The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-07
HUNS CONTINUE RETREAT.
BATTLE BECOMES RACE FOR
BANKS OF AISNE.
Allies Capture German Base at Fismes
After Hard Ffght-Cross Vesle Rlv-
cr and Drive the Enemy North
ward.

The German retreat continues una
bated with the allies everywhere in
hot pursuit.
Apparently situation now has re-
solved Itself into a race for the north
ern bank of the Aisne River by the
German armies which have been
evicted from strategic positions along
the Vesle River, in the center of the
line and directly east of Rheims
which seemingly } renders necessary
that they put the Aisne between
themselves and their pursuers as
quickly as possible in order to escape
further large losses of men made
prisoners. Just how large this bag
of captives is at present can not oe
reckoned, but unofficial advices from
Paris assert that when the figures are
made public they will thrill the allied
world General Pershing in his COM
nunication says the Americans alone
have taken S,4Oo prisoners and in ad-
dition 1873 guns.
After hard fighting the Americans
and French have succeeded in taxing
from the Germans the important
town of Fismes, once Germany's great
ammunition and supply depot, MD
way on the railway between Solssons
and Rheims, while to the. east at a
number of places along the Vesle
River, the French have crossed the
stream. driving the enemy northward.
East of scissors allied troops have ne
gotiated the passage of the Alsne 10
the northern bank of that stream
where they are in a position to press
the enemy as he endeavors TO
straighten out his line in conformity
with that running northwestward.
So fast has been the retreat of the
Germans in the center that already
some elements of their forces have
succeeded in reaching the northern
bank of the Aisne and getting num-
bers Of their big guns across with
them. All through the salient towns
are still ablaze behind the retreatins
Germans and even cornfields have
been set afire in order to prevent the
allied troops from garnerlnS the rip
ened crop.
The fighting along the Vesle River
was of a sanguinary character as long
as it lasted. With the river at freshet
and the German unable to ford it,
they stood with their backs to it ana
gave battle for their lives. A major
ity of them were killed and the re-
,nainder were made prisoners. One
of the most important maneuvers
north of the Vesle was the penetra-
ton by the French to the village Oh
La Neuville, which releases the Ger
man hold on the northern edge OF
Rheims and seemingly delivers the
cathedral city from the German men
ace
With the Germans now thoroughly
vanuuished thus far on the SCISSORS
Rheims salient, eyes now are BENG
turned to the region in the northwest
on both sides of Amiens. Here the
French and British are keeping up
their hard pressure against the armies
of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Ba-
varia and have forced them on two
highly important sectors to retreat
Southeast of Amiens on the OLD
Montdidier sector the Germans have
fallen back across the Avre River
over a wide front, while northeast OF
Amiens, in the region of Albert, a
similar retrograde movement has been
made across the Ancre. The German
official communication in admitting
the withdrawal near Albert declares
the maneuver was carried out with
out interference by the British.
Just what bearing these new often
sives will have on the fighting front
to which the Germans ultimately re-
treat for a stand in the Aisne region
can not yet be forecast. but should
the allied troops be able to press
back the line for any material gains
eastward it is not improbable that II
would dislocate the entire German
line in the south.
There again has been considerable
activity on the Italian mountain front
whe~e at several points the Italians
have attacked and defeated the Aus
trianS.