New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-15
Beaucourt Taken; 5000
Prisoners Already
in Haig's Net
BERLIN ADMITS
HEAVY LOSSES
Defeat Has Cost Teutons
10000 Men, Experts Say;
MiraumOnt Next Goal
BY ARTHUR S. DRAPER
lBy Gable 20 The tribunal


London, Nov. 1.-THE battle Of the
Ancre continues, with the British wave
still beating eastward toward Bapaume.
Beaucourt, another bastion on a hill
just north of the brook, va. captured
to-day, and the total of prisoners
brought to more than 5000.
"Our tenacious defence caused US
considerable losses" says the German
official statement to-day, admitting the
loss OF Beaumont-Hamel and Divion.
And the sanguinary struggle continues,
with the defenders paying a heavier
price than Haig's troops.
The British are battering their way
steadily toward Miraumont. The capt
ure Of Beaucourt gives them a position
on which they can pivot their flank to
the north and sweep beyond the Beau
mont-Serre line to pocket Miraumont,
an important railway station.
Two important results already have
accrued from this new offensive. Ger
man defences of SURPRISING strength
have been smashed and & large number
OF prisoners has been taken. The Brit
ish haul of prisoners exceeds the best
of any previous two days in the Somme
fighting. Adding casualties the German
losses in yesterdays grapple probably
equal two divisions.
-. It Il -. &l
fury of the struggle. The British guns
continue to pour forth deluge of shell
on the German second line and the in
fantry advances as soon as path has
been cleared. Stiff sighting still re-
mains for Haig's troops; they must
conquer the ridges that stand before
Miraumont. But the success that has
attended the fighting of the first two
days of the drive induces confidence Of
further progress.
Haig's Reports Are Brief
When the historians write of the bat
tie of the Ancre they are certain to re-
fer to the laconic messages of Sir
Douglas Haig, who has used just lit
tie more than 200 words to tell the
story of the first forty-eight hours of
fighting as desperate and as brilliant as
the British have met in the whole war.
Only now is the public beginning to
appreciate the significance and the size
of the battle raging north and south
of the brook. It's centre has been
Beaumont and Besucourt, but these
have fallen. and it is shifting east
ward.
The columns on both sides of the
Ancre are moving forward in unison,
for II one lags the other cannot ad-
vance. The precision with which the
two movements were coordinated and
the almost perfect cooperation OF the
gurners were the keynotes OF the flrst
days success. nj,
In their announcements the British
are extremely cautious; they are claim
ing nothing which they are not abso-
lutely sure of holding. Thus, while
unofficial dispatches from the front
told Yesterday of the capture OF Beau
mont, Hsig did not make that claim
until to-day.
Was Powerful Fortress
Beaumont, when the British stormed
IL. represented fortiAcstions that might
be compared to Port Arthur and se-
bastopol. It was the acme OF German
military ingenuity.
And now the British hold it and
are holding it against heavy counter
sttacks II, capture has filled London
With the belief that no matter how
strong the position that stands before
Haig's troops, they can take 1t il the
gyns are given to them. Conversely,
The Germans must feel depressed by
the proof that the best they can do
defensively is not good enough.
Until further details are received the
Continued on page 3. oolnmn