The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-09

and infantrymen.
All the allied detectives were carried
In the first rush. the enemy fleeing pell
nell when the tanks stuck their brls-
Ting muzzles into the German post.
lions. At few points along the from,
the Germans attempted to organize for
counter attacks, but these efforts were
quickly crushed by the impetuous Al
lies
Practically all the ground over which
the British advanced ~ OF an open ma
ture. which greatly facilitated the use
of tanks. These started out early In
tho morning under weather conditions
that were extremely favorable. Rains
had fallen recently. and when dawn
broke to-day there was a heavy mist
which screened the tank concentrations
and enabled them to gather Roadway be-
fore the Germans were aware that an
attack was under way.
Won Hutier Is BATTERED Hard.
No enemy airplanes appeared over the
battlefield until after 5 o'clock, three
hours after the advance started. This Is
taken as proof that the offensive was
surprise TO the Germans.
back OF the allied lines in captive bal
looms reported that great caravans of
German wagons and motor trucks could
be seen on the horizon scurryinS north
and east as fast as they could 60.
BY noon the British had reported the
capture Of Moreuil. Demuin. Moriancourt
and the heights west of Cerisy.
While the German troops in all this
section Of the front are commanded by
Crown Prince Rupprecht Of Bavaria the
main allied attack was directed against
the Eighteenth German army. under
Gen. Won Hutier The Twenty-seventh,
Forty-third and 10Sth enemy divisions
suffered heavily. as they were forced to
bear the brunt Of the main British at
tack.
ENEMY Fled in Disorder
The Associated Press correspondent
with the British army describes to-day's
operations as follows:
Fighting their way through the Ger
mans at dawn on front of more than
fifteen miles astride the River Somme
British and French troops this after
noon had reached points from Ave to six
miles inside lines which this morning
belonged to the enemy.
The Prussians and Bavarians fed
before the advancing infantry and
tanks. leaving many of their guns be-
hind them. Large numbers Of prisoners
have been taken. both by the British
and French. and heavy casualties un-
doubtedly have been inflicted on the
enemy.
THUS far everything has been &C.
ccmplished with excessively small losses
to the Allies. OF one entire British
corps. for instance. two hours after the
attack began only two officers ana fif-
teen mer Of the ranks were reported as
casualties.
Tho artillery has followed up the
storm troops closely and now is hurting
shells down upon the enemy forces.
which. taken by surprise and fercely al
tackled must be In more or less
crippled condition. 1t Is believed that
reenforcemerts are on the way to help
them.
What tomorrow holds for the enemy
cannot be forecast, but the outlook Is
not promising one under present con-
dit,cns
"Moreuil and the country front ad-
joining villers-Auxerablcs have been
taken by the French. while the British
have captured the Dodo and Hamel
woods and Marcelcave after hard fight
ing and pushed considerable distance
beyond.
enced, and still is in progress. on the
left flank Of the fighting front In the
neighborhood Of Morlancourt.
Four Minutes of Gun Fire,
NORTH of the attacked zone the bar
rage began at o'clock this morning and
lasted four minutes. Tanks then rolled
forward and with them the infantry
swarmed toward the enemy lines. These
lines were reached and passed as a mist
started to roll in.
"All along tho line. except possibly
northward on the left flank. very little
enemy Smelling was experienced after
;hs attack got well under way.
Nearly all the country already fought
over and that now IN front Of the allied
forces is low and rolling and especially
adapted to open warfare.
"One new German division which had
just arrived In the line before the at
tack was launched was told to expect
local attacks, Prisoners tken from
this division said they had heard
nothing of a general attack being con-
templated."
Tank Pursues a General.
~where the tanks and the armored
car batteries pressed far forward in the
tation among the enemy. A report came
back that British tank. probably one
of the fast little whippets. had been
seen chasing a frightened German Gem
eral up the road. But the enemy Cen
eral was not alone in the direction in
which he was going. Observers re-
ported considerable columns OF enemy
transport going eastward in hurry
during the middle Of the day.
Further south the tanks likewise
did excellent work. They also have
been taken across the River Luce I'M
der cover of night, and they did val
liable work in assisting at the capture
Of Dodo Wood and Hamel Wood and
the nearby high ground.
Slightly north Of here the British
batteries moved forward go rapidly
that they were up and firing in their
rew positions thirty minutes after mid
night when the infantry went over the
top, followed at first in this particular
case by the tanks 1000 yards to the
rear.
First Prisoners by 6,45.
AT 6 o'clock the weather was SO
thick that objects twenty yards away
hardly were visible and the British
were not slow to take the opportunity
10 plunge through under It's protection.
About GAS tho first prisoners began
coming back. They were unwounded
and looked clean as II they had Just
come on parade. showing how complete
had been the surprise. The British
pounced on them before they had the
slightest chance to give battle.
THE prisoners that arrived later were
At nlA "a