Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-10
GERMANS IN WILD
SCRAMBLE BEFORE
PURSUING ALLIES
Beaten Everywhere, With Ter
rife Loss of Life; Get Away"
SO Fast Staff Leaves Its
Maps Behind.
TANKS PLAYING BIG ROLE

Aug. o.-Thc British and French divisions
have gained more ground in the great
battle raging IN the Amlens-Somme
district Late reports appear to show
that the Germans arc retiring In great
haste
The scenes on the battle-ground over
which the Allies already have passed
give evidence of this haste IN abandoned
guns. stores, and even regimental ana
artillery maps and papers.
Aerial observers report large streams
of transports and men hurrylng eastward
In full retreat.
Beaucourt fell to the allied forces this
morning. and lie Quesnel also was taken,
after hot all-nlght fighting
The allied cavalry is working Tar back
toward the Somme, and Is still rounding
nm villages. while tanks and armored
ears are running over the country, clear
ing away for the troops cor killing horses
drawing enemy supplies. The drivers OF
motor trucks and lorries are chasing parties
of Germans here and there. scattering
them or running them 10 earth,
SHOT UP GERMAN HEADQr ARTERS
The details of some Of the work Of
these armored cars show that they
have performed valiant services One
Of them ran into German-hcld town
Yesterday afternoon while the German
rorps headouarters staff stationed there
was having luncheon. 1t turned ITS
guns through the corps quarters WIN
dows, killed some of the Statf, and then
chased others who escaped from the
house .At Rosiere another car set an
enemy train on fire
4 group Of ears met, far inside the
German lines. German supply column
and halted It Four mounted German
officers came up 10 see what the trouble
was. and we're shot from the cars, which
then proceeded to make quick work OF
the column.
TANKS CLEAN Up TOWN.
Al Framervillc the cars engaged a
train loaded with the enemy and finally
sct j, atirc. Tanks entered this town
soon afterward. helped the armored
ears clean il up. and then hoisted flags
on the roof of the building which had
been German corps headquarters One
ear met a high German officer riding in an
automobile along the road The officer
was killed and his machine captured.
All along the line this afternoon Ger
man snipers and isolated machine gun
bIllets were extremely busy. hut these
we're being SllenCcd one by one as the
advance proceeded.
IL is reported that two regmental
commanders have been captured IN one
sector and general Of division in another.
PoE DESTROYING AMMUNITION DUMPS.
Since davbreak the Germans have
been making an extraordinary effort to
blow I'D with field gun fire ammunition
and other dumps which they had 10 leave
so hastily Yesterday They have aban-
doned an enormous quantity Of stores and
ammunition.
Allied cavalrvmen have been operating
for more than twenty-four hours They
rode through great holes torn in the
German line BY the infantry. Today was
4deal for their operations, being clear
and sunny.
RUPPRECHT's TROOPS TO RESCUE.
No reports have as vet been received
that the allied forces have established
contact with Crown Prince Rupprecht 5
rpinforcements. which are believed to
be rushing toward the battlefield IN an
attempt TO prevent an even greater de-
feat. In the meantime the British and
French are taking the fullest advantage
ei the opportunity. and at the same time
are prepared TO withstand any shock
which may develop
<AllSu All Ailt-ll aNt CiONA II AZ many
OF the bridges over the Somme River,
and the enemys retreat is seriously
embarrassed. The British cavalry has
rounded up many prisoners, but the most
of those so far taken were captured by
Australians and Canadians.
CHAOTIC SCENES IN CAPTURED TOWNS.
The scene at Bayonvillers today is
typical Of the rest of the battle area,
broad fields or crops or brown grass
fringe the town and spread for miles
over the fat surrounding country Aban-
doned German field guns are here with
little piles of empty shell cases, and the
bodies OF Germans are lying here and
there. telling the story OF what happen
ed Living off on the side of the road
are enemy motor trucks, one Of them
with a trailer filled with artillery maps
some the headquarters staff could not
save.
The guns abandoned here, as else
where, are in shallow pits three feet
deep. Little holes nearby, covered with
iron slabs, show where the German gun
ners lived before they were killed or ran
to save themselves
TOWN sHELLED TO IIECEs
Harbonnieres was shelled to pieces
The palInt walls show the accuracy Of the
British artillery fire. Debris lies all over
the streets, which bear little signs upon
which German names had been written
Here the allied forces found the house
which the German mayor Of the town had
occupied. The whole top had been knock
ed off. and several shells had hit the
walls. but there were evidences that the
rnayor had stayed until the last moment
IN a room on the ground floor
GROUND PLowED BY SHELLS.
Further southwark the ground here
and there had been plOwed by shells
and the bodies of men and horses were
living where they fell. In some places
machine gun nests were found which had
been nut out of action either by the
artillery. tanks, infantry, or armored
cars.
In one a machine gun which had been
nut out of business was lying over on
RI side. while scattered around were the
bodies of the Germans who attended it
Annarentlv they had tried to escape,
but were prevented by a tank.
GERMAN BODIES DOT BATTLEFIELD.
In the wheat fields, of course, the
bodies of the dead could not be seen,
Int in many open places the ground
uas literally dotted with German cOrpses
ALLIED Losses EXTREMELY LIGHT
The Allies inflicted severe punish
ment as they advanced In some sec
bttrfal ri IaG had