Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-05
Special Cable to Epening Public Ledg'

Copyright. 1918. bv Nctc York Times Co.
War Correspondents Headquarters in
France. oct. 8.
Yesterday morning. when | wett
up from Bellenglise and Billicourt ana
along the great tunnel, where the
Scheldt goes underground for several
miles, there was heavy cunning or
the left by GouY and lie Catelet and
in the direction. OF Mont Brehain and
Beaurevoir where there was fierce
fighting Wednesday, continuing
throughout the night and resumed TO.
day.
A famous English division added to
their record by capturing 2OOO more
prisoners at Wiancourt and in the
outskirts of Mont Brehain, where they
had heavy fighting. 1t was probably
some of these men ! saw marching
back yesterday morning, shortly after
dawn, whef the mists were white on
the fields and trees on the skyline
above the canal were family penciled
IN gray sky, like masts of ships
in sea fog.
The Marks Of Defeat
Through this grayness and high
tlistles that grow between shell crat-
crs and trenches, came a long column
of Germans, guarded by few men
with fixed bayonets. | watched them
as they passed from the battleline in
their long, gray overcoats and teld
CAPS Only a few wore their camou-
fiaged shrapnel helmets, ana mere ana
there was u man without any kind
of headgear Later in the day | saw
another column of about 600. without
overcoats, having left their line II
great hurry. An officer with me said:
at looks like defeat. Every day one
sees such numbers of prisoners COM
ing back Truly, it looks like the
breakup of an army
Yet the enemy Is fighting hard now
for his BeaurevOir line, knowing that
If he loses he loses everything that
can be called a line until he goes much
farther back. 1t was no easy hghtlnS
for our men Thursday, Tor any easier
yesterday. English and Scots OF the
Thrty.second Division, who retook Sc
uuehart. which had already been IN
our hands twice, were violently coun-
ter-attacked. but succeeded in taating
off these attacks, 1t was the second
Australian Division which broke the
Beaurevoir line west and southwest
of that village, working forward with
the aid of tanks, which were handi-
capped by bad ground ard water, to
the outskirts of Mont Brehain.
Fight Ahead With Masks
on the eastern side of the village
of Estrees, the enemy had plll-boX
fortresses, from which there came
slashing machine-gun fire, ana the
Australians were checked there Tor
six hours until, by dogged efforts,
they overpowered the place and cap
tured 200 men in concrete shelter'
While they were outside 1t they were
bombarded by gas shells, which is a
horrible method of fighting. and they
had to wear their masks, but would
not go back because of that. They man
aged to get to the east OF Wlancourl
ard to the west of Beaurevoir ana
held their ground during the night
while English troops were thrustins
back a counter-blow, which made
them withdraw from Mont Brehain
into which they had penetrated during
the day.
This village was mined and there
were two explosions while our men were
in the streets and fighting different bat
|
ent divisions. The enemy was on higher
ground than the English and Australian
| troops and was able to get an enfilade
fire from one position to another, SO
that for "A time the situation at Mont
Brehain, where our men were hghtine
| from 10 o'clock in the morning until
| 6 in the evening, became untenable.
on tho left of them, around lie Cate
| let and Gouy, some English battalions
who had taken these places by most
desperate endeavors were having nag
ging fighting in the trenches and ruins
which form part OF the old Hindenpurt
line beyond the canal. and yesterday
morning this continued without nucf
progress. although somewhat to theil
| right other comrades OF theirs were able
to make ground toward Ponchaux anc
| Beaurevoir.
Foe Miscellaneous Crowd
| Against them were miscellaneous
| crowd of Germans, including Guards
| Grenadier and reserve regiments ant