The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-26

panies chosen for the assault were to spring on the signal for the departure and spread out in open formation dashing forward in sections toward the German works, previously almost bat tered out of existence by the French artillery
 The sector was not at all healthy" when the correspondent visited it. German aeroplanes cruised about over head scenting that something was about to take place Their activities were not to the liking of the infan- trymen below who, while not inn pressed by the dangers of artillery and machine gun fire, object strong ly to the appearance on the scene of these aerial intruders.
 Artillery curtain fire had been start ed by the Germans to prevent the ar rival of French reinforcements, but It's effect on the French troops was al- most nil.
 The French general commanding the division, who had been promoted only recently for brilliant service on the Somme, had spoken with the corre- spondents before their departure for the front line. They had invaded his post of command on a particularly lively sector of the French line for the time. The. general occupies a dugout eXcavated for a German battalion com mander, who had remained in posses sion for the better part of two years. It was dug deep down beneath the earth, nearly six solid yards of which guarded 1t from shell of ordinary call ibre, and it was fitted up in a style which assured considerable degree of comfort to it's inmates. This caused the general to excuse himself to the correspondents who, he thought, might draw comparisons with his quarters and those of the soldiers. He said 'Tf had had this made for myself it would in all probability have meant my being put on the retired list"
 As the correspondents left the gen. eral remarked: You may go wherever you like, but I cannot guarantee you immunity from shells or torpedoes. l wish you good luck. See that you come back here and have tea with me"
 Shells ranging from two-inch pomporns to the big missiles from eght-inch howit- gers fell intermittently all round at the time. A well-kept wide and deep com- munication trench with a floor of earth in most places trodden hard by thousands of feet led towards the front line some 400O yards away. To go through it's intrl- cate twstings and twinings meant a march of 10 miles. The officer appointed as guide however, decided that for some distance at least it would be compara- lively safe for the party to proceed across the open, as slight haze in ~the atmosphere hindered the Germans seeing distinctly any movements In the French lines.
 This progress, however, did not last long, Shells began to fall with greater frequency and it was decided to adopt the more prudent course of entering the communication trench. A couple of miles march in Indian file led through a de stroyed village constantly under fire and breaches in the trench parapet espe- cially in the vicinity of batteries caused the party to make sudden dashes with ln- tervals of 15 yards between each two men, Meanwhile artillery fire became more in- tense and it was necessary to crouch or lie down very frequently to avoid the splinters of bursting shells.
 In this way the front line was reached The majors in command of the two bat talions holding the advanced positions themselves came out of their dugouts to act as guides and led the way to the parallel of assault from which it was In- tended to start the attack from the allied line. Only a few men were on duty at the lookout posts, the others all hav- ing taken shelter in their 'funk-holes' while the artillery was firing heavily. In the most advanced sap, whence every de- tail of the opposing German trenches could be seen the young lieutenant iii charge kept constant watch and reported to a telephone operator nearby the results of French artillery fire. Just at the mo- ment the French trench mortars were busy and their great missiles weighing 800 pounds could be watched during their entire slow flight from the muzzle of the gun to their destination. Each one fell directly in the German trenches some 20U yards from where the correspondents stood and the enormous black clouds of earth thrown up by the explosions indl- cated that at least great material dam age was being done.
 The return march was made for half mile along the parallel and was rem dered very interesting from the fact that the occupant of a German aeroplane had noticed the movement in the trench. He immediately began to display an unfriend- ly spirit by dropping several bombs. which, however did no damage. Mean while several French flyers approached and a lively exchange of machine gun fire ensured until the Germans returned to their own lines.
 Tn the interval the correspondents were advised on account of the briskness of the firing to take refuge in the major s dugout. While there they could hear much more plainly than in the open the terrific bombardment by several hundred batteries then in progress in preparation for an attack by the British north of the Somme, the earth seemingly acting as a more delicate conductor than the air It was afterward learned when the party returned under cover of night to the gen. erals quarters that the British had taken thousand prisoners and had made further advance.