The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-08-29
WIN GREAT so
MILE VICTORY
Thousands Of Prisoners Taken,
Many Towns Captured and Big
Losses Suffered by the Enemy.
BIG DISASTER TO GERMANS.
Battle Front Stretches From Region
OF Arras Down TO Lihons, Below
the Somme-Heavy Fighting
All Along the Line.

With the British Army In France
Victorious on battle front OF ~
miles, extending from the Cojeul river
on the north. across the Ancre ana
Somme rivers almost to Llhons, the
Third and Fourth British Armies, I'M
der Generals Byng and Rawlinson, are
vigorously following up their sue
cesses, which apparently has been one
OF the most disastrous defeats ever
experienced by the Germans,
The enemy has lost wide stretches
OF ground, numerous towns, thousands
OF men made prisoners and large guam
titles Of materials and guns He also
again has had heavy casualties.
Crown Prince Rupprecht Of Bavaria,
the German commander. has thrown
his men In before the advancing Brit
ish armies in an effort to stave off the
inevitable, only to have them moved
down again and again by storms OF
metal from the British guns. one en-
tire enemy battalion was annihiated
during the fighting.
Dead Germans in great numbers are
scattered everywhere over the battle
field. AS an example, 400 enemy dead
were observed on one small piece Of
ground.
With all this fierce fighting and not
withstanding that the British at many
places have fought over open ground
against nm enemy protected In pot
holes" and strong points OF other
kinds, the British losses seem to have
been extraordinarily light This prob
ably is due to the confusion the Ger
mans find behind their lines as they
are fighting losing battle, which for
them hourly grows more disastrous.
Crown Prince Rupprecht strengthen
ed his line at many places, but this,
instead of stopping the British, simply
meant that the Germans suffered big
ger losses.
South of Architectural the British
did not start operations so early as
farther north. The New Zealanders
here stopped work to let a German
counter develop. They played dead"
until the advancing enemy infantry
was almost on top of them. Then they
put down a heavy machine gun bar
rage Just Mt the rear of the Germans,
who surrendered in body. This hap
pened just north of Mraumont. Many
OF the prisoners were nOncomnission-
ed officers, and all of them appeared
to be glad that they had been captur-
ed. When asked about the Austrans
the prisoners expressed the greatest
contempt for their allies as soldiers,
saying they were no good whatever
With both the initiative and numer-
ical superiority wrenched from him by |
allied master strokes that have baked |
probably for all time-his designs |
on Paris and the channel ports, Cen
eral Ludendorff today finds himself |
hard put to it to make both ends meet !
for the blow he must strike If the Ger
man army's prestige Is TO be maintain
ed In Germany during the coming win
ter
The Kaiser's war counsellors are
faced with two alternatives, and neil
Their Is very assuring. Either they
must seek to efface the series Of set
backs their troops have suffered since
July IS by powerful thrust, the re.
suits Of which would be sufficient to
acclaim as n victory In the German
press, or they must risk perilous low
ering of the morale Of soldiers and
defensive indefinitely