Evening star., 1916-10-01
Losses Have Averaged as
High as 4,127 a Day Since
Somme Offensive Began.
FIGURES DEEMED LOW
IN VIEW OF HARD FIGHTS
Gen. Haig's Men Make New Advance
South of Eaucourt L'Abbaye.
General Lull in Battle.

SOmmo ouenSlve DeRan, !nreo months
ago. figures show that the British have
lost approximately 3O7.1Se men In their
efforts to push the Germans back.
During September the British lost
almost 12O, 900 officers and men. This
is at the rate of $500 day. but falls
below the daily human cost for August.
During that month the losses were
127.94b. a daily average of 4,127
In July, the first month of the Somme
offensive, the losses were about half
those of August or September, notwith-
standing the fact that in July the Brit
ish stormed the first line German de-
lenses The casualties in that month
were 5s.S75.
Losses Considered Low.
Considering the character of the
fighting. the losses of the allies on the
Somme are considered low. An officfa,
British statement of Thursday said the
British losses in the preceding few
days had been small. not only relatively
to the importance of gains, but abso-
lutely. This is attributed largely to
the increased effectiveness of the artil-
lery.
German reports dwell on the large
losses with which it is said the allies
are meeting, which are declared to be
out Of all proportion to the ground
gained. The Overseas News Agency es-
Inmates that the combined French and
British losses in the Somme battle nm
500. 900. ~ amounted 10 ABOUT
Since January % the British govern
ment mas issued no figures of total
losses Up to that time the daily aver
age OF losses from the beginning of the
war was slightly more than 1000. AL
.hougn the casualties at present are
-
teen months of the war. this Increase Is
due not only to the offensive operations
now In progress, but to the fact that
Great Brttain's forces in the field are
the war.
Little Activity Yesterday.
Beyond slight British advance south
of Eaucourt EAbbaye. there was but
little activity on the western front
yesterday.
The British official statement on the
campaign in France, issued tonight.
reads:
On the battlefield south of the Ancre
there Is no change in the general sftua-
tion- Heavy Smelling continued during
the day. especially at the Destremont
farm and around the Stun and ZolIern
redoubts
Line Is Advanced.
Our line was slightly advanced
south of Eaucourt L'Abbaye. In the
Thiepval area we took prisoners three
omcers and 164 other ranks.
On Thursday two enemy aeroplanes
were brought down in addition to tho
one mentioned in last nights report
There was no infantry action on the
Somme front" says the official state
ment issued from the French war office
tonight The artillery duel was BRISK
IN the section OF Rancourt and Boucha-
vesnes Elsethere all was quiet"
British Repulse on Friday.
BERLIN, September 80, via London.
The repulse of strong British attacks
on the Somme front is recorded in to-
days official communication, which fol-
lows:
Army group of Prince Rupprecht.
AS on the preceding day, the British
attacked yesterday with strong forces
between the Ancre and Courcelette
After variable hand-to-hand fighting
they were repulsed. Otherwise there
were only minor local advances and
artillery duels. which increased in ac-
tivity during the afternoon north Of the
Somme and in a few sectors south of
the river"