The sun., 1918-09-22
CAPTIVES TURN
T0CAPT0RS AS
BATTLE SHIFTS
British Unit, Twice Taken,
Twice Freed, Finally I'M
prisons Enemy.
FIGHTING GROWS STIFFER
Preparations Mt HavrincOurt
Show Germans Expected to
Pass Winter There.
'IGHTING GROWS STIFFER
By PERRY ROBINSON.
Special Gable Despatch to The SrS from the
London Times Serrice

BY PERRY ROBINSON.
Special Cdble Despatch to THE SrS from the
London Times Serrics.
Copyright. 1918: all rights reserred.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE,
Sept. 21.-There has been no large
movement on the British front In the
last twenty-four hours. In Epehy, one
post in the ruins OF the village resisted
after all the remainder of that area was
in our hands, until. when finally re-
duced. only seventeen Germans we're left
unwounded OF the original garrison OF
forty-fve men and three officers. They
were all Of the Alpine Corps.
The British Yeomanry Division had
against them the Second Guard Division.
which has shown itself poor all through
the battle. and the Thirty eighth Di-
vision. originally Thur!ngian. which has
record of stout fighting early In the
war. From these divisions the Yeomanry
took a large number of prisoners. twice
the number of their own casualties.
Many Days without Relief.
The Yeomanry had difficulty in going
ahead in one place because as the troops
on the left were preparing TO start for
their second objectives the Germans at
the same time were preparing a counter
attack. The two advances started stimuli
taReously and met In the open. Hard
fighting followed. which was witnessed
by the Yeomanry on the right who had
the times of their lives in enfiladIng the
Germans. both on their advance and
their retirement.
The Seventeenth Division. fighting
practically throughout the entire ad-
vance without relief, has covered TWEEN
ty-four miles since II started by wading
the Ancre and attacking Thiepval on the
opening day. This division experienced
hshtins go mixed, as the parties pushed
this way and that way along the
trenches. that again and again the men
were prisoners one minute and captors
Of their captors the next.
one officer said he had taken n bunch
OF prisoners who later turned and CAP
tured him. Then. when aid arrived. ne
once more took his captors. only again
10 DC made captive as unexpected Ger
man reenforcements came up. Then the
NTH and final change came. leaving the
prisoners in his hands.
'ard Game.
London troops clearing a triangle Of
wood southwest of Havrlncourt found a
party OF Germans in dugout playing
cards. Apparently they knew that an
attack was on. but did not take enough
interest in it to come out and fight.
When our men came to the steps of the
dugout the players held UP their hands
and cried "Kamerad Then the dealer
lighted a fresh cigarette and went on
dealing the cards as IL rather bored by
the interruption.
Men of the Twentieth German nj
vision counter attacked a,aIrs, ,ha iii
lage of Hayrincour, hut ,ho ,,.,.
broken before thoy hoa aau. 900 -,
by ~. .,.a,, "u so"e ooo 9aros
- tue hampshire
roops WV" 'he'r rines; II was a com
p'e.e iai'ure' PRISONERS told US that the
regimental commander in an ungov-
ernable rage. commanded the same
troops TO attack again next morning
They did and succeeded in n.net,.,ina
a corner of the village. only IN bs ,hrou,,
out pronntIv Wv"
T, -,
"a ''''s e''ack one o.
o'' "iaG"i'e suhhers heid position
just 10 the right or the point where the
enemy made the temporary penetration.