The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-15

masssd IN Ysoardy and The technical
organization and preparation OF me
whole rear of the battlefield surpAss
anything ever achieved In this war.
Not even at verdun WE such q point
OF perfection attained.
1t seems evident THAI Gem Joffrt
means to throw back the German
line on St Quentin, which would en-
tail the crumpliuE OF their whole
front fl France together with their
withdrawal from Scissors.
Another most striking feature -
the extraordinary high spirits Of the
soldiers, especially thoss actually en-
gagged in the f1chung
Men Are Enthusiastic.
Hardships and continuous dangers
seem only 10 spur their intense en-
thusiasm which increases as the
troops get nearer the firing line The
reason for this enthusiastic nttitude
of TIE front Tine men is found IN
their absolute confidence in the new
artilI sry which. since the beginning
OF the Somme Offensive. has proven
not only an offensive weapon OF tire
mendous efficiency but is chiefly the
greatest protector of the infantry,
having saved so per cent. of lives
In all attacks thus far compared with
presiou drives
The outstsnding outgrowth of this
~-ste OF things ia that the rife has
become almost obsolete except IN
sn!ping operations
In Tuesdays attack a million shells
wera expended and only 1000 rife
shella
Machine gums and hand srsnedes
have replaced the rife and bayonet,
The FIRST wave OF an attack never
carries rifle troops Their advance IS
protected by a terrific curtain OF firc
which preoedes them a few yards,
ceastng AZ the precise moment when
the infantry enters the enemy S
trenches with hand grsnadeA
Only the second wave troops carry
the baycnet for the purpose Of clean
Ing UP the dugouta The excellence
OF this method was illustrated on
Tuesday when battalion. rushing
the German positions in the Ablain-
court woods, captured 200 prisoners
Their own loss was only two slightly
wounded.
The mort recent advance south OF
the Somne In Of more value than Is
suggested by the plain. wording OF the
Official onmunlQue. II covers an
absolutely fat and open stretch OF
country nearly a mile in length and
entirely exposed to the German gun
frs and machine gunfrs The fact
hat the French attained their objec-
tives in forty minutes with insignia
cant losses suflci emily demonstrates
the pulvertzins power of their srtil-
lery.
GTound Hors'yonnnt,,i.
Tho ground wss literally honey
cor4b-d with shell holes and tho
trenches, which 1 trsversed today I'm
der gunhre. were unrecogniEa ole.
Limbs Of dead Saxons protruding at
grewsoma angles from loose heaps Of
earth and charr%d bodies blown from
the trenches and strewIng the ground
were ghastly proofs OF the terrific de-
struetive power OF the French high
exp oaives
While I was inspecting the front
tines, shells still exploding ali
around. had prevented the cleaning
UP Of the dugnuts which were still
filed with German ammunition and
equipment.
The cannonade suddenly developed
great fury. giving evidence that an
other attack was about TO begin
With considerable difTiculty we re-
treated TO an observation post from
which a famous general was directing
new artillery preparations.
MS is merely q fore taSts or what
we will be able TO DO later" he said
to me, refe rring to the cannonade.
'Our enemy Is still very strong, hut
we have already taken his three lines
of defenses on this front and he 1.
now obliged 10 resort to hastily con-
trived cover
German Losses Heavy.
The German losses have been in
comparabiy heavier than ours. II