The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-26
GERMAN OEFENSES
FLATTENEO OVER
MILES OF FRONT
Anglo French Forces Press
Forward Mile on Twelve
Mile Front
FRENCH PREPARE FOR
AIR RAID ON BERLIN!
Teuton Attack on London @
Be Replied to By Means 81
New Type of Aeroplane Abb
to Fly Thousand Miles

London. Sept 25.-After three sa
days of the most colossal artillery q
bombarCiment OF the war. tho III
French and British again struck
on the Somme today. The big
guns had cleared the way for the
infantry and tanks and thu 81
combined armies scored an almost Il
uniform advance of u mile On 4
twelve-mile front. The British s
swept forward for a full mile on e
the six-mile front from Martha ID
puich to Combles. The French. VI
joining them here, carried the ad.ss
vance over a wide stretch extend u
ing as far south as the river.
Three powerfully fortified villages
-Rancourt, Morval And Lca-
boucfs-were captured, together
with two heights, and several exc
tensive trench labyrinths tnken.
The German garrison, which o1f11
holds ont u the ruins Of O0mlae
~ practically cnt on, n0C0rdim9U
General Haig's report. as
The German losses are described aS
tremendous and they lost great mum
bers of men in prisoners. Machinn
guns and war material In huge quAn~
titles fell into the hands of the al>
lies.
Pressing northeast of Combles, thu
French carried their lines to the souths
ern outskirts of Fregicourt. Selling the
entire stretch of fortified ground bo-
tween Hameu and Hill No. lao. u
was In this vast surge that Rancourt
fell into their hands, what German9
were left retiring precipitately or be-
ing taken prisoners. The drive in tho
sector between Rancourt and Bouch.
avesnes was no less successful. Hers
the French advanced almost mile
on the whole line, capturing a height
northeast of Bouchavesnes. which
gives them artillery command OF the
stronghold.
British Success.
The most important success from
the British point of view is the cap
ture of Morval. In the concisG
language of General Haig. this village
with its subterranean quarrieGs
trenches and wire entanglements, cons
Fstituted formidable fortress and tn
occupation. together with that %
Leshouefs. lis of considerable mile
tary Importance and practically sewers
the enemys communications with
Com bles."
The allied advance, one of the most
extensive since the opening of SOmm0
battle, was made with comparatively
small loss. thanks to the effectiveness
of the artillery. Dispatches tonight
announce this. With them are other
reports from the front Of the searfu1
execution done by the three days
bonn bardment- For twelve miles be-
hind the German front the supply de-
pots and railroad stations were de-
stroyed. while the entire front systeu
of defenses was levelled to the ground.
Airmen Cooperate.
French and British aviators co-opa
Grated with the artillery In the de-
struotion OF every German defenno
above ground. In these operations. 4
10 reported. the French employed Tor
the 1rst time a new type OF aeroplAno
miles. 1t Is declared in Paris that
these machines. which are beinn
turned out in great numbers, prob
ably will be operated soon in an alr
raid on Berlin.
Offcial reports of the lighting fol-
low:
Midnight Official: North Of tn
| Somme the battle was renewed today
with great violence on the Anglo&
French front.
The French infantry. toward noo1r
initiated an offensive. attacking stmulS
taneously the German positions b.
tween Combles and Rancourt a. Wo41
as the multitudinous German defenoem
from the latter village to the SomS1ao
Northeast OF Combles we have ~
vanced our lines to the southern edgoq
of F'regicourt and conquered all tn
powerfully organized ground betwao
Hameau and Hill lao. Tho vtllanQ
Of Rancourt also fell into our handos
East of the Bethune road we haSM
extended our positions to = depth e.
about kilometer from the Comhl1/
road to Bouchavesnes.. We Attack4
and captured a height northeast FL
the village and reached point Doutx1
east OF Hill $50. More to the eou4
We have taken . number OF Cesu1
trench systems on the banks OF
North Canal from the Bethune r.
to the Somme.
The number Of unwounded prane
ers taken by M and counted No.
now II more than 400.
There IL no important event -
port on the remainder Of the ~
except for Z violent artillery 6uel
the right hank ~ che Meuno n
|region Of vaux-C hapit<e<A
Aviation: LAsf ntGAk f