Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-14
Surprise Attack of Monday
Deprives Teutons of
Breakfast.
BIG GAIN MADE
IN ANCRE VALLEY
Four Thousand Prisoners Taken, Most
Of Them SiIssians and Second Rate
SoIdisrs-6est Troops Withdrawn to
Other Seetors-eritish Advance Held
Up at One Point Because Of Hidden
Machine Guns and snipers.

copyright, 1915, by Associated Press.
With the British Armies in France,
Nov. 13. via London Nov. 14.-The
Germans were apparently completely
surprised by this mornings attack in
the valley Of the Ancre. An evidence
Of this was found in the fact that the
garrison in the trenches around Beau
mont-Hamel were preparing for break
fast at the very instant the British
stormed their positions.
The British. after clearing under
ground galleries and rounding up 700
prisoners proceeded to eat their
prisoners breakfast. telling the cap
tives they would be fed when they ar
rived within the British lines.
SO far nearly 1000 prisoners have
been sent to the cages. including a
division commander, who was cap
tured in q dugout. The majority Of
the prisoners are Silesians, according
to the British officers. The German
higher command depended apparently
upon tho supposedly impregnable
character Of the old front line and its
strongly fortified villages rather than
on the stamina Of the troops.
Best Men withdrawn.
The British officers believed that the
Germans withdrew their best men for
other defenses on the British front,
where the defenders have been forced
to resist great assaults.
The British losses were light, owing
to the unexpected feeble, character Of
the German machine gun fire at
Beaumont -Hamel and st. Pierre
Divion. A large number of German
dead were found strewn in the
wrecked trenches Of the original main
line This line consisted Of four
parallel roads Of trenches, the last be-
Inc. flush with the western face OF
Beaumont -Hamel.
Taken by Surprise.
For some days past the sector at
tackled today and the area behind have
been subjected to successive lombard
1ment; which Z rose to ar record pitch
yesterday resulted in the demoH-
ton of a large part Of the defsnses.
The garrison accepted the morning. S
deiuge of shells as part Of the usual
daily program and did not fully real
ize their danger until the British in
fantry was seen approaching in the
darkness.
The British advance north Of Beau
n,ont-Hamel was held up on front
OF about 100 yards. The first de-
tachment took some German trenches
ard passed eastward. Suddenly hidden
machine guns and infantry snipers
scattered in great profusion in the
crater and other shelters began firing
and compelled them to withdraw
North Of st. Pierre the British gained
ground. but because Of the failure Of
the advance to the east the village is
subjected to an emilia ding fire from
higher ground in the neighborhood Of
the village. A number Of isolated
pockets are being cleared Of Germans
in the intervening ground between
Beaumont -Hamel and Beaucourt- sur
Ancre.
Part Of Germans Isolated.
The British are, firmly established
on the western outskirts OF the latter
hamlet. The remaining ragment OF
the old German line south Of the Ancre
which were "pinched out" by the
British flank pivoting to the north
east around the elbow Of the stream
have been partially isolated since the
capture Of Schwaben re1oubt. Three
hundred Germans. the only survivors
Of the bombardment, were captured In
an extensive system OF riverside caves
Prior to the attack the only communi
cation between these caves and the
German rear by ?. causeway across the
Ancre. which could not be traversed