Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-28

and then. after g. heavy preliminary
shelling, they charged the trenches on
the edge of the village. The trenches
were empty when they reached them.
AT the same time the French, dash
ing forward on the other side of the
village pushed victoriously forward
into the heart of the village. In the
main street the soldiers of the two
nations met and joyously shook hands,
calling olt to each otner how dye
do?"
Wounded Fill Cellars
Combles had labyrinth of dugouts
and well-fortified cellars but at the
last practically no defense was made.
Those Germans who had not man
aged to escape when the town was
hopelessly surrounded, were taken
prisoners One lot of Germans who
were endeavoring to find a way
through the encfrcling allied infantry
walked into the British skirmishing
line The cellars and dugouts of the
village were full of wounded who
found security there from the furious
fighting on the slopes and ridges.
Having cleared Comb bles of any
stray Germans, the British and French
moved on side by side to further at
tacks.
One of the most striking features
OF the fighting last night and to-day
ofered at Morval and Combles by the
Germans, according to all reports
made by the British officers. The
Germans made the usual counter at
tacks against the British new posi-
tions last night, but the reports of
the allied officers to headquarters
agree that they lacked spirit. Some
German trenches taken yesterday
were lightly occupied or not at ali.
In other instances the allied COM
manders stated that considerable
bodies of Germans threw down their
rifles promptly as soon as the attack
ers approached their trenches al
though 1t was known that they had
orders to stand to the last. Batches
of prisoners have been coming in
from all parts of the front through
out the day.
Whole Line Tn Danger
A blackish heap of dirt on the crest
Of ridge Is all that remains of
Thiepval On the top of that heap
there still rise few black sticks, tree
trunks slivered and hewn by shell
fire, which have been downed by
direct hit. On July 1, the first dav
of the great offensive, the British
tried to take Thiepval and failed. On
this height to the north the whole
French movement pivots to the bank
OF the Somme. The British, in fierce
nave
shuttled and sapped their way toward
that previous high ground, the cap
ture of which extends over the Ger
man front and defense and endangers
other German positions. Hand to
hand, bomb to bomb, with every trick
or the modern trade of war, the Brit
ish have fought over these slopes as
IL the war itself was to be decided
here. Tonight. after another effort,
practically all of the village, the whole
defense and siege of which cost more
thousands of men than any in France.
is in British possession. This success
is source of greater satisfaction to
the average British soldier than the
taking of Combles or any other VIII
lage or strong position in the nearly
three months of continuous fighting,
Gains Six Miles Deep
Since the offensive began the Brit
ish have taken 10 villages and at
some points their gains are now six
miles in depth. Elation over to-day's
and yesterdays work is greatest at
the casualty clearing stations where
the cost of victory is best measured.
All surgeons report that the casualties
have been surprisingly light. The
weakening German resistance, which
seems obvious to any spectator, is
variously interpreted by the allied
officers. Some believe that the Ger
mans are merely making rear guard
defense of the lower grvund while
their main forces fall back to another
prepared line of trenches stretching
from Bapaume; others insist that the
unceastng hammer blows of the Brit
ish and French are resulting in a de-
cided softening in the morale and
lighting mower of their opponants.