The Detroit times., 1916-08-16

from the French positions before
| Clery. north OF the Somme, 20 -
| Quentin. thence south 10 the re
sion oi Peronne and southwest OF
Barleu. Estrees and Soyecourt
Shells OF all calioers, both shrapnel
and high explosive, burst AZ every
| instant az every point along the en-
tire front With a rspidity which de
| fed counting For one lone inter
val by seemingly miraculous in
tervention. was able 20 count on
rs seconds when not a single shell
| exploded Immediately thereafter
the Are was resumed With redoubled
intensity.
Equally impressive as this 50-mile
unbroken semicircle OF artillery
nre. was the So-mile horseshoe OF
French observation sausage balloons
overhanging az a great height the
entire battle front Their wireless
instruments were directing the
French Are.
At the same time lnnumersole
French seroplanes darted in and ont
among the saussges, crossing and
recrossing the German lines every
minute. From time 20 time as a
daring aviator few over the German
positions. half r dozen white puts
would suddenly appear with start.
Ing distinctiveness silhouetted
against the clear blue sky. showing
where the German sntkaircrstt gun.
ners had sought 10 encircle the aero
plane with shrapnel.
Yet despite this great activity OF
F'rsnCe's air forces not German
ae-opiane appeared either FOR the
purpose OF chasing back the French.
attacking the French ssusases or
for reconnoitering Likewise not
single German sausage was visible
10 Offset the un5roken 5o-mile sent
circle of - French sausages which
VAS able 70 count Nothing could
give a more vivid impression OF the
French's undiSputed mastery and
superiority In the air
Pushing ahead from Dompierre
into the she'll gone. our party pro
grsssed toward Bisches. barely
mile from Peronne and the most
advanced French position We
passed the villages OF Becquincourt.
Herbecourt, Asseyillers and Flau.
court, all OF which were so com
pletely levelAd by shell hre that
was unaware We we're approachins
them until found myself treading
their broken bricks
Al the entrance OF the former site
of Becquincour', there remains
standing In the road corner. a slen-
der wooden cross, bearing An ls-iuch
miniature statue of Christ 4 yard
away a shell had moved down
giant 50-year-old tree. also carrying
away one arm of the cross But
the agure ot Christ remains per
;ectly Untouched. pathetically view
ing the empty space that was FOR.
merry BecQuincourt. II Is the only
thing left sianGng in the entire xii
lage
A few minutes after passing this
spot. shells coming from the Ger
man batteries a. Soyecourt. siE
miles away. began bursting near as
though angrily determined not 70
leave standing above ground a sin.
gle remnant Of the entire village
The intensity Of the German BON
bardment forced our retirement
from the Dompierre plateau. BY n
Circuitous tour We arrived at a dom
mating position north OF the Somme.
facing the point where the French
and German lines crossed the river
before the beginning OF the French
offensive July I
From this vantage point. every
step os the French advance was Wis
ible from Moulin Farine. which vas
the first point attacked, through the
village OF Curlu. Monacu farm and
the village OF Hem. and finally 10
the region OF Clery. Al this point a
desperate struggle which followed
the previous days capture OF Ger
man third line positions. vas still
progressing This new position also
brought up into closer contact with
the French artillery lines
The artillery duel gradually grew
In intensity towards the close OF
the day until the hail OF shells fy.
ing over from the batteries in the
hills and valleys IN the rear fairly
made ones head swim with It's In
tensity Directly In the valley be-
fore us 7 could trace with the naked
eye another long line OF French bat.
teries, all fully In action. while
from other quarters could be detect
ed the nre oi Still other lines Of
batteries II was only upon resliIa-
tion that the French were firing not
by guns nor by batteries but by
whole successive lines Of artillery.
many OF them extending miles IN
length. that vas able 20 grasp the
extent Of French preparedness In
heavy artillery for this advance on
the Somme
From time to time this uncsasing q
artillery roar was intensified by
angry spurts and sputters OF ma
chine gun Are either as the French
repulsed German counter.attacks
before Clery or as French runners
voluntarily gave vent 20 a few vol.
leys as a warning 20 the Germans
70 tho tnodvfa. hfifty ~ Lea vtn~ thai,