The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-28

{ in Battle Extending Along Front OF
e Twenty three Miles From CoJeui
. River on the North as Far as the
g mere and Sommc, Almost to liz
S flons-Germans Unable to Stem the
Tide of Eaig's Men and Heavy
Casualties are Inflicted by .Advanc-
e ing Troops.
81 With the British Army in France,
Aug. 23, $40 p. m. (By the Associated
Press ).-Victorious on battle front
of s23 miles extending from the CoJeul
River on the north as far as the An
ERE and Scmme Rivers, almost to
sIdhons, the third and fourth British
larmies under Generals Byng ana
sRawlinson, at mid afternoon were Wig
sorously following up their successes
sbf today, which apparently has peen
spne of the most disastrous days ever
by the Germans
~ sssS The enemy has lost wide stretches
OF ground, numerous towns, thou
Sands of men made prisoners and
large quantities of material and guns.
He also again has had heavy casua !
ties.
Crown Prince Rupprechet of F.
.waria, the German command. las
sthrown his men in before the ad-
SSHancing British armies in an effort to
ssfave off the inevitable but only to
Nave them moved down again and
again by storms Of metal which pour
led from the British guns. One en-
tire enemy battalion was annihilated
kluring the fight.
ssxDead Germans in great numbers are
Sea tered everywhere over the battle
field. AS an example. 400 enemy dead
'Mere observed this morning on one
small piece OF ground over which the
sbattle had swept.
all this fierce fighting and
Notwithstanding the fact that the
British at many places have fought
soger open ground against an enemy
sprotected in pot hol> I'd strong
spoints of other kind the brit1sh losses
8ererywhere seem to have been extra
eordiarily light. This probably is due
gfo the confusion the Germans find
sreigning behind their lines as the:
ARE fighting a losing battle when
shourly their situation grows more Sc
arious.
BIZ Crown Prince Rupprecht Today had
his line at nanv places,
sblr this instead of stopping the Brit
Ssh simply meant that the Germans
sssfered bigger losses.
thenight ard this nornming m
tie sfronS upon when !fDatr1e was
being fought yesterday was widened
apprecia bly, both to tie north and the
south while the ground in the middle
between Albert and Beaucourt-sur
Ancre, which heretofore had been
fairly quiet, suddenly was drawn into
the whirl.
From the northern edge OF the Dat
tlefeld to the south the situation at
last reports seemed to he as follows:
New attacks from the river CoJeul
and south carried the British across
the Albert-Arras railroad embank-
ments. The British apparently holc
Rory-Becquerelle and Bottles and
have passed beyond the Arras-Bapa-
ume road.
The troops just to the south, who
for two days had been fighting for and
afterwards from the en?hankment,
stormed forward and reached Hame-
lincourt and are pushing on toward
Ervillers. st. Leger and. Crolselles.
Airplanes reported that Rritish tanks
had crossed the road between Er-
villers and st. Leger while some m
fantry was reported to be less than
a thousand yards west Of Ervillers
some hours ago.
At about that time an airplane re-
ported that the Germans had dis
appeared from their positions north
west of st. Leger and between that
town and Hamelincourt 3nc that
the fighting British found time in the
midst Of their tasks to cheer heartI-
Is.
Apparently the hard pressed Ger
mans, rather than suffer more mere,
where they have met with some OF
their heaviest losses. decided TO get
out. This locality was one OF the
places where the Germans had dou-
bled their strength.
The fighting to the south of this re-
gion began in the night when strong
British forces assaulted Gomlecourt
just a few minutes before the Ger
mans had anticipated launching an
attack at the same place. Gonllecourt
was British at daylight. AS it hap
pened the British upset all the ere
my plans, and. after killing many
Germans and capturing 500 in she
town Of Gomiecourt alone. Field Nor
shal Haigs men continued their for
ward movement and at last reports
were pushing steadily onward.
Gomiecourt. by reason of its ter
rain. apparently was considered the
pivot of turning movement, for:s ON
having it, the British sent troops
swinging down south in the direction
of Bapaume The Germans on tins
portion Of the battlefront were badly
There were Germans
all over the place bat they seemed to
have no idea Of communicating
Some apparently did not even know
exactly where they We're.
The fighting south of Gomiecour'