The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-07-04
Enemy
Loses Heavily
and Retires

tor more difficult than anywhere
else on the long Western line. and
into a rolling country, made up for
the most part of low chalk-hills,
densely wooded. In parts of the
line, however, even these hills have
been left behind, and the German
trenches on the opposite slopes
have been reached and attacked.
Many Prisoners Taken
The British have taken many
prisoners in the attack. In many
cases the Teutons said that ;hry
were blinded, deafcned and com.
.pletely dazed by the frightful fire
of the last few days. In other
cases they declared that they hail
not tasted food for five days NV
ing to the continuous rain of high
explosive shells poured upon (lycir
lines by the British guns, keeping
all supplies from reaching the nd
vanced trenches 1t made it almost
impossible for the Germans to send
forward any support or reinforce
ments to the men in the advanced
trenches, and when the final at
tack came surrender was the only
alternative left to them.
. The French also are advancing
in the neighborhood of the British
advance. The extreme left wing
Of the French army is connected
with the British right wing, in the
neighborhood of Vaux, about six
miles northwest of Peronne, and
on one side of the so-called Somme
Loop which is formed by curve
Of the river and the Somme canal.
The French held Vaux, and the
Germans held Frise, at the base of
the loop, and Gurlu, at the nor
thern side of the loop.
French Move Forward 80
Whensthe British advance began,
and the German line was forced
back, the French began to move
forward fromVauxy Frise was the
first position to fall to them. Then
Curlu was taken, and with it thousA
ands of prisoners. Then they took
Favierre, and more prisoners and
munitions. All told, when night
came, the French had advanced
more than two kiIometers, or about
a mile and a quarter into the
ground formerly held by the Ger
mans, over a front of almost nine
miles. y h''
The British offensive had, been
carefully prepared for. In addi-
ton to the shells and cannon. gath
cred for the assault, other prepare
tiOns, less spectacular but equally
vital, had been made. Each officer
in command of a company or de
tachment was provided, before the
assault began, with map showing
exactly what he was expected to
do with his command. He was
shown the ground over which he
would have to advance, the diff
fieulties he might expect to encoun-
ter, the number Of Germans that
opposed his men, and all other
necessary information.
These maps proved of incalcul-
able value to the British com
manders. In several instances they
saved whole regiments which, blum.
dering blindIy into difficulties,
might have been cut to pieces by
the waiting Germans. AS it was
the Germans were completely sur.
prised and overwhelmed, by the
thoroughness of the British prep
arationS, and were themselves the
victims of lack of information.
British Burst Into Song i. d..
The men,, too, felt the effect Of
the weeks of preparation, and when
the word came to advance did so
with confidence in themselves and
their officers. Reports tell of their
leaving their trenches, which they
had held for months, with a burst
of song, which they kept up as they
rushed trench after trench of the
Germans, or cut their way through
the shattered barbwire entangle-
ments which had defended the leu
tonic positions. Ntr
No officia! statement has been
made of the nlmber of men en-.
gagged on the British front in The
advance, but unofficial estimates
Dnt "a ,t mot fnr fron, hale n Ill