Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-31
big PUSH" Is ONLY
MINOR PART OF. PLAN
French and English Fighters
Meet Death TO Gain Ground
From Germans. t
MANY TEuToNs CAPTURED

H'nrrfSpOnuence OF Inc Abbptihttu Itso'p J
French Front, Oct 1.-THE tactical
offensive of the Franco-British forces
on the Somme, although it has en-
tered its fourth month and has at
tracted widespread attention. is in
reality only part Of the entire
scheme of strategy OF the allies
armies, but its success has given them
the initiative in the war operations,
which had for fine slipped from
their hands. ~.
A general purview OF the theater Of
operations in this region shows that
the Franco-British front on July ]
ran directly from the west of Thiep-
val, a strongly fortified German posi-
ton, to Fricourt There the allies
line turned sharply east-south-east-
ward and passed 10 the north OF Gar
noy to beyond Marcotrt, whence It
once more turned directly! south OF
Maucourt. the extreme end Of the Of
fensive movement.
This was the front, somewhat over
forty kilometers in length, chosen by
the allies for their forward push. The
French were disposed along about
half of the southern end of this line
and the following details deal solely
with their part in the operations. 81
$500 Prisoners. @4
The first phase Of the battle lasted
five days and during this period four
lines OF German trenches, and in some
places five, all constructed Of REIN
forced concrete, were carried by the
French troops. Numbers Of villages,
including Curlu,. BecquincourtS Dom
pierre, Bussus, Fay, Feuilleres, Bus
court, Herbecourt, Assevillers, Belloy-
cn-Santerrc, Estrct, Hem and Harde-
court, were captured at the point Of
the bayonet, after terrific lombard.
mefit which left only the outlines oil
the house foundations still standing
The attacking French forces were
compelled to fight from cellar to eel
lar, in which large numbers of ma.
chine guns had been mounted by the
Germans, who had taken shelter in
strong force underground and had
connected the brickwork caves by pas.
sages. In view Of the nature OF this
combat the French losses we're very
small. On the other hand, the Ger.
mans suffered extremely heavy casual
ties owing to the buildings crashing
in upon them while they were crowd.
ing in large bodies below. Nint thou.
sand five hundred officer and men sur
rendered.
During the second phase of the Of.
fcnsive, which lasted from July 6 tc
September |, the French progressed
still further eastward and. at the, same
time extended northward and south.
ward the hole they had made in the
German line. Biaches fell into their
hands during the night Of July 9 with
1900 German prisoners. Around this
village, occupying very strong posi-
ton Of which the Germans had taken
every advantage, the fighting con
tinued for many days. After its first
capture by them, It passed. twice ou'
Of French hands, but was finally and
definitely occupied by them on July II
Germans Desperate.
The Germans meanwhile had
h~o,-ht a. atvo,,o ve;ofovre,,,ents
s.a,ss ~ ss;on ID X. f,ort ~
sd. 1890 ~ s sftn.,s !, e ,,,sv.,,t sns ~
sls res sd.,s 80 ri" .rhs Ersrch hc.'
srsr IA acau;y.d "A. tasts H. a.,
1891 n nov $3.50 aN;. tLn ,,,;Jd,s =
August, after brilliantly carrying sew
\ eral lines OF intervening deep trenches
captured Maurepas.
.r 81 .s ,,rst.aas.r,. 1870. o sen Al;
49, sas ~ ..s Sg 1877 IN. v H..
o ~. ~ A',a..s. 10
.Irnmsha,,. n d,sr;sr ~ $50. oss,
tnr.n:ghe 1 81. inv II ai,,o., ,,,,.h Ss
ns.sas;nn , '@A ~ 'V "'ou
G...a !.
,.+ss ,,,:,,,her ' d,r;n rn pa ~ ~ !,
II M operations md dozens ~ can
non and hundreds Of machine gum
were taken or destroyed by tn,
French.
The third phase Of the offensive
opened on September | with an artil
lcry preparation more violent ant
concentrated than had ever been uset
in warfare. The French infantry be
gan their work only on September
when the German positions had beef
battered out Of all semblance OF thei
first condition, although In the deel
dugouts which the Germans had beer
able 10 construct during their long oc
cupstion the defenders still had goot
shelter. Their. first dash gave tn;
French possession Of lie Forest an,
Z (-fa~., ..,.4ix <.,n. q rnn ~ a.. 4.