Evening star., 1916-09-27
AIM BLOW AT CHAULNES;
MAY ENCIRCLE PERONNE
Entente Experts Expect Further In.
roads on Territory Held by
the Enemy.
10000 PRISONERS IN DRIVE
Between 5000 and 1000 Reported
Taken by the British Alone
Monday and Tues j
day. d

=
BERLIN, September ~,
by wireless to Sayville,
N. Y.-After unusually Sc
we're fighting on the Somme
front in which the entente
allies suffered heavy losses
they captured Thiepval and
gained ground on both sides
of Courcelette, the war office
announced today. Attacks
further to the east were re-
pulsed by the Germans.
LONDON, September 27, 2:3o
p.m.-No rest is being given the
Germans by the victorious
Franco-British forces on the
Somme front.
The British capture of the long
resisting Thiepval stronghold, fol-
lowing closely and Unexpectedly
upon the capture of Combles by
the combined allied forces, was
itself followed up last night by a
new stroke on the part of the
French south of the Somme
where they drove out from Ver-.
mandovillers and captured a
strongly fortified wood east of the
town.
Drive Aimed at Chaulnes. >.
Apparently this new drive is aimed
at Chaulnes. which bears to the
southern end of the Somme line some
what the relation that Combles did to
the northern sector. The beginning of
a French effort to pocket this other
German stronghold was apparent some
time ago. and a further move such as
that reported today in the drive east
from vermandovillers to a point two
miles almost directly south of Chaul-
mes has not been unexpected.
The French lines already have been
pushed in well south of the town
Meanwhile the military importance o.
the gains from Thiepval to the Somme
scored in the smashing offensive of the
present week are expected by military
observers the entente capitals to be
made ma .ifest by speedy further in
roads upo.i German held territory.
British in New Advance.
The British again advanced last night,
the war office announced today The
greatest success was won in the direc-
tion of Eaucourt L'Abbaye.
The statement follows:
Our troops made progress during the
night, particularly in the direction of
Eaucourt LAbbaye.
Successful raids were carried out by
us opposite Beaumont and Hamel and
in the neighborhood of Loos Three
hostile aeroplanes were destroyed in
air fighting on Monday, and six others
were driven down damaged"
The French advance beyond Boucha.
vesones. is pointed to as directly threat.
ening Allaines two miles north of Per.
onne. and preparing the way for an en-
circling movement intended to drive the
Germans out of Peronne itself
Belated reports from the British front
today announce the capture of between
5000 and 1000 Germans by Gen. Haig's
forces in the fighting Monday and Tues
day. The reported captures by the
French bring this total up to more than
5000. Unofficial figures show the agere-
gate number of prisoners taken by the
Anglo-French armies during the Somme
offensive from July l to date have been
10000, with some 100 square miles Of
territory and forty-four villages
Capture Of Thiepval by the British
was announced by the war office last
night. In addition to taking the town
the British captured a high ridge to
the east of it and a strongly fortified
redoubt The announcement said:
ION our left we captured ThiepvaI
and the high ridge east of it. including
the Zollern redoubt. This ridge was
very strongly fortified with an elab-
crate system of heavily wired trenches
and was defended with desperation
THE successes gained during the last
two days may be regarded as of very
Importance"
French Take Fortified Wood.
PARIS, September s7.-A brilliant
French attack east Of vermandovillers
has succeeded In capturing a strongly
fortified wood. according to an Official
statement issued by the war ONCE to-
lay.
Last nights official statement an
1ounced that the town Of combles was
,ntirely in Anglo-French hands. -
A vast stock OF munitions and proG
visions was captured In Combles, the
~ofA <kA kn~- ..