Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-06
BRITISH MAKE MORE
GAINS ALONG SOMME
Strong German Defenses On
front of Thousand Yards at
Falfemont Farm Taken.
COUNTER ATTACKS FAIL

CUUN LEN al AVhN AAA
London, Sept. S.-British troops in
battles last night in the region OF the
Somme river in France increased their
gains in the neighborhood of Guile
mont, says the British official state
ment, issued this afternoon,
The British forces pushed forward
to l,5OO yards east Of Guillemont vii.
lage and secured hold on the Leuze
wood.
Further south, a strong German
system of defense on a front of 5000
feet around Falfemont farm was cap
tured. f...- -.....
The official announcement says the
fighting on the Somme since Septem.
Der 3 has resulted in the capture by
the British of the whole of the Ger
man line of defenses on the battle
front from the Moquet farm to the
point where the British line joins
the French.
The official statement says:
During the night we increased our
gains in the neighborhood of Guile.
mont. In spite of the eneny's stub
born resistance and an unceasing de-
luge of rain, our troops pushed for
ward to l,500 yards east of Guile
mont, village and have obtained foot
ing in the Leuze wood.
Farther south, after severe fighting
the whole of the enemy's strong sys-
tenn of defense on front of 1000
yards in and around Falfemont has
fallen into our hands"
German Attacks Repulsed.
Paris, Sept. 5.-Vigorous counter
attacks were made by the Germans
north Of the Somme last night in an
effort to regain ground taken in the
new drive of the French. The war Of
flee announced today that the Ger
mans were repulsed with heavy losses.
The German assaults north Of the
Somme were delivered between
Combles and Forest. South of the
river unsuccessful blows were struck
by the Germans east of Belloy. In
these operations the French took 100
prisoners.
The activities of the French are
again being hindered by bad weather,
which prevailed all night over the
whole Somme front. The French are
organizing their newly won ground.
French Take Many Villages.
The capture of Soyecourt and
Chilly by the French yesterday makes
total of twenty-nine villages taken
since the start of the offensive on the
Somme front. The positions wrested
from the Germans yesterday were
powerfully organized.
At Barleux. one of the strongest
positions on this front, t,repeated direct
attacks were unsuccessful and the
French finally resortcd to turning
movement, attacking to the south
west. The Germans counter attacked
no less than six times yesterday in a
desperate effort to regain lost ground.
Battle Line Eighteen Miles.
Berlin, Sept. 5.-(Via London.)-
The great battle on the Somme front
in France, says the official statement
issued by the German army headquar-
tiers today, continues. South Of the
river the Germans are defending
themselves on front eighteen miles
wide, which the entente allies are
storming. The loss of the village of
Chilly by the Germans is conceded.
Capture of Falfemont Farm.
With the British Armies in France,
Sept. 5.-(Via London despite
their continued counter attacks yes
terday when they advanced in waves,
shoulder to shoulder, in defense Of
this chosen strategic point, the Ger
mans had to yield Falfemont farm
this morning. The British had closed
around it i'll the darkness and dawn
found the survivors of the garrison
raked with machine gun fire. In a
hopeless situation, plastered with mud
after a night of cold and heavy rain,
and having gone two days without
sleep, they put up the white flag.
Meanwhile British battalion, find
ing little opposition on its own inta-
tive, pressed on through the mud and
the shell craters and gained the edge
of Leuze wood, which carried them
past Ginchy, where the Germans are
fortified amid the ruins with nests OF
machine guns.
The British gain since Sunday is
more than a mile in depth. Irish
troops of the new army enlisted
through the efforts of John Redmond
and other nationalist leaders, distin-
guished themselves by taking Guile
mont. They rounded up numerous
prisoners in dugouts and swept for
ward toward their objective with
characteristic dash.
As a result of two days work, the
British, in case they decide to make
no further advance this year, COM
mand all the ridges of the battle front
from Thiepval south, except around
Ginchy. This means, as one British
officer said, that "the Germans would
have. to dance to our tune through the
winter"