Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-15

phone message over the area occupied
by the British army
AS a spectacle to an eyewitness, this
action Of the second big stage of the
battle of the Somme surpassed that of
July !. Taking needed ground for or
ganfzing new trenches and throwing
out small parties. who dug themselves
in. the army has been gradually gain
ing position from Ovillers. La Bois-
selle and Montauban. distance of
four miles. from which to deliver
blow, and until many points were
within 200 yards of the German second
line. Meanwhile. the shells Of the
British artillery could be seen cutting
the wire and making thorough prepa-
rations, of which Cen Sir Douglas
Haig, the British commander, insists
there Is evidence on every hand.
Tomorrow morning at three came
the laconic word yesterday evening. pre-
ceded by the usual intensive preliminary
bombardment only a little hotter"
Good View Of Battle.
The ground gained by. the British on
July and in subsequent operations gave
the Associated Press observer view
point from which the whole line of attack
could be seen. The faint moonlight ena-
bled the gunners dimly to see their work.
the infantry and the contour of the
ground. This is a real daylight saving
show" said one Of the gunners
Seemingly, as the observer pushed au-
daciously close to the German line, there
was the greatest concentration of guns
of all calibers probably ever made in a
given area. From behind the German
trenches gained July l darted the dagger
flashes through a blanket of night One!
two. three! four. For battery after bat
terry was shooting a high speed, from the
bottom Of the hillside to the top. The
scene Of artillery power was no less in
describable than the thrilling suggestion
Of the waiting infantry battalion lines
which were seen going into position before
the battle
At the moment the assault started, 1t
seemed there was no interval in the
thunders as the guns moved forward
their curtain Of shell-bursts in front
Of the first wave of infantry advancing
across the zone between their trenches
and the German lines
Directed by Rockets.
In the direction of Longueval a big
fire was seen. It was the village or a
storehouse burning. as the bright spot
was growing to steady point in the
field Of gun flashes. Then. soaring
heavenward, went rocket signal light
which gave the positions gained in the
attack. Commanders. in the rear an
swered with other signals, while what
had been the German strongholds half
an hour or an hour before were burn
ing red patches, spread with sparks of
Roman candles. This method Of COM
munication is a difficult part Of the
business of directing an army under
cover of darkness.
AT the first flush of dawn the first
British aeroplane came humming from
its aerodrome toward the German lines.
and the sausage-shaped observation bal
looms arose together into the air in
vague scene of oblong and grotesque
monitors.
Out of the blanket of which the guns
were flashing arose the white slashes
Of the maze of old German trenches,
the ribbons were roads, and, finally, the
dark masses became Mametz and other
w-famous woods, and the gaunt
finger points the trunks of trees, which
had shaded the highways. but now
were denuded of limbs by the shell fire.
Held Ridge Securely.
While the smoke barages from the
British lines were carried by favorable
winds, and the shells made other
points of the line indistinct. the ridge
of Lonsueval, where the British bur-
rowed forward against commanding
positions and a stubborn, cunning and
brave foe, was seen distinctly to be in
their possession. More lines of troops
were moving through the German cur
tains of shell fire to the support OF
those who had gained the hotly desired
summit. and now were looking down