The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-24
GERMANS FALL BACK.
HUNS PUT TO TEST FROM SOIS-
SONS TO BELGIAN BORDER.
Mangin Launched New Offensive on
Front of Fifteen Miles, Capturing
Eight Thousand Prisoners and
Scoring Decided Advance-Haig
Strikes Blow to Good Effect Along
Scarpe River.
By Associated Press.

by Associated fTSSS.
From scissors to the Belgian bor-
DER the German armies in various
important sectors are being put to the
test BY the French and British. And
it is a test that seemingly bodies i'll
for the Teutonic arms, for nowhere
have they been able to sustain the
shocks.
Northwest of Scissors, from the
Aisne to the Disc, north and north
ward on the famous Lys salient, the
Germans everywhere have been COM
PEELED to fall back under the pressure
of the French and British troops.
In a new offensive launched by the
French, General Mangin over front
of approximately Is and a-half miles,
from Pailly on the Disc to the Aisne
near scissors. the French in bitter
fighting have carried forward their
line to an average depth of two and
a-half miles and in the first phase OF
the battle had turned to French pos
sessions numerous enemy held villages
and farms. In addition more than
s. 900 Germans had been herded be-
hind the line as prisoners
At last reports Mangin's men We're
still hard after the enemy, ana un-
official accounts placed the French
on various sectors well in advance OF
the positions outlined in the french
official communication.
Along the Scarpe River; east or Ar
ras. Field Marshal Haig's forces also
have kept up their harasslng tactlcs
against the enemy who has been COM
PEELED to fall back eastward along the
Scarpe River. The Germans resist
ed vigorously but all to no purpose
and the British advanced their lines
to the east of the village of FampouA.
Although Haig claimed only signt
forward movement here particular
significance attaches to it by reason
Of the fact that the Germans nave
been driven back until they are VIZ
+ually upon the old battle line as IL
stood in December, 1917.
Northward the Lvs salient agaln
has been narrowed down by the op-
erations of the British. who north OF
Mervflle have taken the village OF
Verhock and La Couronne and also
reached the hamlet of LEplnetee.
This gain represents forward move
nent of about a mic and a half and
rlaces the, British astride the ROAD
running southwark to Estalres.
Taken all in the all, the new VIC
tories of the Allied troops are high
w important ones. The advance OF
the French northwest OF Solssons'
taken in conjunction with the sue
cessful maneuvers on the Lasigny Sec
tor and south of Roye, where Beuv-
raignes has been captured, seemingly
means that the enemy forces from
the Somme to the Oise soon must
give up their positions and retreat
eastward. Indeed. it seems not i'm
probable now that Noyon is we'll
outfanked on the south and south
,ast and the German line is none too
secure north of scissors and that
the enemy will be under the neces-
sity of moving his troops northwaro
from the Vesle towards, if not across
the Aisne.
The Germans still are stubbornly
contesting with the British points
OF vantage on INe llIlc. SOUIA VI viz
Somme near Chaulnes and north OF
Rove. which are still in German
hands and which are the keystones to
the enemy defense liens With the
capture of Beuvraignes by the
French however. Roye apparently IS
on the eve of falling and with its fall
doubtless the entire line northward to
the Somme also will give way.
The Germans in the Merville sector
of the Lys salient everywhere are be-
ing closely followed by the British as
they give up positions under attack
and at last accounts they were show
ing no indication that an immediate
halt is in their mind. On the LyS
front. although the Germans arc
showing some resistance they are not
putting their wonted heart into their
work.
There has been little fighting along
the Vese river where the American