Evening star., 1916-09-29
Joffre Has Recaptured 200
Square KiIometers Territory
Since Offensive Began.
1000 German Prisoners Reported
to Have Been Taken-Many
Guns Seized.

ON THE FRENCH FRONT, September
20, via Senlis. France.-The French
troops. cooperating with the British,
continue their advance and are driving
| the Germans out of villages and forti-
fed positions, both north and south of
the Somme and frustrating all attempts
at counter attacks.
! The forward move of the allied ar
mics, although seemingly slow, appears
to be irresistible. Since the offensive
began, July 1. the French have recap
| tured on this front of the Somme 200
square kilometers of territory, their
advance varying from two to twelve
kilometers in depth over a front of
about twenty kilometers. Besides this
gain Of ground. approximately 10000
German prisoners have been taken by
the French, while cannon numbering
more than $50 pieces, more than half
Of them heavy guns, have fallen into
their hands. The machine guns taken
by the French total more than 500 in
this drive, and dozens of others have
been buried in the battered German
| trenches. together with their crews.
Futile Counter Attacks.
| The correspondent of the Associated
|
ground just as the German troops de-
livered a futile counter attack in the
neighborhood of Bouchavesnes. which
cost them heavy price in casualties
and prisoners. The villages recently
| taken by the French were under con-
stant, though not heavy. artillery fire
from guns of all calibers, but the
French troops have been so we'll dis
simulated and the captured German
works have been SO well consolidated
that very small damage was done.
| AS one battalion of German infantry
came forward in waves to attack a
detachment the French holding the
parapets and dashed forward to meet
them in the open with the bayonet. The
Germans hesitated before the seeming
| daring of the much smaller force of
French. who reached them before they
had recovered from their surprise, and
the few that escaped the bayonet or
capture fed back to their trenches.
From an observation post situated in
posite Clery the correspondent watched
| the French shelling the ruins of Mont
| st. Quentin, which still contained liv-
ing Germans. Every shell threw up
| this was settling the Germans replied
| by bombarding the ruins of Clery in
| THE hope of disturbing the French
| there.
| Myriads Of Shell Holes.
| All around the landscape was indent-
ed by myriads of large and small shell
] holes. The slopes and numerous crests
| were marked with communication
| trenches and former front line works,
; which had been fattened out and their
German occupants killed. Numerous
| French batteries had taken positions
| from which, behind the rising crests
stantly reminded their German adver-
| saries OF their presence.
Across the wide plateau scarcely
movement could be seen, although
, tens of thousands of men were there
| ready at any moment to start, or to re-
| pei an attack. Traversing the battle
| field where the German and French had
faced each other for many months,
barbed wire was encountered at every
angle. Its strands all had to be broken
| before the French infantry could make
| an advance Of even one pace across this
difficult country. The process of de-
| struction demanded the expenditure of
| almost fabulous quantities. of shells. as
many as hundred of them being
necessary for the destruction Of a
| single square yard of the entangle-
mentS.
Foes Works Swept by Shells.
The French prepared the way for
their advance very thoroughly. knowing
| the difficulties of the country where the
Germans had chosen to oppose them
| Every foot Of the German works was
| swept with projectiles before single