The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-03
battlefield greatly outnumpered the Ger

pattleneld greatly OutnumpereQ the ter man machines.
 Infinite care and pains had been taken to keep secret the preparations for the great offensive and the section of the line where the big push was to be made For many weeks the work went on with silence required on the part of all off, cers, but most of them were so limited to their own areas that they did not know what was happening in the others.
 At all the messes the subject was barred from discussion, although all knew. Bat tery emplacements were constructed and batteries were placed in position and troops were marched up at night with no lights The soldiers and company off, ficers only understood that they were ex- pected to leave their trenches at a cer- tain time with a certain objective.
 HAIG NEARER FRONT
 Before the action General Sir Douglas Haig moved his temporary headquarters nearer the front where the chiefs of his staff departments were at call and reports from all sections came promptly by telegraph and telephone, which car ried his instructions back to the front, while he was also in touch with French headquarters by telephone.
 With the attack beginning at 73O in the morning, by o'clock the staff had
 
 had already held the first line of Gern,an trenches or were advancing beyond. So it was known how far each had car rled out the part assigned to it. Diffi- culty in keeping up communications through the curtains of shell fire and making observations through the smoke were not the smallest items of the prep arations. During the bombardment the Associated Press correspondent made a most picturesque journey working his way forward through transport and re- serves on the march to high point and a view of the shelling in the darkness which was probably the most terrible display of fireworks in all times.
 SHEETS OF FLAME
 Far in the distance those flashes in quick succession are the French 75s on the hills aoove the Somme. Other flashes of the same kind far to the north are the British field guns. Nearby, the sma Il calibres make ugly, sharp flashes from their muzzles and the big calibres larger ones, as the missiles go swishing through the dewy night air and burst in balls of expanding flame. A flaming sheet is laid across a ridge and that is the bar rage fire of the German guns antici- pating a British attack. A long, pillow ing glow of the phosphorescent mist and that is the spray of high explosives from the stokes mortars sent from be- hind the British onto the German trenches. Sheets and chains of man. de lightnings show trees and buildings, or ruined walls in weird silhouettes.
 AS set pieces the German flares slowly rise With dependable, steady illumina- ton between the trenches. Green and red and other signal lights add to their variety until the eyes ache and sensations are numbed with the thought of the struggle that is proceeding.
 Indignation was expressed by the Brit ish and French staffs over the state ment in today's German wireless com mUnication that a British air raid over Lille had bombed the church of St. Saveur. The statement was freely branded by the officers as a lie. Lille, 1t was pointed out. has been within req oh of the British heavy guns for a year without bombardment and that the en- tente allied machines bombed only rail- way stations and military points and con- tinue to do so.