Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-18
BRITISH GAINS OF
GROUND ARE SLIGHT
Correspondent in the German
Trenches Near Somme De-
scribes Artillery Duels.
TRENCHES MADE USELESS

Correspondence OF The Associated Press.)
German Trenches, Opposite the
British Position at Gommecourt,
Monday, Aug. l4.-(Via Berlin and
Sayville Wireless, Aug. l7.)-Half a
million British have been engaged in
the effort to break the German lines
on the Somme front. Often, as in
the fighting between Gommecourt and
Hebutorne, the British outnumbered
the Germans six to one. They have
gained ground to depth of from
three to five miles over a front of
about eighteen miles, but nowhere
have been able to break through.
Shells Widen Trenches.
More than ever, death has become
commonplace in this most murderous
battle Of all times. The Germans in
the first line know that they probably
will be killed if their positions are
attacked. Trenches are Virtually use
less, for the heavy British shells
widen them into broad channels, at.
fording no cover of any sort. The
first line usually perishes.
The advancing British foot troops
are no better off, because the Ger
mans reverse the process when part
of their positions have been captured.
After the British artillery has leveled
the trenches, the infantry rushes in,
often to be thrown out again as soon
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 opposing forces now gain
ing, at terrific cost, and then losing
at even greater cost, few yards of
trenches. At present all the fighting
by the British is carried on from their
Pozieres salient, where their drum
fire is unceasing day or night. Ger
man officers, who were in the Cham
payne offensive, said no such artillery
fire ever had been developed pre-
viously.
German Fire Terrific. "
The German fire, too, is terrific.
An idea of its intensity may be gained
from the fact that on certain British
troops, German guns threw 1000
shells in one minute and forty-five
seconds, resulting in great slaughter.
Otter 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
ISOLATED Press correspondent stood
within 800 yards of the British
trenches near Delville wood. Nearby
the Germans had buried 1900 British
as lulls in the firing permitted.
Some 500 British prisoners, whom
the correspondent saw behind the fir
ing line, were still dazed from the
shock. They were sorry spectacle,
glad they had escaped from hell"
as they termed it.
Each Man His Own Leader.
The correspondent visited the en-
tire front of the present offensive and
everywhere found from talks with
Germans that they were more de-
termined than ever to stand their
ground. The men are in capital shape
physically and of easy mind, although
they are looking upon death each
time. An officer said each man is his
own leader, as it is often impossible
under the present battle conditions to
transmit commands. While the gen.
erals might still plan the actions, the
officer said, it was plain that the in
fantryman, acting on his own initia
tive in the presence of death, must
save the day.
Back of the German lines, within
artillery range, hardly single house
was standing. Embers were still burn
ing in the ruins of two villages as the
correspondent passed through. Or
ficers said there were no German
troops in such places and that the
victims were mostly French civilians.
OF these the correspondent saw scores
of wounded. Whenever possible, the
Germans removed the civilians, as at
Buoquoy. The population of this
town was sent out at 2 o'clock in the
morning and the bombardment began
at o'clock. By noon the entire vii
lage was RACED. The village of Ran
court met with a similar fate. The