faster thar the right, .
and further progress In the scissors region /
might expose it to q counter attack from
the enemy
On the whole the situation Is considered .
highly satisfactory, and the indications
seem palmer that the Germans dc not
intend further south to make permanent
stand on the banks Of the Aisne, but
hat they will retreat to the Chemin-des-
Damesridge, which IS one of the strongest
positions In France and for the moment
will try to hold the French while getting
aWav with their great accumulation Of
stores and munitions
But the Allies captured the Chemin-
ies-Dames once, i1 is pointed out, and
may do so again.