Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-21
GERMANS CAUGHT
IN THEIR DUGOUTS
British Soldiers After Them Like
Terriers Searching for
Rat Holes.
lot WORK ON RIVER SOMME
Big Guns Are Steadily Blasting
Way Through Enemy's
Lines.
ny FREDERICK PALMER.


AT THE BRITISH FRONT dis
patched 1;45 y. NJ August 20. via
London). ).--What two hattalioms did and
how they did is. is the most thrilling
Incident OF the last twenty four hours
of sensational fighting from the Ancre
to the Somme. with all the guns firing
and in the course OF freakish August
weather with alternate cloudbursts and
flashes of lightning. rainbows and sun
shine.
All along the line from south Of tho
Ancre the British left their trenches,
while tho French were hard at it on
their right The time chosen was S
o'clock in the afternoon OF Friday.
while the big attacks of July / and
IL were in the early morning.
TWO BATTALIONs
HEAVILY SUPPORTED
The two battnlions were on the left
with more guns to help them, prob
ably. than any two battalions that ever
made Il charge. \ hundred were en-
gagged in making one curtain of fire
on their front, while others were busy
with other details of the staff plan
Nothing in the whole offensive was so
dramatically staged or came off with
greater success. The Germans still held
on in the old frst-linc trenches, where
their machine guns. brought up from
the undcStroyed duSouts. for Il change
held up the British on July J. while the
British SWUNG on this section as n
pivot through Contamination and Po-
zicrcs TO the summit of tho ridge. bur
rowing forward as tho guns blasted the
way. Sharper and sharper grew the
angle Of the new British line to the
old German first line, till on the map 1t
looked impossible for troops to sur
vivc in such salient. However the
Germans stuck to those elaborate
fences OF nearly two years preparation
with dugouts thirty to forty feet un-
dersround. revetted and traverscd and
with every other detail OF protection
against all kinds OF Are, which army
staffs can devise and labor build.
Through galleries running from dug
out to dugout, they had subway for
bringing up reliefs and food. They
led regular life. At night those
not on guard went 10 bed in their
hunks in the cellars, as comfortably
as IL in Pullman, and during the
day played cards IL not sent out to
snipc the British. They had their ma
chine guns ready as before should the
liritish attempt to rush their pcninsu-
lar home.
SOLDIERS LIKE TERRIEHs
LOOKING FOR RAT HOLES
Yesterday afternoon the British guns
were pounding away as usual at this
sector which is called the Leipzig re-
doubt. when the British. thanks to 4
new system OF taking care of machine
guns and quick burst OF artillery
preparation covering their charge. ap-
peared at the jump ut the doors OF
the dugouts. Through glasses they
were visible TO observers. running
about the maze OF trayerscs like ter
ricrs searching for rat holes their bay
onets cleaning and puNs of smoke ris-
ing as they throw bombs
In one capacious dugout. equipped
with beds. tables and cupboards. six
officers and l7o men surrendered in a
body and were marched out much af-
ter the manner of "A crowd caught in
gambling ,bouse that had been pulled
by the police.
Some managed 10 escape from the
dugouts by the underground galleries.
Others, who could not escape. though
surrounded tTlen 10 llldH tntll Histcu!nc
guns and were sNoi down. Others
fought to the death with bnyonets and
bombs.
In all. it is estimated 1000 Germans.
caught in this trap by less thun their
own numbers. were accounted for.
When the correspondent left the corps
headquarters. twelve officers and 600
Germans had been brought in as prls-
,,.tt
ed from their hiding places and the
last Of small parties which held out
with the ring of British around them
in ferocious sieges we're surrendering.
They had hoped for countcrattack to
rescue them. The British had fore
seen this, and put machine guns in po-
sition for the purpose.
PRISONERS ARE or
sTURDIEST GERMAN TYPE
The prisoners whom the corrcspon-
dent saw were OF the Twenty-ninth
Prussian Regiment and OF the sturdiest
German soldier type, much superior to
those OF the Eleventh Division which
became disorgauized and surrendered
freely in front Of Pozieres recently.
They looked well fed, and they showed
few effects OF the usual stiff trench
struggles. Some OF them laughed over
how they had been trapped. and they
were generally very happy. as they had
heard what had happened to those who
had tried to resist In such hopeless
situation.
Elsewhere the story is OF many
trenches gained, some lost and "A re-
lentless action throughout the night.
the infantry laboring III the moist
earth. fighting for possession Of wa
ter-logged shell craters. while the ar
tillerists kept to their work. the hot
gun barrels sizzling from the rain.
Once, when the British were caught in
machine-gun fire, they had to yield a
position taken and found counterat-
tack developing. Twenty seconds after
their S. O. S. signal to the artillery
commander the guns were on that coun
terattack with curtains OF fire that
sent IL to cover.
On the center tho British have pushed
nln xfa, tnI, hax fob