The Washington herald., 1916-08-21
By FREDERICK PALMER.

(By the international News Service.)
At the British Front. via London. Aug
2O-Whst two battalions did and how
they did it is the most thrilling Incident
Of the last twenty-four hours OF sensa-
tional fghting from the Ancre TO the
Somme, with all the guns firing. in the
course OF freadsh August weather with
alternate Cloudbursts and flashes OF light
ming. rainoOws and sunshine.
The Germans still hold on in the old
frst-line trenches where their machine
guns, brought up from the undestroyed
dug-outs. for a change, held up the Brit
ish on July J. while the British swung
on this section as a pivot through Con-
taImaison and Pozieres TO the summit OF
the ridge burrowing forward as the guns
blasted the way.
Sharper and sharper grew the angle OF
the new British line to the old German
FIRST line. till on the map ii looked impos-
Sihle for troops TO survive in such a
salient. However. the Germans stuck 70
those elaborate fences Of nearly two
wears preparation. with dug-outs 80 to -
feet under ground. rcvetted and trsversed
and with every other detail OF protection
against all kinds OF fire. which army
staffs can devise and labor build. Through
galleries running from duE-out to dug
out. they had a subway for bringing M
rcliefs and food.
Trench Life Regular.
They led a regular life. At night those
not on guard went to bed in their hunks
in the cellars. as comfortably as in A
Pullman. and during the day played cards
II not sent out to snipe the British. They
had their machine guns ready, as before.
should the British attempt 10 rush their
pcninsular home.
Yesterday afternoon the British guns
were pounding away as usual al this
sector, which is called the beipsic re-
doubt, when the British, thanks TO a new
system of taking care of machine guns
and a quick burst of artillery prepara-
ton covering their charge, appeared at
the jump at the doors Of the dug-outs.
Through glasses they were visible TO OBJ
servers running about the maze Of ira
verses like terriers searching for rat
holes, their bayonets cleaning and pUffs
Of smoke rising as they threw bombs
In one capacious dug-out, equipped with
beds, tables and Cupboards, six officers
and 10 men surrendered in a body and
were marched out. much after the man
her Of a crowd caught in a gambling
house that had been pulled by the police.
Some managed to escape from some of
les Others who could not, though sur
rounded. tried to man their machine guns
and were shot down. Others fought to
the death with bayonets and bombs.
Two Thousand Caught in Trap.
In all it Is estimated. 1000 Germans,
caught in this trap by less than their
own numbers. were accounted for. When
the International News Service Corre-
spondent left the corps headquarters. l.
officers and 6no Germans had been
brought in as prisoners, while more were
being unearthed from their hiding places,
and the last of small parties which held
out with the ring OF British around them
in ferocious sieges were surrendering.
They had hoped for a counter-attack
to rescue them. The British had foreseen
this and met it with blasts from the
artillery and from the machine guns
they had Immediately put men in posi-
ton for the purpose.
The prisoners whom the International
News Service correspondent saw were
of the Twenty-ninth Prussian SOL
ment and of the sturdiest German SOL
dier type, much superior to those of the
Eleventh division, which got disorganized
and surrendered freely in front of Pozi
eres recently. They looked well fed and
they showed few effects of the usual stiff
trench struggles. Some Of them laughed
over how they had beeen trapped and
they were generally very happy, as they
had heard what had happened to those
who tried to resist in such a hopeless
situation.
Artillery Holds Cards.
Elsewhere the story is of many trenches
gained. some lost and relentless action
throughout the night, the infantry labor
ing in the moist earth. fighting for pos
session of waterlogged shell craters. while
the artillery kept TO their work, the hot
gun barrels sizzling from the rain. Once,
when the British we're caught in ma
chine-gun fire. they had to yield a posi-
lion taken. and found a countCr-attsck
developing. Twenty seconds after their
:. Q. S. signal to the artillery command
'r the guns were on that counter-attack
with curtains Of fire that sent it to cover.
On the center the British have pushed
closer to MartinpuiCh and have taken an
orchard west of Dolville wood. but the
hottest work was probably on the right.
Here the GeSInans keep on re-enforcinK