The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-16
In Twelve-Hour Battle on Eight
Mile Front English Tear Ger
man Salient Wide Open
DESPERATE BATTLE
Is FOUGHT IN AK
German Machineal
Destroyed and Nine Others
Damaged-British Use New
Type of Armored Car

London, Sept 15.-The now &
famous German salient nn9
Thiepval- Combles IL no longer.
The British tore It wide open
today. In twelvc-hour batt1s W
on the dght-nhle limit from
Thiepval to Ginchy In tlne face
of twelve hundred OF tho KAas-
er's most powerful guns-lS0 % Il
mile-they stormod, pierced.
shattered and then occupied thas \
stretch Of the German frOnE
north of the Sommo which hit1,-
erto had acted As . defiant block
to their advance on Combles and
Bapaume. The barrier broken
down Sir Douglas Haig's troops
pushed considerably beyond is
to the northeast, carrying tho
menace OF the Somme drive u.
most as ominously close to Ba- !.
pauno as 1t il TO Combles and
Peronno.
The end OF the fighting tonight saW
the British in possession Of prac4ts
cally all the high ground betweon
Combles and the Albert-Pozieres-Ba h.
paume highways. Three villa8oos
Flers, Mart1npuich and CourcolottG
and Highwood were completely 60
tured. az was the greater pare -
Bouleaux wood. The powerful 0orsl
man redoubt called "wunderwerkss
(wonder work.. because Of its sup-
posed impregnahility was taken BY
storm in the turning OF the salient
tip near Thiepval. More than 1900
prisoners were taken. including six-s
ty-five officers.
British Reply to German Report
All this was achieved within a few
hours after the German war ONCE
in it's regular daily statement early
this afternoon had announced:
IAN attempt by considerable Brit.
ish forces to recapture by an encir-
cling movement our salient line south
of Thiepval met with failure"
The day was the most successful
for the British since the initial phase
of the Somme battle. For three days.
their infantry had enjoyed compares
tive rest, while the artillery paved the
way for today's new onrush.
The French. though not launching
an attack on large front worked
hand-in-hand with the British In
drawing the ring around Combleea
still closer. The French war once
announced tonight that General
Foch's troops took a system of Ger
man trenches 500 meters deep north
of La Priez farm. which fell into
their hands yesterday. Last night
the British took by storm a group OK
German trenches south OF Rancourt.
two miles from Peronne. South OF
the Semme. they captured three Teu-s
ton trenches near the village of Bern.3
yen Santerre. taking 200 prisoners
The Eyes of the Army"
Apart from the results scored. tor
days resumption Of the British part
in the CONNIE drive was remarkable
for two features. Never before haA
an attack been marked by such close
and successful cooperation By the
"eyes of the army" The clash Of the
infantry legions On the blood-soaked
ground was accompanied by Z battle
royal In the air The British flyers
were met by q Gordon Of Teuton avia-s
tors, tho two air fleets vieins with one
another in daring. tenacity and skill.
The British. according to the night
report from headquarters, proved
their superiority. Thirteen German
machines were destroyed. nine others
were brought down Ia damaged
condition The British lost four.
The official statement emphasizes
the efficient work rendered by the.
aviators in furnishing frequent ana
accurate reports and with their ma
chine guns engaging the German In.
1dnlTy ana dftiilcTy III duotlou -
spreading confusion behind the ToUs
ton lines by Smelling RAILWAY stations
and aerodromes.
New Armored Car In Operattcn. d
The second spectacular feature a.
the battle was the introduction BY the
British for the first time Of new
type of armored motor car whoe4
powerful traction enables 1t to croSo
trenches and shell craters as II soing
ovec smooth ground. A number o4
these new wonder machtnea
whirred into battle with tho infantry
today and In the midst OF the hail a.
shell the men cheered as they charge4x
Captain Boelcke. the famo o Ger.
man airman. today brought down M
twenty-third aeroplane. according ~
the Berlin official statement The roS'
port announces the recapture northS5
east OF verdun OF the German FORE
most lines west Of the Souville sAltoQN
taken by the French yesterday. 1646
repulse of French attacks betwoe
Thtaumont and F1uery u alao To-
ported. S sS
SURRENDER OF KAvALIA SE