New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-16
Powerful Redoubts
Under Fire from
Three Points
FRENCH PRESS
PERONNE DRIVE
Consolidate the Captured
Lines Despite Counter
Attacks

London, Oct 15-Haig's troops
have won fresh successes in the
Thicpval region Of the Somme front
Here the British are confronted by
two great obstacles 70 an advance
the powerfully fortified Stun and
Schwaben redoubta
After heavy artillery preparation
the British swung forward in this
sector yesterday and advanced on
both positions. North Of tho Stun
redoubt two lines Of German trenches
were cleared for q distance OF 200
wards. North and west OF the
Schwaben redoubt the enemy was
thrust back a considerable distance.
The Germans again adhered to the
policy of abandoning ground In pref
erence 70 losing men in great num-
bers. About 300 prisoners were
swept behind the British ranks In
the two movements.
Both of these bastions In the Ger
rssa-Hne-ncw-spp<zxx6.nH psrilously
close 10 capture. From dominating
positions on three sides Of them the
heavy British guns are pouring forth
a destructive fire that will soon pave
the way for the charge Of the in
fantry. With the two redoubts in
their, hands the British will be able
to sweep northward along tho east
ern side Of the Ancre Valley with
little opposition, thus bringing Ba-
paume under attack from tho flank.
Gain at Gueudecourt
A slight advance was also made By
the British this morning to the north
east Of Gueudecourt, vhere Hsigs
troops threaten to encircie Transloy
from the north. and thus force the
evacuation By tho Germans Of their
lines along the Bethune road between
Transloy and Sailly-Saill!sel. Success
in this movement would straishtsn
oit the Allied front south Of Bspsums
and permit Of an advance on both
sides Of the triangle at whose aper
lies their objective.
In the face Of furious counter
blows by the Germans along the
whole front south Of the Somme, the
French made no artempt 70 extend
thei. successes in the region north Of
Chsulnes and near Barleux- Most Of
the German attacks were broken up
by tho impenetrsble curtain Of hrs
set up by tho French guns. The In
fantry rolled back the hostile forces
that succeeded In working their way
as far as the French lines.
New Success Prumisins
Few French successes since the be-
ginning Of the offensive promise moro
than that obtained in the vicinity Of
Belloy-en-Santerre and Ablaincourt
Both have an important bearing on the
drive against Peronne from the south.
smashing advance by the
French prepared the way for an attack
on Barleux, the most fornidably de-
Tended village in the region. BarieuI
is now exposed 10 attack on the north
and west, and Foch's troops are press
ing forward on the south In an EFFORT 10
pocket II.
With its fall Peronne's doom will be
virtually sealed. A general offensive
movement on this front awaits only
such a spell Of dry days as occurred
last fall.
That the Germans under-estimated
the strength Of the French forces and
the driving power Of their attack Is In
dicated by the capture Of more than
thousand prisoners By the French in
yesterdays operations.
The British colonial troops continue
70 harass the enemy with raids night
and day. Last night the German
trenches were entered in the neighbor-
hood of Serre, Roclncourt and Neuve
Chapelle, the defences were damaged
and prisoners were brought back 70
the British lines In small numbers.
Aerial operations, hampered BY foggy
weather and showers, are expected 20