The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-16
GERMANS THINK
 BIG ATTACKS ON SOMME ARE OVER

.
 Berlin, via London. Aug. 16-The worst of the Anglo-French offensive on the Somme is over. in the opinion of German of9cers on that front. all though 1t is conceded that the efforts of the Allied troops to pierce the Ger man lines have probably not ended.
 This belief was expressed conf dently to the Associated Press cor respondent in the course of a four day trip along the front from point not far from Peronne in a southeast erly direction.
 The less optimistic of the officers expressed the belief that they might have to reckon with about one more month of the terrific fighting devel- oped during the offensive. The more optimistic think that the offensive can already be said to be over. All agreed that any appreciable future advance by the Allies was out of the question.
 Opponents Bravery Praised.
 An interesting feature of nearly every conversation with the German officers, who ranged from subalterns
 
 in the rear, was the universal mention of the huge amount of gas and in cendiary bombs which had been used and the difficulties in combating this style of fighting. All were united in ungrudging and generous praise of the fighting qualities of their oppon- ents.
 The correspondents trip was so planned that 1t was possible to see a large variety of the defensive methods employed, from huge mortars that seemed to shoot unceasingly, to gas masks, which must be available in stantly everywhere.
 There were observation posts con- structed at every vantage point, cap- tive balloons, aeroplanes and even car Tier pigeons. which were kept in the front trenches against the possibility of the destruction of all other means of communication.
 A dramatic climax to the trip was a night battle which was viewed from the fighting station commanded by the captain who acted as guide. Ii was nearly midnight when the captain led the way from his quarters past a point built into the top of an apple tree.
 Explosions Shake the Earth.
 From this post the whole front was visible for a distance of twelve to four teen miles. The heavily clouded sky was illuminated as by lightning by the bursting shells from the French guns few miles away and the answerins fire of the German batteries of all I'll foi ir1x cI nnI from the intensity of the mutual bom- bardment and speech was difficult be- cause of the steady and almost deaf ening rumble and crash of the explos- ions. The captain laughingly declar- ed that he enjoyed his present life ir the open far better than his previous existence in Berlin.
 Like all regimental and corps com. manders who were interviewed, the captain spoke admiringly of the re. markable bravery of his English and French opponents. The English 4C centimeter guns are said to be particu. larly destructive, and the Germans es- innate that they are opposed on this front by about 4,000 cannon of all sizes.
 The spirits of the Germsn soldier dc not seem in the least depressed by the offensive and the officers say that the men are hard to hold in hand after a long artillery bomhardment. and out of relief at it's cessation unnecessarily expose themselves in infantry actions which
 The despatch ends abruptly at this point, apparently having been cut short by the censor