The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-16
ALL 3 GERMAN
SOMME LINES
IN ALLIES Grip
French and British Fight Thru
Night Like Demons.
Battlefield Weird in Glare of
Illuminating Bombs.
VILLAGES BLOWN OFF MAP
VILLAGES BLOWN OFF MAP
Terrific Devastation Wrought
by British Artillery.
Take 5000 TeutOn Prisoners;
COrpSes Piled in Heaps.

London, Sept. 16.-F1ghung des-
perately to save themselves from re-
treat on a mile wide front, the Ger
mans are throwing battalion after
battalion into action against the
storming British columns north of the
Somme in an effort to check General
Haig's advance.
The battle, begun yesterday morn
ing, grew more furious toward night.
BY the glare of illuminating bomos
men fought like demons with bayo-
nets and grenades in the shell torn
country between the roads leadlnS
down upon Bapaume.
When the last press dispatch was
received from British headquarters,
Haig's men were rolling steadily down
the slopes leading to Bapaume; but
German resistance was growing more
stubborn as the British advanced OUT
Of the area wrecked by their aFtllc
lery At that hour the villages OF
Courcellette Martinpuich and t1ers
were firmly in British hands. British
troops had swept thru FoureauX
Wood and were fighting on the east
ern fringes of Bouleaux Wood ana the
fall of Combles appeared imminent
German Resistance Desperate.
German prisoners were said to total
? 600. The German losses are said to
have been frightful, especially in the
Bouleaux Wood fighting. where the
German resistance was most deSper-
ate. In the first advance into the CEN
ter of the wood, General Haigs men
fnund heaps of German bodies.
The British gains of yesterday, link
ed UP with the great French advance
earlier in the week, completed the task
of smashing completely the entire
first three lines of German positions
on practically the whole Somme front,
under attack. only at Thiepval, where
marvelously constructed German
works have delayed the British ad-
vance, do the Germans still cling to
their third lines. Thiepval was out
thanked by the British who captured
Courcellette yesterday afternoon and
it's capture in the next advance by the
British left wing appears certain.
News OF the British successes
coupled with the allies great gains il
the Balkans and the resumption oe the
Italian drive on Trieste, has aroused
the London public to a high pitch OF
enthusiasm.
New Armed Motor Cars Terror.
How large a part the new armores
motor cars are playing in the presen
British advance is not yet known bu
military critics believe this new wal
terror has wrought havoc among Ger
mans. Dubbed the "Willies" by th'
British Tommies. the new cars pre-
sent terrifying appearance whef
rasping into action. Trials behind thu
front had convinced General Haig o
their worth.
The British advance YESTERDAY
morning followed a terrible deluge o
Shells poured in upon the German
works. Courcellette village was lit
orally blown off the map before thu
human flood began rolling down upoI
the benumbed Teutons.
The Fl, t stroke carried the British
thru Foureaux Wood and into the out
skirts of Flers village. Sharp bayone
and grenade fighting drove the Ger
man machine gunners from their las
positions and Flers was in the posses
sion of the attackers shortly befor
noon. The hardest fighting occurre,
on the wings. The Germans clun
tenaciously to Courcellette. because o
it's position on the flank of Thiepval
Driven out of the village by a sweep
they stood at the cemetery at tn
northern outskirts and attacked tim
and again yesterday evening in effort
to recapture the town.
Near Martinpuich, a ruined mil
had been converted into a strongl
fortified position from behind whic
the Teutons launched successive coun
ter attacks.