Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-23
BRITISH CONTINUE
TO SEIZE TRENCHES
IN SOMME BATTLE.
Gain Over Half Mile Front to
the East of Cour-
ceIIette.
GERMANS ARE REPULSEO :
WEST OF M0UQUET FARM
Allies Apparently Are Preparing to
Close Their Grip on
Combles.
FRENCH ARE CREEPING CLOSER
Airmen Have Been Particularly
Busy, Fighting Fifty-Six Engage
ments-British Make Raid
in Belgium. i

in Belgium. !
LONDON, September 23, 2:3s
p.m.-A strongly fortified system
of German trenches on front of
about "a half mile east of Cour-
cellette, in the Somme region,
were captured by the British last
night, the war office announced
today.
West of Mouquet farm the
Germans counter attacked at
nightfall yesterday with great
violence, but were driven back by
British fire with heavy losses:
Apparently the Franco-British
forces on the Somme are prepar-
ing to close their grip on Combles,
the important town on the Albert
Peronne railroad, six miles north
west of Peronne, which has been
virtually pocketed by the allies in
their recent operations. Last
night the French war Office re-
ported the capture of a small for
tilted position and some trench
sections close to Combles, and to.
day it announces that Freneh
patrols have penetrated still near
er the edge Of the town, bringing
back prisoners. Raiding opera
tions such as these are commonly
preludes to more comprehensive
and forceful movements.
Great Aerial Activity.
On the French front south OF the
somme the artillery Is active. probably
in preparation for assaults. Airmen on
both the British and French sections Of
the line have been busy. Yesterday
French aviators took part in ffty-six
aerial engagements, in which four Ger
man machines were shot down.
A French aviator has visited the
Rhine region and dropped bombs I'm
the Palatinate and also at Mannheim.
where Paris reports large fires and
several explosions were caused.
French Communication.
The text of the French announcement
follows:
North of the River Somme last night
passed in relative quiet. French pa
trolls making their way to the southern
boundaries of the village Of Combles
found numerous German dead on the
field These detachments captured hf-
teer German prisoners. including one
officer.
South of the Somme there has been
in various sectors fairly spirited artIl-
lery fighting. Elsewhere there has
been Intermittent cannonadinE.
during the day Of, September 81 81.
gagged in a total of hfty-six aerial corn-
bats. AS a result OF this activity four
enemy aeroplanes were destroyed.
disabled. We could not, however, FOL-
low the fall Of these machines to the
ground. but it is known that two OF
them were compelled to make a land
stroyed his eleventh German aeroplahe
at a point south of Goytncourt. while
Lieut.. Deullin brought down his sew
enth machine south OF Doingt Ad5t.
Tarascoh destroyed his sixth enemy
machine southwest Of HorEny. The
four German machines reported de-
stroyed crashed to the. ground at q
point southwest Of Rocqnikny.
Brings Down Tenth Aero.
I'm the region of verduh Adjt. Le.
noir at.acked a, German aAropiane At
very close quarters and brought down
his opponent within the German lines
at point north of Douaumont. This
makes the tenth enemy machine de-
stroyed up to the present time by Adjt.
Lenoir.
French aviators engaged in tAroWs
ing bombs also have displayed great
activity along the entire front. In Bel.
gium one of our fiiers has thrown down
four bombs on the barracks in tho.
forest of Hautpulot. In the region Of
the Somme a detachment of sixteen
French aviators have bombarded tho
railroad stations of Fins. Epehy and
Roselet, and also. the aviation ground
at Hervilly. Upon these -four. points
eighty shells Of l2o rnillimeters weee'
thrown down. To the northeast OF
scissors an automobile station Of tho
enemy received twenty, shells.
Also during the night OF Septenn-
her 1928 French dirfgible bombarded
the railroad tracks in the region Of
Marcoing. southwest of Cambrai."
British Air Raid in Belgium.
British naval aeroplanes have sucs
cessfully bombarded German aero.
dromes at several points in Belgtums
the admiralty announced today. Espe-
cially notable results were secured by
this and previous bombardments Of the
aerodrome at st. Denis Westrem. says
the announcement. which follows:,
The enemy aerodrome at st. Denis
westrem was again attacked yester.