El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-08-17
Have Pushed it Back
3 to 5 Miles Along
18-Mile Front
MURDEROUS
BATTLE IN HISTORY
Hell Of Gun-Fire and
Terrific Shock Of
Combat
OF LIFE ON
BOTH SIDES HUGE
10y staff Correspondent Of the As
ISOLATED Press)

] (By Staff Correspondent Of the As
ISOLATED Press)
IN THE GERMAN TRENCHES OPP.
PosiTE THE BRITISH POSITION
AT GoMMEcoURT ON THE soMME
Monday, August IA (yia Ber-
lin and Sayville Wireless, Aug.
16) Half a million British
have been engaged in an effort
to break the German lines on
the Somme front. Often, as in
the fighting between CONNIE
court and Hebutorne, the Brit
ish outnumbered the Germans
six to one. They have gained
ground to a depth Of from 3
to 5 miles over a front Of about
Is miles, but nowhere have
been able to break through.
More than ever, death has
become a commonplace in this
most murderous battle Of all
times. The Germans in the
first line know that they prob
ably will be killed if their pc
sitions are attacked. Trenches
are very useless, for the heavy
British shells widen them into
broad channels, affording no
cover of any sort.
The first line usually pursues. The
advancing British foot troops are no
better off because the Germans re-
verse the process when part Of their
positions have been captured. After
the British artillery have levelled the
German trenches, the infantry PUSHES
lin, often to be thrown out again as the
British artillery ceases fire, which it
has to do owing to the proximity Of
The opposing lines. Thus the battle
has been going on for weeks, the op-
posing forces o gaining, at terrific
cost and then losing at even greater
cost, a few yards of trenches. AT pres
emit all the fighting by the British is
carried on from their Pozieres salient
where their edrum-fire" is unceasing,
day or night.
German officers who were in the
Champagne offensive say no such ar.
tilleFy fire ever had been developed
previously. The German fire, too, is
terrific. An idea OF its intensity may
be gained from the fact that on Ger
tain British troops German guns threw
1900 shells in one minute and forty
five seconds, resulting in great slaugh-
ter.
Often the British assault dies away
before the German second line, from
which machine guns pour out streams
OF bullets which literally cut the men
into fragments. At one point the AS
s0ciated Press correspondent stood
within 800 yards OF the British trench.
es e Delyille wood. Nearby the
Germans had Just buried 1926 British,
as lulls in the firing permitted.
Some 500 British prisoners whom
the correspondent saw behind the fir
ing line, plainly we're still dazed from
the shock, They were a sorry specta.
Gle and glad they had escaped from
hell" as they termed il.
The correspondent visited the en-
tire front of the present offensive,
and everywhere found from talks with
Germans that they were more determ-
med than ever to stand their ground.
The men are in capital shape physical
", and Of easy mind, although they
are looking upon death each time. An
officer pointed out that nowadays each
man is his own leader. as it is often
impossible under present battle condi-
ions to transmit commands. While
he generals might still plan the ac.
ions, the officers said, it a plain
hat the infantryman acting on his
,wn initiative in the presence of
leath, must save the day.
Back Of the German lines; within ar.
illery range. hardly a single house
vas standing. Embers were still burn.
ng in the ruins Of two villages as the
correspondent passed through. OH
.ers said there were no German
roops in such places and that the vic.
inns were mostly French civilians.
these the correspondent saw scores