Grand Forks herald., 1916-08-14

With British Armies in France.
Aug. 14.-Anyone who might think,
from reading the British official re-
ports, that the British offensive was
over. would conclude, after a visit
to the field, that terrific battle was
still in progress. judging from the
gun fire. No one the Associated
Press correspondent meets at the
front thinks that the offensive Is
over. Though no village or con-
siderable frontage Of trenches has
been stormed in the last few days.
every day has found some strong
point taken and some new spur of
trenches thrown out in the course Of
the same kind Of operation which
follows and precedes each big blow.
'-The question this week." said a
have have killed. Hilled more Germans s than Sa their G"ar
guns have killed Of US. and we know
that the odds are in our favor at least
two. X not three. to one"
For six weeks the British have
maintained a torrent Of shell fire.
which German prisoners who have
been at Verdun say surpasses any
thing they endured there; while at
the different munitions depots the
piles OF shells seem as plentiful as
the day before the grand offensive
began. It has been week all to the
such an advantage of position over
the Germans as they never had before.
thanks to the possession of Pozieres
ridge. which was crowned by q wind
mill at the highest point, the wooden
structure Of which has long since
been blown to splinters by shell fire
and its stone base cracked into bits.
Incalcuable and inconceivable 10 the
amount of shell fire spent on this
ridge. whose irregular skyline is ever
changing as a result Of the pummel-
ing. but the British keep their domin-
alton by tactics and methods Of forti-
fications not permitted to be men,
toned here.
Survivors Surrendered.
The Australians described the
latest German counter attack, which
was made last night, as comic, II the
result had. not been so tragic for the
two battanons which made It. Ap-
parently the Germans were mostly
recruits. When assembling for the
attack they were caught by British
open space, to be caught by both
British gun and machine gun hre
Some forty survivors. who got to the
trenches held up their hands when
the Australians called them to come
in.
The British guns are screened be-
hind the conquered slopes Of Posieres
ridge, while from the crest the Brit
ish are able to see all the way to
Bapaume. Thus exposed. the Ger
mans guns have been gradually re-
firing, for once the British locate a
German battery they go after 1t with
a concentration Of IRE like q pack Of
hounds after Q cornered fox. The
British are hammering every village
on the way to Bapaume, and Ba.
paume itself. and at the same time
their superior number Of aeroplanes
continue dropping bombs on the
same targets that the artillery bonn
bards. Wherever the Germans are
quartered they are subjected night
and day 10 this nerve-wreckinK bonn
bardment A British artillery COM
mander has only to say, '.put twenty
rounds OF eight-inch into Courcel-
inch into Thiepvai," or "ve might
as we'll stop that working party dig
ging in Nartinpuich for the even
ing" and away 30 messengers roar-
ing like railroad trains through the
air with their tons Of e1plosive4
I've don't make any changes in
the mxp this way" said = gunner,
''but - matter Of bookkeeping in
casualtias the balance y all Id our
favor. Il softenS things mp for our
infantry before they attack. It u
~ demofallxing a. continuous, night
mara and szplains why the Germans