Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-20
GERMANS LOSE
VAST STORES IN
FLANDERS FIGHT
Huns Concentrated Many Dr.
visions With Hope of Delay
ing Allied Advance, but
Without Expected Result,
(By Joseph w Grige.)
Copyright, 1918. by The Press Pub
fishing Co.

NY JOStpu W. Hfl2S.l
Copyright, 1918. by The Press Pub
fishing Co.
(The New York Warld.)
Especial Gable TO the World and AL
buquerque Journal)
On the British Front. Oct. 19.--In
the new allied attack toward the Lys
river and Client canal on front of
more than twenty miles. many pris-
oners have been taken
In the last ten days the enemy has
attempted the withdrawal of enor-
nous quantities of valuable stores and
equipment which had been installed
from the coast at Ostend to Rruges
and in the back areas of this sector
during a period of more than four
years. The allied attack found the
enemy engaged in a huge effort to
remove these effects as far as possible
before being kicked out.
Reason for Concentration.
1t was in the hope of delaying the
allied advance. in order that these
stores might be withdrawn, that the
enemy concentrated such d formid-
able number of good divisions there.
including the Ersatz guards, Bavarian
troops and elements of the Sixth cav
by the Germans "prolongers of the
war" because they continued to offer
stout resistance in recent battles.
The attack, which began yesterday
at $3.50 o'clock. was preceded by one
of the greatest artillery narrages I
have witnessed in the entire war
The night was cold ara starlt with
an early brilliant moon. and WIS
ominously quiet. Long before day
light | started for the battle front,
passing through stricken Ypres, It's
ruins We're darkly silhouetted against
the sky, quickened with the colors of
approaching sunrise, A few hours
previously there might have been no
war, so quiet was all of this Flemish
district.
Suddenly the enemy guns awoke,
placing a barrage in front of the
British lines, as though apprehensiye
of attack. This fear was soon real
lied when from thousands of guns
along the entire front came thunder
GUS roaring. Peace was not yet
forced on the boche. Once more she'll
pitted Flanders reverberated with the
noise of battle.
AS daylight came it revealed a PAN
Drama of battle. Long lines of trans
ports, artillery and motor lorries filled
the roads. while Red Cross ambu-
lances were parked beside the dress
ing stations, ready again to carry on
the work of mercy in grim battle
which was at last bringing the Ger
man to his knees.
Out of the fog of battle came Tom
my somewhat later. going home on
leave, buoyant with the spirit which
has assured allied triumph in the fifth
year of war
1T is going well. SIR was the
CHEEKY answer / got when l accosted
one. II wanted to go over the top
again, and so did not come back when
my leave really began He had a
cigarette tucked in corner of his
mouth as he sauntered off down the
road, full of BEANS" as our English
cousins say of such spirit of en-
thusiasm.
Accompanied by British officer
trudged four miles into the battle zone
after it had been necessary to get rid
of our motor car. until the noisy Ger
man "five-nines" slanted bit too
close to continue with prospect of
returning to write about it, The
region was permeated with stale
smell, traces of gas shells of the night
before, which caused almost continu-
Gus sneezing of the hay fever order.
Gradually the allied guns subdued
the enemy artillery, but it did not stop
in some places until after a fierce bar
rage, and then at long intervals and
from far back came big fellows, which
blew up the mud and the scattered
twisted bits of iron and other rem
nants of battle which had long ago
ploughed into the soil of Flanders.
wounded We're coming back and so
were prisoners.
British guns wreaked havoc among
the enemy on the first morning, COM
pletely unnerying some Of his units, |
which surrendered with their officers
as quickly as surrender could be ac-
cepted.
In the last three months the Ger
mans have had more than 100000 |
casualties in Flanders. and the losses
were heavily augmented with yester- |
days fighting. 1t is just three months |
ago that the enemy intended. as is
now concluslvely known. to drive for
the channel ports. He had concen-
trated forty divisions for that purpose
when Marshal Foch turned the tide |
on July Is. the very day the enemy
drive was to be launched.
Some of the stores which the enemy |
had assembled for that project are |
doubtless those which in the last two |
weeks he has consigned to the flames, |
having been unable to get them away, !
and other stores brought here with |
the same intent beyond question were |
burned yesterday at Roulers. Thou |
rotte and Cortemarck. which towns
the Germans set on fire.