The Topeka state journal., 1916-08-16
DRAW RING FIRE


tContinued from Page One.l
man aeroplane appeared either for the
purpose of chasing back the French,
attacking the French sausages OF for
German sausage was visible to offset
the unbroken thirty mile semi-circle
of twenty-SiX French SauSages which
was able to count. Nothing could
give a more vivid impression of the
French's undisputed mastery and su-
periority in the air.
Pushing ahead from Dompierre into
the shell zone, our party progressed
Peronne and the most advanced
French position. We passed the viii
lagos of Becquincourt, Herbecourt, AS
sevillers and Flaucourt. all OF Wnlch
were SO completely leveled by shell
fire that 1 was unaware we were ap7
preaching them until I found myself
treading their leveled bricks.
Figure of Christ Unscathed.
At the entrance of the former site
of BecQuincourt, there remains stand :
ing in the road corner a slender
wooden cross, bearing an eighteen
inch miniature statue of Christi 4
yard away a shell had moved down a
! giant 5O-year-old tree, also carrying
away one arm of the cross. But the
| figure of Christ remains untouched,
pathetically viewing the empty space
| that form erly was Becqufncourt II
entire village. T N y -
A few minutes after passing this
spot. shells coming from the German
batteries at Soyecourt, six miles
away, began bursting near. The in
tensity of the German bombardment
forced our retirement from the Dom
pierre Plateau. BY a circuitous tour,
| we arrived at a dominating 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
of the French advance was visible
from Moulin Farine, which was the
| first point attacked, thru the village
| of Curlu, Monacu farm and the village
of Hem, and finally to the region of
Clery.
| Artillery Intensity Grows.
| At this point a desperate struggle,
which followed the previous days cap
ture of the German thfrd-line posi-
tions, was still progressing. This new
position also brought us 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 flying over from
! the batteries in the hills and valley In
| the rear fairly made ones head swim
with its intensity 1t was only upon
realization that the French were fir
I Sys
/ by whole successive lines of artillery
many of them extending miles in
! length, that I was able to grasp the
extent of French preparedness in
heavy artillery for this advance on the
Somme.
! From time. to time this unceasins
artillery roar was intensified by an
angry sputter of machine gun fire,
| either as the French repulsed Ger
| man. counter-attacks before Clery, OF
! as French gunners voluntarily gave
vent to a few volleys as a warning
| to the Germans of the i1IaGvisahility
| of leaving their trenches. =.
Days Struggle Ends at Sundown.
Toward sundown the German fire
dwindled and the French fire likewise
lessened, giving the impression that
| the days struggles had ended with
| the French still holding their recent
/ 1y conquered positions between Harde-
| court and Buseourt and before Clery,
an impression which the evening Of
| ficial communique confirmed