The evening world., 1916-08-16
Tint, Nix ilal,c,hpe IT SoIll
Artillery Along Sonlnr
section.
flRlAO All The TIME.
French Gmnners Directed by
AN unbfoken | line oi Great
Observation Balloons.
Nv Henry Wood.

W ~ ~ fhsfHfNsf ~
ON rHE sOMME. Aus 10
uunit.d pf,ssi 4 thirty mil" h1tsr.
shoe ~ soui artillery hrc. Que
of the most terrific shell biH,'
,nrs in tfr history ~ the word "a
drawing Iino Of nainu along th'
gomme battle front IN. French at
employing all their great artillery
strength Ia protect their newly ac-
auiroi positions. The uermsns are
shrlllny oven more desperately In an
effort to dislodRo th. French and
/ launch counter. attacks. The curNihg
| line of IRE extends from the frcn"N
I positions before tI,ry, north ot ib'
sommc 10 1T. quentin. thence south
to the region of pcronne and south
wcs, to Harlcu. Estr.os and hoyc'
court. Shells of all callbrcs. both
shrapncl and high explosive. burst
al every instant at every point along
the entire front with "a rapidity which
donri counting.
Equally impressive as this thirty
milo unbrokcn semi-circlc ot artillery
Tire, was the thirty mile horseshoe Of
French observation balloons over
hanging at "a great height the entire
battle front Their wireless instru-
mcnis direct the French f,ro.
Innumerablc French neroplanes dart
In and out. crossing and rccrossing
: the German lines every minute. From
timo to time as n daring aviator fiios
over tho German positions half n dog
en- white pufYs suddenly appear with
J startling distinciveness silhouettsd
against tho clear blue sky. showing
i where tho German anti-aircraft gun
ncrs had sought to encircle the aero
u plano with shrapnel.
v Yet despite this great activity OF
Frances air forces. not a single Ger
Y man areroplane appeared either for
the purpose OF chasing back tho
Il French. attacking the French ha.-
\ looms or for reconnoitcring. Likewise
not u single German balloon was
70 visible To offset the thirty mile semi =
/. circle OF French balloons. Nothing
~ could give more vivid impression oi
l. Frances undisputcd mastery and SD
pcriority IN the air.
Pushing ahead from Domplerre
into the shell zone. our party pro-
,s' grcssed toward Blaches. barely \
en- mile from Poronne. and the most ad =
Iaa' Nanccd French position. We passed
lie the villages Of Bccquincourt. Herbe-
y. court, Assevlllcis aud t'laucourt. all
~ which wcro completely ieyellod by
shell lire.
Al the entrance vi the former site
H.. OF the Iiccauincourt there remains
#. standing In the road corner "A slender
rs wooden cross, bearing AN eighteen
Nv inch miniature statue OF Christ. A
yard away "a shell had moved down d
~. giant nifty year-old tree, also carrying
n away one arm OF the cross. But tn,
sh figure Of Christ remains untouched
wv pathcticully viewing the empty spac,
that was formerly Bccquincourt. II
= In the only thing lett standing In tn,
- entire village
A few minutes after we passed
this spot shells coming from the Ger
man batteries at Soyecourt, six mlleA
away. began bursting near as though
engr.ly determined not TO leave
standing above ground IL single rem.
Aant OF the entire village. By u cir
cuitous tour We arrived at doml.
mating position north OF the Somma
facing the point where the French
and German lines crossed the rivel
before the beginning Of the French
offensive July I.
From rhis vantage point ever,
step Of the French advance was Wis
iblc from the Moulin farine. whicl
was the first roint attacked. through
= the village OF Carlu. Monacu farm
and the village OF Ham. and mail!
20 the region of tlery, At this poin
a desperate struggle which followe,
the previous days capture OF German
| thlrd limo positions was still pro
grcsslng. This new position ais
brought us into closer contact wit
the French artillery lines,
nj Tho artillery duel gradually gre,
In intensity toward the close OF tn
day, until the hail ~ shells hyin
over from the batteries In the hill
u and valleys In the rear fairly mad
ones head swim with It's intensity
From time to time this unceasin
artillery roar was intensified by angr
spurts ana sputtors OF machine gu
fre either AS the French repulse
German counter attacks before clcr
or ns French gunncrs vountaTl
gave vent to "A few vollcys as war;
ing TO the Germans OF lhe inadvi
ability of leaving their trenches.
Toward sundown tho German II
dwindlcd Tho French fire lkewi
lossencd. giving the impression tn
the days struggle had ended vi
the French still holding their recent
conquered positions between Hard
court ana Buscourt and before Clci
an impression which tho evening ,