The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-27
Devastated Villages Are Strewn
With Hun COrpses.
Battle Hasn't Yet Reached Cru
cial Stage, Says Simms.
FURIOUS COMBAT At NESLE
Armies Locked in Combat Us
ing Bayonets and Knives.
Flocks of Pitiful
Refugees Swarm Ahead.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMs.

Is WILLIAM
With the British Armies in the
Field, March 26.-As the battle de-
velops, the Anglo-F'rench view COM
ing events calmly and courageously
The British are holding the gates to
Albert determinedly against the Hin
masses, as this is cabled.
Along PoZieres ridge, astride the
Somme, across the obliterated villages
of Ovi1lers, Warlencourt, Lesars,
F1ers, Longueval, Montauban, Ma
metz and Courcelette. the Germans
are strewing their corpses as they
slowly press forward.
The battle undoubtedly has not yet
reached its. crucial stage.
Huns Hunt Loopholc.
to break thru-now here, now there
unmindful of the huge gaps torn in
his ~massed ranks by the British guns.
The German storm troops are so
thick the gaps close automatically,
Hindenburg is striving desperately
like holes in soft dough.
simultaneously with lunges in the
direction of Albert. the most furious
attacks are being flung southw estward
against a line thru Rosieres and the
st. Gobain forest. curving outward to-
ward Roye and Noyon.
Between the last two named, assault
follows assault in rapid succession
(Haig has admitted the capture of
Roye and Noyon since Simms's dis
patch was filed.)
Use BayonetS and Knives
The French and British are forcing
the enemy to pay dearly for every inch
of ground. Nesle was taken only after
furious combats, the French resortinr
to bayonets, grenades and knives.
fighting body to body in a death lock.
Much the same scenes have been en-
acted by the British at GerauviIler
ION 'l1r1 N
where, withdrawing only when order
ed, or sticking until the last man,
fighting like wild cats until overcome
by sheer weight of numbers,
German spies continue to spread
panic among civilians. Refugees from
one village alarm the people in the
next with the most absurd rumors
which become as facts five miles away
Warnings have been issued against
Munchausen tales. Civilians have been
asked to turn over suspects to the au-
thorities.
Exodus of Refugees.
Inevitably, refugees are wars most
pitiful spectacle. The military has
encouraged their exodus, owing to the
enemy Smelling and bombing towns far
behind the lines. The refugees are
given every possible aid.
At the time Simms dispatch was
filed, the Germans were within three
miles of Albert, pressing in upon the
city from three points-the northeast
east and southeast.
The British evidently were still
holding PoZieres ridge, where a previ-
Gus dispatch from Simms reported
strong machine gun emplacements
but their left at this point had been
! bent sharply back 20 Ovillers. which is
iEhree miles northeast of Albert lust
north of the main Albert-Ba paume
highway.
On the east, the enemy has reached
Mametz, about four miles from AL
bert, on the Albert-Combles highway
To the southeast, the Germans are
before Bray, located on the Somme,
five miles from Albert.
Bapaumc is about twelve miles
northeast of Albert. Warlencourt is
two and a half miles southwest of Ba-
miles southwest of Warlencourt
Courcelette is midway between AL
bert and Bapaume. Montauban is
three miles wcS- of COMPLIES. Tongue
| val is three miles northwest of Com
bles and F'lers is one and a half miles
north o< Longueval.
| Next Big City Is Amiens.
| The next big city in the line of the
| German advance is Amiens, eighteen
miles southwest of Albert, on a con-
tinuation of the main Albert-Ba-
paume highway. Amiens is eighty
four miles north of Paris, on the
| Somme, and marks the high tide of
the German invasion in 1914 at this
point Amiens is a city of about 1Oo,-
| 900 population and is an important
manufacturing and transportation
| center.
| Rosieres. mentioned as the point
against which a heavy assault is be-
ing directed, is thirteen miles south
of Albert Roye is nine miles south
| of Rosieres, while Noyon is twelve
miles southeast of Roye. Nesle is