New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-14
BRITONS DROP IN
At BREAKFAST HOUR
Tommy Atkins, UNLIMITED Guest,
Steals Germans Meal
1900 PRISONERS TAKEN
Surprise on Somme Front Takes Teu-
tons Unaware and They Hardly
KNOW Attack Is Under Way Until
They Are Being Marched Off.

Copyright 1916 by the Asso. Press)
With the British Armies in France,
Nov. Is, via London, Nov. IA, 5:14 a.
m.-The Germans apparently were
completely surprised by this morn
ings attack in the valley of the Ancre.
An evidence of this was found in the
fact that the garrison of the trenches
around Beaumont Hamel were pre-
pairing for breakfast at the very mo-
ment when the British infantry
stormed the position. The British,
after partially clearing the under
ground galleries and rounding up
700 prisoners, proceeded to eat
their prisoners breakfast telling the
captives that they would be fed when
they arrived within the British line,
Prisoners Total 1000.
A total of nearly 1000 prisoners as
SO far been sent to the cages, includ-
ing a regimental commander who
was captured in a dugout with a ma
Jor, an adJutant and a number of 9TH
er officers. The majority of the pris-
oners are Silesians and, according to
the British officers, very inferior fight
ing material. The German higher
command depended apparently on
the supposedly impregnab1e charac-
ter of the old front line and it is
strongly fortified villages rather than
on the stamina of the troops. The
British officers believe that the Ger
mans withdrew their best men for
service elsewhere on the British front
where the new and shallow positions,
on which the defenders have been
forced to depend, demand greater re-
sisting power on the part of the in
fantry.
The British losses were unusually
light owing largely to the unexpected
ly feeble character of the German
machine gun fire.
Large mum bers of German dead
were found strewn in the wrecked
trenches of the original main line
This line consisted of four parallel
roads of trenches, the last being flush
with the western face of Beaumont
Hamel
Artillery Paves the Way.
For some days past the sector at
tackled today and the area behind
have been subjected to successive
bonn bardments which rose to a record
pitch and resulted in the demolition
Of a large part of the defenses. The
garrison accepted the mornings
deluge of shells as part of the usual
daily program and did not fully realize
the danger until the British infantry
was seen approaching in the dark
ness.
The British advance north was held
up on a front about 1000 yards west
of Serre. The first detachment
charged some German trenches and
passed eastward toward the village.
Suddenly hidden machine guns and
infantry snipers, scattered in great
profusion in the craters and other
shelters, began firing in the backs of
! the attacking troops and necessitated
| their withdrawal. North of Serre the
British gained ground but owing to
the failure of the advance Immediate
| ly SOUTH the position is subjected to
an enfilading fire from higher in the
neighborhood of the village. A num-
! Der of isolated pockets are being
cleared of Germans in the intervening
ground between Beaumont Hamel and
Beaucourt Sur Ancre. The British are
firmly established on the western out
skirts of the latter hamlet The re-
naming fragments of the old German
line Immediately south of the Ancre
which were 'pinched OUT bv the
British flank pivoting to the northeast
around the elbow of the stream. haG
been partially isolated since the cap.
ture of Schwaben redoubt Three
hundred Germans, the only survivors
of the Commandment, were captured
in this extensive system Of riverside
caves. Prior to the attack the only
communication between these cave!
and the German rear was by a cause
way across the Ancre which could bt
traversed only at night