Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-17
FRENCH SLEDGE
HAMMERS FOES
LINE ON SOMME
Preparation by Highly Or
ganized System Feeds the
Mammoth Offensive
BLOWS HAVE PUNCH"
BY HENRY WOOD

| WITH THE FRENCH ARMY ON The
| SOMME, Aug 17.--Llte gigantic, null
tlplied sledge hammer, the French army Is
smashing away at the German lines on the
Somme battle front.
The new French offensive In no way re-
sembles the Russian steam-roiler. Instead.
| 1t hammers continually with blow upon blow
at any given point at any given time un-
til eventually. the French officers believe, II
must break down both the German defenses
and the resistance OF the German army
The success of this steady hammering Is
demonstrated both by the actual advance
and the influx Of prisoners, who have sur
rendered In large numbers
DRIVE WELL PREPARED.
Before going to the fighting front In
spected the vast organization behind the
lines for feeding the offensive. II is this
Incredible preparation in which apparently
everything has baen foreseen and nothing
overlooked that puts the punch into the
French sledge-hammer blows.
1 first visited one of the eight general
munitions and material depots established
last May miles behind the line The depot
covers a square half milo. irtn which
Frances southwestern network ut railways
daily pours material coming from all parts
of the world.
II the French offensive has carried ter
rible destruction in advance Of the armies. IL
has wrought equally incredible progress in
the rear. The eight munition depots have
been connected with the battle front by
verltable mystic maze of railways of both
broad and narrow gauge. In peace times
II would have required years work to
construct them. Approaching the battle
front these lines converge ever thicker and
ever more introately.
So perfected ID this railway system that
each of the eight depots can pour out upon
the Somme battle front its entire Square
half mile of munitions and material every
SO hours
on other specially constructed railways,
all of broad gauge. guns are being carried
to the front. France does not lack heavy
artillery on the Somme front, but is maxi
ing constant additions for the purpose of
increasing the power of her punch.
AVIATION CAMPS
From the depot the way led to one of the
four aviation camps which protected every
depot but which are only a small part of
the aviation service on the Somme front.
During the visit scarcely "a minute passed
that armed aeroplanes either did not return
or depart for the German front. The air
was literally alive with aerial scouts and
fighters.
Returning toward the rear in the evening
after observing the fighting from the pla-
teau OF Dompierre. south Of the Somme
and from point of vantage just north of
the river, 1 was amazed to see that, since
early In the morning, what had appeared
like veritable mountains OF material and
munitions in the supply depots had entirely
disappeared.
FRENCH ARE CONFIDENT.
The great guns which had been creeping
along specially constructed railways and
which l had imagined could not reach the
front for weeks, were no longer visible,
having either arrived near their implace-
ments or having been transferred to other
railway lines.
Nearer the front I was able, from this
gigantic displacement of munitions and ma
terial, to gain an impression of what had
gone into the days sledgehammer blow
Progressing toward the rear In the direc-
tion of the general munitions and material
depots we met great trains and conveys OF
fresh material moving toward the front to
replace that which l had seen disappear
Yet there was no hurry. no excitement
Everything was orderly, methodcal
Above all tho impression a neutral OBJ
server receives from visit to the Somme
front is this-that the French are supremely
confident and not only determined, but pre-
pared in every detail to carry out Grants
famous declaration:
I'VE will fight 1t out on this line IL II takes
all summer"-and more too.