The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-31
HA|G Surprised GERMANS.
BRITISH AND FRENCH SCORE
NEW SUCCESSES DURING
Day.
British Commander Launches Blow
North of Old Battle Zone and is Re-
warded by Gain Of Two Miles in
Some Places.

q
While the Germans were busily en-
gagged in defending themselves against
the attacks of the British and French
armies from the Aneresriver to the
region Of scissors, Field Marshal Iaig
early Monday morning Struck another
surprise blow over anew front north
Of the old battle zones The new often
sive was launched from the east OF
Arras on the Scarpe river and south
ward to the Cojeul. All along the front
the British pressed forward, at some
places to depth Of more than two
miles and captured "a half dozen or
more villages, among them Monchy-
le-Preux. Guemappes and Wancourt
Across the Cojeulsthe new British
attacks on the old battle front
brought them to theFvillages of Morey
and st. Leger and farther south the
small town of FavreuH, one and a half
miles northeast Of Bapaume, from
| which the British pressed on east
ward about a mile. Farther south the
British are reported unohc tally to
, have reached the western outskirts
of Thilloy in the nipper movement
they are carrying out against Bapa-
ume. With Haig's men now stand
ing we'll within gun range Of the town,
it seems likely that the Germans will
be forced to evacuate Bapaume in
short order.
Additional gainsaalso have been
made by the British east of Albert
and on both sides Of the Somme riv-
er. In fact, Notwithstanding the ef-
forts Of the Germans through the use
of large reinforcementst to hold them
in check, the British and French all
along the line from Albert to scissors
have materially beHered their po
sitions and carried further forward
their plan of making the Picardy bat
tie ground untenable. for the enemy.
The French again are hammering
away at the environs Of Roye, one Of
the strong points ofsthe Somme-Oise
front, the capture ofwhich doubtless
would cause the giving up by the
enemy of the entire salient from the
Somme in the north to Noyon-Fesnoy-
| les-Roye to the north and st. Mard, to
the south of Roye, both have been
captured by the French despite the
desperate resistance gofSthe Germans
and Roye, like Bapaumessip the north
apparently is in danger Of being
pinched out of the linezfn an envelop-
ing movement. More than six hun
dred prisoners were taken by the
French in the operations.
The Germans have thrown further
heavy counterattacks against the
French in the region north Of Sois-
sons, where the French continue their
pressure northwardS maneuvers
which seriously threaten to outfank
the Chemin- des-Dames and Laon sec
tons and to put thea entire German
line from Ypres to Rheims in jeop-
ardy. All the attacks have been sus-
,, tanned by General Hsngin's army
and the French eyenghave pushed
back the Germans beg&ad ethe points
from which they started. The fa-
nous Prussian Guard has been
thrown into the battle to check the
French, but, as in their efforts against
the French and Americans in the
Vesle sector, they met with defeat.
The operations of the British on the
northern part of the front from the
east of Arras to the region Of Bulle-
court have brought them virtually
upon, Or very near the old Hinden-
burg line.
There is still considerable activity
on the eastern part of the battle front
in the Vosges mountain region where
forces Of Americans recently have
been fighting. The operations how
ever continue of the nature Of raids
and small surprise attacks. Several
of the latter maneuvers have been
put down by the French.
There has been an increase in the
activity in the Albanian theatre. Here
the Austrians twice attacked the
Franco-Italian troops but were re-
pulsed. Later the French slightly
withdrew their line in order to main
tain liason with the Italians.