Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-09-27
ALLIES CAPTURE
COMPLIES BY STORM
French and British Drive Ger
mans From Base.
1900 PRISONERS ARE TAKEN
Fregicourt and Woods Beyond Seized
by Joffre's Troops-100 Machine
Guns and Other War Material
Found in Stronghold.

London, Sept. 27.-Combles was
captured by the allies in a hand-to-
hand battle through the ruined streets
and maze of defenders. British and
French forces share the honor of taxi
Ing the German base which has been
their immediate objective for weeks.
Continuing their successful Often
sive, the French late in the day won
wood north of Fregcourt and strong
Fly defended positions between Corne
woods and west of Atbaast woods. HaL
Paris officially announces the cap
Rture of 1900 prisoners and more than
100 machine guns. General Haig also
claims rich booty in Combles.
French Report Of Battle.
The French midnight communique
says: SIS
The fighting continued successfully
curing the day north of the Somme,
the allied troops extending their gains
of yesterday and attaining the object
ives set for the day within few
hours.
beginning in the morning the
French troops, continuing their offens-
i've, captured all that part Of Combles
situated east and south in the direc-
ton of the railway. French patrols
then secured contact with the ele-
ments of the British right wing, which
were cleaning up the northern and
western sections of Combles. In u
short time the entire village was IN
our hands.
"The booty captured at Combles is
considerable, the Germans having
stored in various underground posi-
items an enormous quantity of ammu-
milton and material Of all kinds. We
found about 100 wounded who had
been abandoned by the Germans. Com
bles is filled with German bodies.
Advance in North. ,..
I'm the afternoon our troops ad-
vanced further, capturing small wood
north Of Fregincourt and half way to
Morval, and the greater part OF the
strongly organized ground between
Corne woods, west of st. Vast woods
and east of the Bethune road.
''The number Of unwOunded prison
ers taken by us since yesterday ana
so far counted is more than 1000. Up
to now we have been able to count
only 100 machine guns"
Attacking the German positions 81
multaneously from the north and
south, the British and French We'd
with each other to be the first to en-
ter COMPLIES, the honor falling to Cen
eral Haig's men. However, the French
were able to occupy the southern out
skirts and Combles cemetery, on the
eastern edge of the town.
TO the east of Combles the Ger
mans were rolled back from fortified
villages which they strOve stubborn
iy to hold. BY the capture OF Fregl-
court, a mile east of COmbles, by the
French, the allies forged steel ring
around the town and cut the only line
of communications that the Germans
still held.
The Germans tried unSuccesSfully
to lessen the pressure on the Somme
front by attacking south of Bethune.
These attacks were repulsed.
Pushing forward in powerful night
attacks after strong bOmbardment
of the German positions, the French
occupied both COmbles cemetery ana
the outskirts of the town.
COMPLIES les about midway between
Bapau - and PerOnne, the other two
detectives Of the allies.
The British are only three miles
from Bapaume.
British Take Combles.
The report from General Hang