The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-14
4 DISORDERLY FLIGHT.
GERMANS ABANDON Guns, AN.
MCNITION AND STORES IN
RETREAT
Battle in Picardy Thus Far Has Been
Il Great Victory for Allies Who Ad-
vance Rapidly Over Wide Front.

vance Rapidly over w Iuc ffoil.
With the British Army in Franco,
Aug. 8 a p. No. By Associated Press.
The British and French divisions
have gained more ground in the great
battle raging on the Amiens-Somme
district The latest reports appear
to show that the Germans are retiring
in great haste.
The scenes on the battle ground
| over which the allies already have
passed give evidence Of this haste in
abandoning guns, stores and even reg
mental and artillery maps and pa
pers.
Aerial observers report large
streams of transports and men hurry
ing eastward in full retreat
Beaucourt fell to the Allied forces
this morning and Lequesnel also was
taken after hot allnight fighting. The
cavalry is working far back toward
the Somme and is still rounding up
villages while tanks and armored cars
are running over the country clearing
a way for the troops or killing horses
drawing enemy supplies.
The drivers of motor trucks and
lorries are chasing parties Of Ger
mans here and there, scattering them
or running them to earth.
The details Of some or the work OF
these armored cars show that they
have performed valiant service. One
OF them ran into q German-held town
yes. .erday while the German corps
stationed there was having lunch. 1t
turned IS guns through the quarters
windows, killed some Of the staff ana
the chased others, who escaped from
the mouse. At Rosieres an army train
was set on fire. A group Of cars met,
far inside the enemy lines, German
supply column and halted it. Four
mounted German officers came up to
see VIII. the trouble was and were
shot from the cars. which then pro-
ceded to make quick work Of the
column.
At Framerville the cars engaged a
train loaded with the enemy and final
ly set it afire. Tanks entered this
town soon afterward. helped the ar
mored cars clean it up and then hoist
ed flags on the roof the building
which had been German corps head
quarters One car met German OF
fcer riding in an automobile along
i the road. The officer was killed ana
his machine captured.
All along the line this afternoon
snipers and isolated machine gun bll-
lets were extremely busy but these
were being silenced one by one as the
advance proceeded.
1t is reported that two regimental
commanders have been captured IN
one sector. Since day break the Ger
mans have been making an extraor-
dinary effort to blow up with field
gun fire ammunition and other dumps
which they had to leave so hastily.
The aim was exceedingly poor.
Phesscene. at Bayonyillerszis typIeal
Of the rest of the battle area. Broad
field of crops fringe the town and
spread for miles over the fat sur
rounding country. Abandoned German
field guns are here with little piles OF
cnoD.v shell cases under the bodies OF
Germans lying here and there telling
the story of what happened. Lying OIL
on the side of the road are enemy
motor trucks one with trailer pllec
with artillery maps some of which the
hea aduuarters staff could not save
The guns abandoned here, as else
where. are in shallow pits three 1eel
deep. Little holes nearby covered
with curved iron slabs show where
the German gunners lived before they
we're killed or ran to save them
selves.
Further southwark the ground here
and there had been ploughed by tbs
shells and the bodies of men ano
horses were lying where they fell. IN
some places machine gun nests were
found which had been put out OF ac-
| ton either by the artillery. tanks. IN
fantry or armored cars. In ne
machine gun which had been put ou'
of business was IT,: g over on its slde
While scattered around were the
bodies of the Germans who ATTENDED
it. Apparently they had tried to es'
cape but were prevented by tank
In the wheat field Of course thf
bodies the dead could not be seen bu
in many places the ground was lit
orally dotted with German corpses.
The Allies inflicted. severe PUNISH
ment as they advanced. In some sec
tons this morning burial parties ha(
already passed through. but in other
the dead are yet untouched. The Al
lied casualties. according to the re
ports which have come in, were eX
tremcly light For instance. one pat
TALON in the thickest Of the hghtin'
had only six men killed and four otl
:, GERS and 60 men wounded during
advance OF II miles. These men
tired when they finished the task be
fore them but today they have pushe'
forward again.
IN the north it appeared the stout
est resistance developed. the German
firing a great number Of shells. espe
ciallv across the Somme in the reglo'
of Chipilly. However. Warfusee
Abancourt. Rayonvillers and Sarbon
nieres are in the control Of the Erlt
ish.
The German trenches throushou
the whole OF the front were extreme