New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-08
Germans Swept Back
in Surprise Attack
on Wide Front
FURIOUS FIGHT
IN GREAT GALE
Success South of SOmme
Greatest in Many
Weeks

London. Nov. THE French crashed
forward to-day for their greatest ad-
vance south of the Somme in weeks.
Beating against the German lines with
overpowering force. they seized all the
enemy's positions along the two and
a half mile front from Chaulnes Wood
to Ablaincourt, captured the villages
Of Ablaincourt and Pressoire and
Ablaineourt Cemetery and swept be-
hind their ranks moro than 500 pris-
onsrs.
This remarkable success, staged IN
q sector As Vital to the whole situstion
on the Somme % the region south OF
Bspaume, was obtained In the face OF
torrential rains and furious gales. The
Germans were taken by surprise. Un-
usually light artillery preparation pre-
coded the assault Banking heavily on
the element Of surprise. Foch sent his
infantry forward at . moment when
the guns Of both sides were 'slmost
silent.
Before the astonished Germans could
rally and put up a resistance OF any
str.ngth the columns Of French troops
were rushing upon them. sweeping
through the wire entanglements ana
over the parapets. The engagement.
that followed was sharp and priel'
Once the Germans were put on Lhe
run they abandoned their trenches
along a continuously widening 'front.'
Furious Fighting at Ablaincourt
Tn. ba,tls reached its height in
Ablaincourt. where house-to-house anu
street fighting of the most ieroeIou'
character took place. when the Eei
mans were swept from the Town my
were unable to brace tnelr rams
against the onrushinR French troops
until they had also lost the Aoiaineou's
Cemetery. ,,..
l., ;ts menace to Chaulnes. That strong
iv defended town is now almost pock,,
otod From the north, northeast ana
west the French guns look down on 'he
town. Another such advance as they
made to-day would put the French IN
nossession Of Chauines. Its fall would
bring a French sweep of the eLtire sec
tor west of Chaulnes and south OF re,
rome. and would sound the deathkneii
81 the latter stronghold. The french
are in position TO win one OF the most
hr;ll;ant victories of the offensive IN
this region.
On the rest Of the Somme front no
concerted movements were carried out
nv either side. Both the French and
the British, however, launched local
assaults against the enemy's lines.
Haig's troops improved their position
cast Of Butte de Warlencourt, where
the most violent fighting OF the last
week has centred, by swinging forward
against the points where the German
positions protruded into their 'front.' ana
Strengthening the line.
Germans Repel British Attacks
The Germans repealed British at
tennis east of Eaucourt PAbbaye and
French attacks between Lesboeufs and
Rancourt. The British successfully
raided enemy trenches between Connie
court and Serre, bringing back prison.
ers and booty. Rheims was again the
target Of the German guns, suffering to
a small extent from the rain OF shells.
In the four months from the begin
ming of the Allied offensive on the
Somme UP to November ! 72,9Sl Ger
mans were taken prisoner by the
French and British, according to re-
capitulation in to-day's French COM
munioue. OF this number 1,449 were
officers. The number of guns captured
is given as ,499, including 9sl machine
guns. The captures Of the French, both
in men and in guns, surpassed those OF
their ally. These figures are much
higher than those in several previous
estimates and make q deep cash in
Germany's man-power.