New-York tribune., 1916-07-05

for almost the utter callousness Of
its reports and the meagreness OF
their detail. Were it not for the cor,
respondents. who have been allowed
unusual liberty. the British public
would have but slight conception OF
what was taking place.
Tn 20 the present the Anglo-French
captures in the battle OF the Somme
total more than $4,000 prisoners.
twelve heavy guns and twenty-eight
field guns. This booty represents for
the man in the street a very satisiac-
tory result of little over three days
fighting.
Prussians Refuse TO Fight.
An entire battalion of the lS6th Reg
iment of Prussian infantry, recruited
from the upper Rhine. surrendered
Yesterday TO the British near Fricourt.
The prisoners numbered 20 officers and
600 men. The battalion had been as
signed for duty only snort time pc
fore to replace hca,y casualties. me
Pr;tish fire was so heavy and the
trench occupied b. the Prussians was
damaged so badly that the men re-
fused to fight longer.
West of Montauban, IN the famous
Dantzig Alley, the German macnlnt
guns gave the British their greatest
trouble in their first days attack OF
Mametz and Fricourt.
The soldiers in DantZig Alley were
excited over one OF those theatre
scenes which this rolling country
affords in this close in-tightlng. Nhen
the British closed in upon the trenches
M Poodle Woods. the German sections
ALREADY half surrounded. came Out
holding up their hands. Thus body
of more than 500 men, after being
hammered incessantly with shell hre
for four days. dramatically surren-
dered before the eyes OF the cores
pondents.
The British gunfire. so far as could
no seen. was much heavier than the
German. while. according 10 all reports
from the front line, the Germans have
withdrawn all their guns from the val
le, which now is controlled by the
British. TO positions on the ridges.
Both Mometz and Fricourt virtually
are leyelled.
,-neaded by she'll fire thrown into the
communication trenches running
through these villages. Whe-e the
profatorv bombardment was most Sc
vero strong German positions IN dug
outs thirty feet deep did not save their
defenders from the big shells, and
trenches became formless heaps OF
Garth. Bits Of the green German uni
forms. flesh and accoutrements we're
mixed with rags and churned sandoags
in uncanny horror.
British soldiers were gathering the
German dead and buryinG their own IN
communication trenches. AT one spot
whore the British suffered in charging
n machine gun position the battalion
mascot. a black and tan mongrel dog,
lay dead beside his human companions,
ali of whom had fallen with their faces
toward the German trenches.
New Troops Like Veterans.
Officers met on the front line agreed
that the new army battalions con
duc.ed themselves with the same gal
lantrv as the regulars. Everybody
therp on the newly won ground close
20 the enemy was expecting at any mo-
meat orders 70 make another efiort-
When not digging in they slept IN
the genial sunlight. which was not so
hot as yesterday.
Germans lately taken prisoners. when
interviewed. indicated that battahons
were rushed from as far back as
Rheims and Lille to meet the Anglo
French attack.
The village Of La Boiselle, recently
so hotly contested. was observed TINS
afternoon 70 oc shelled no longer by
British, but By German guns, when
told of the success of the British at
.acks. Tax ny refuge in deep cellars,
protected b. house floors, layers Of
and bags and debris, the Germans
brought out their machine guns after
he bombardment and resumed the
light. There was a small siege. but the
survivors now have capltulated.