Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-15
BRITISH DRIVE AT DAYBREAK
BIG SURPRISE FOR GERMANS
Greatest Concentration of Artillery Ever
Known Paved Way for Infantry
Attack on the Somme.

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE. July
IA. 10 pm, via London. July 15-At the
end of a long days unbroken struggle
the indications are that the British are
holding their gains Of the morning.
when along a front Of about four miles
they attacked the German second line.
capturing several important positions.
The infantry. which went into action
shortly before dawn. anticipated most
determined resistance and expected to
pay high toll in casualties. Their ex-
periences during many nights trench
raids had served as excellent prepara-
ton for their daring moonlight assault,
where coordination was necessary for
success. An Unexpectedly small num-
ber of wounded came into the clearing
stations during the morning hours.
Many were borne by German prisoners
who acted as litter bearers.
Attack Complete Surprise.
These prisoners said that no attack
had been expected and that the assault
before daylight came as a complete sur
PRISE The British rushed the shambles
in the Trones wood, where the Ger
mans had previously regained part pos
session. Through the tangle and over
fallen tree trunks they swept in the
face of persistent sniping and machine
gun fire under conditions where it was
considered amazing when they could
discern friend from foe.
The Germans, building barricades and
digging for shelter among roots, re-
fused TO yield, confident that coming
counter attacks would effect a rescue.
Among them were wounded who. un-
able to stand. still could fire their RI
f1es.
The British advance was made on a
frontal sweep up slopes into the Ger
man second line and the villages of
Bazentin-le-Petit. Bazentin- -le- Grand
and Longueval At this hour tonight 1t
appears that there Is only one point in
these German trenches where the ma
chine guns have. not been put out of
action and demolished completely.
Germans Fight stubbornly.
For a space of 200 yards the British
swept past a section of the trench
where the Germans. refusing to yield,
held out desperately for some time in a
fashion characteristic of the fighting
on the Somme.
Some of the prisoners taken today
belonged to a battalion from different
divisions rushed to the scene since July
l. They seemed to lack the usual eff
cient organization.
Where the British found the going
good they carried their attack beyond
the second line, taking guns and more
prisoners, and seeking to gain higher
points on the ridge. Against these ad-
vance parties the Germans began to
develop stronger resistance.
The success of the morning has won
for the British a depth of three or four
miles of terrain since July 1. This
means also commanding British posi-
tions which obviously conform the Ger
man lines In the Thiepval sector into a
bad salient.
Virtually all the objectives were cap
tured in less than an hour. Two Ger
man colonels and a regimental staff and
other prisoners found themselves in
British hands before daylight had fair
ly broken.
British Generals Eiated.
Even the phlegmatic British gen.
erals and staff officers are showing
elation over the results this morning
of the night attack against the Ger
man second line. although careful to
state that the great task against .
powerful foe is only barely started.
Soon after daylight the joyful news Of
the British success slipped into tele-