New-York tribune., 1916-07-09
AIR TORPEDOES
BEAT TEUTONS
Work Fearful Havoc
on Somme, German
Observer Reports.

Berlin, July via London, July 81;
delayed An eyewitness account of
the Anglo-French offensive is given in
dispatches from Lieutenant Dambitsch,
one of the editors Of the "Zei,ung am
Mittag," whose company was stationed
in the trenches near the Somme River.
The lieutenant was wounded in the
preparatory bombardment, but was
there long enough TO see the almost
indescribable destruction wrought in
the front line trenches by the artillery.
He says the massively built positions
had been regarded as virtually inde-
structible and impregnable, but the
event proved that the progress in the
development of offensive tactics since
the September offensive had not been
realized.
Right at the beginning of the artil
lery PREPARATION" says the lieutenant,
"the enemy showed the Germans a new
thing in tho destruction of observation
balloons. An aviator swooped down on
one of these and shot fire balls from
above burst of fame marking the
end of the balloon.
Bomb Proofs Blown Aloft.
"The second days bombardment,
June 26, brought another surprise in
the shape of aerial mines of unheard
of calibres. which were thrown in in
credible numbers. The explosion of
the first air torpedo shattered by its
tremendous detonation the windows of
the bomb-proofs and threw up mas
sive pillar Of black earth perhaps a
hundred yards This showered the
whole neighborhood with roofs, bricks
and earth. This was a regular Vesuvi-
US eruption.
The destructive effects of this un-
Interrupted throwing of the heaviest
mines were almost imediately visible.
The entrances 10 the bomb-proofs were
buried and the inmates had TO be re-
moved"
4 few minutes later an orderly, sent
with a message 10 the left Of COM
pany. returned. reporting that the
trench had been completely levelled.
Lieutenant Dambitsch. going 70 OBJ
serve, saw as far as the eve could
reach crater after crater six feet deep,
the earth between being torn up in a
wild. nigh chaos Of trench tlmbers and
wire entanglements.
Months of Work Gone.
"The work of day and night for nine
months says the chronicler, "was de-
stroyed in a few minutes. Report after
report arrived of bombproofs demol-
ished by aerial torpedoes, burying the
inmates. The trenches became rapidly
levelled, communication between the
sections being very difficult. The third
lines were so heavily shelled that IL
was impossible to traverse them.
IAN orderly sent TO a captain was
hours under way. On the left flank the
company trench was so obliterated that
it was difficult to trace It, The only
means Of progress was 10 dash from
crater TO crater fully exposed 20 the
enemy fire wAile crossing the interven-
ing ridges. Finally he arrived after a
period Of intense danger and found the
left platoon Of the company in the same
condition as the right platoon. A num-
Der of men were still buried in the de-
molished bombproofs. Their comrades
worked for hours extricating them.
During this work an intrepid bat
talon surgeon arrived with an oxygen
apparatus and stood for hours under a
heavy artillery fire ministering 20 the
half buried and attempting to revive
those asphyxiated.
French Artillery Helped.
"The bombardment continued with
out cessation, aerial torpedoes being
hurled from ranges such as were never
before known for mine throwers. The
French artillery pounded every yard OF
ground with an intense fire of big
shells"
The lieutenant describes how well
come reinforcements were sent that
night, "quite as much to assist in dig.
ging out those buried as to contribute
10 the defence" He was leading them
to positions among the demoralized
trenches, when he and his orderly were
wounded by an exploding torpedo
They were sent to the hospital, thus
missing the infantry attacks. {