New-York tribune., 1916-07-17
British and German Lines
SO Close Artillery Fire
Is Hampered.
ESTIMATE 1000 DEAD
IN TRONES WOOD
English Officer Says Drive Has
Shown Splendid Quality
of Army.

British Front in France, July is.
/ Through a sultry Sunday the British,
after withdrawing from High Wood
continued to consolidate their new po-
sitions, while the Germans were
equally busy digging in opposite them,
and the artillery on both sides was
active.
Water. food and ammunition must
be carried forward over the shell-pitted
area of the ground recently gained.
Soldiers who have this task in hand
are seen in the rear with the supplies
and then by some magic disappear into
the earth or under cover and reappear
where machine gun rattles against
machine gun and perspiring soldiers
their throats parched with dust. are
digging and fighting.
Still another task, grisly and ardu-
Gus. falls to the victors that OF bury
ing the dead. Officers estimate tnat
there are 1000 dead in the small
Trones Wood alone, while they are
thick in the line of trenches taken on
Friday and the Delville Wood and
fields beyond up to the new British
line.
Difficulties of the Allies.
A staff officer, speaking of the re-
suits of the allied offensive so far,
said to-day:
"While in the German offensive at
Verdun the waves of attack always re-
ceded, leaving a large part of the posi-
tions gained in the hands of the
French, when they did not altogether
fail, we have been able in both our
main attacks to hold practically every
point taken This requires very care
full organization and the placing Of
strict limits on the objective of the
eager troops when the attack is against
strongly fortified frontal positions,
and the enemy falls back on prepared
trenches, strong points and waiting
material, while you must prepare new
positions and bring forward your
material.
"Our casualties in the operations
thus far have been less THAI we antici-
pated and the results beyond our ex-
pectations. The new army has had its
final and supreme lesson in training
that of battle. Not one in ten officers
or one in twenty of the men had had
any military experience before the war.
OF their courage we had no doubt.
Now we are assured Of their efficiency,
and we look to the future of these
operations with utmost confidence"
Open Fighting.
The operations after yesterdays ad-
vance were more in the nature OF open
fighting, the Germans using strong
points on favorable ground which were
good machine positions to gain time in
rallying reinforcements, which arrive
and dig new trenches, while the British
dig in opposite them with each stage
of the advance. Frequently they are so
near each other that neither side dares
use it's guns. Every possible protection
is seized and stoutly held by both sides.
Possession of stretches of woodland
become as important as that of villages.
The German defenders of Trones Wood
had orders to stand to the last man,
Cases have been numerous in the woods
fighting where Briton and German have
been pierced by each others bayonets.
1t is amazing that in the thick Of the
struggle at all points stretcher-bearers
manage to bring out the wounded.
The Germans are keeping up a heavy
volume of artillery fire in answer to