Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-24
MOST MURDEROUS
FIGHT OF WAR
In Somme Region First Line
Usually Perishes; Millions
of Men Engaged

German Front, Aug. IA. via Berlin
and Sayville wireless, Aug. 16.-(From
a staff correspondent of the Associated
Press.) - Half a million British have
} been engaged in the effort to break
the German lines on the Somme 'front.'
Often, as in the fighting etwee
Gommecourt and H~ebuborne, the Brit
ish outnumbered h Germans SIX TO
one. They have gained ground 10 d
depth of three to five miles over d
front of about Is miles but no where
have been able to break through.
More than ever, death has become
a commonplace in this most muroer-
Gus battle of all times. The
in the first line know they prooao!y
will be killed if their positions are at
tackled. Trenches are virtually useless
for the heavy British shells Wloen
them into broad channels aftordlng no
cover of any sort. The first line usu-
ally perishes.
The advancing British foot troops
are no better off, because the
reverse the process when part OF thelr
positions have been captured: AFTER
the British artillery had levelled the
German trenches the infantry rushes
in, often to be thrown out again as
soon as the British artillery ceases
firing, which it has to do OWING 10
proximity of the opposing lines. mus
the battle has been going for weeks,
the opposing forces now gaining at
torriic cost and then losing at even
greater cost a few yards OF trenches
At present all the fighting by the Brit
ish is carried on from their Pozleres
salient, where their drum fire Is IN
ceasing day or night. German oHcers
who were in the Champagne offensive
said no such artillery fire ever mao
ever been developed previously.
Terrific Gun Fire.
hi German fire, too, is terrific. An
idea Of it's intensity may be gained
from the fact that on certain British
troops German guns threw 800 shells
in one minute and forty-five second
resulting in great slaughter.
Often the British assault dies away
before the German second line from
which machine guns pour out treams
of bullets which literally the men
into fragments. At one point the AS
sociated Press correspondent stood
within 500 yards of the British rench-
es near Delviue wood. Nearby the
Germans had just buried 1870 British,
as lulls in the firing permitted.
Escape From He'll.
Some 500 British prisoners whom
the correspondent saw behind the fir
ing line plainly were still dazed from
the shock. They were a sorry spec
tacle. glad they had escaped from
hell" as they termed it.
The correspondent visited the en-
tire front of the present offensive and
everywhere found from talks with
Germans hat they were more deter
mined than ever to stand their ground.
The men are in capital shape physical
ly, and of easy mind although they are
looking upon death at each instant.
An officer pointed out that nowadays
each man is his own leader as it is
often impossible under present battle
conditions to transmit commands.
While the generals might still plan to
actions, the officer said, il was plain
that the infantryman, acting upon his
own initiative in the presence or
death, must save the day.
Back of the German lines within
British artillery range hardly. a single
house was standing. Embers were
/. still burning in the ruins of two viii
1lages as the correspondent passed
through. Officers said there were no
German troops in such places n that
the victims were mostly French civil
ians. OF these the correspondent saw
scores of wounded. When ever posi-
BILE the Germans removed these civil
ians, as at Buoquoy. The population
of this town was sent out at 2 o'clock
in the morning and the bo~mbardment
began at 5 o'clock. BY noon the entire
village was raised. The. village of
Rancourt met with q similar fate. The
correspondent saw part of the popu-
lat1on rushing for SAFETY and a few
hours later looked on the burning de-
bris of the town.
Try to Burn Grain
British aviators have made several
attempts to burn the grain crop, ap-
parently unmindful of the fact that 1t
belongs to French peasants. One avi-
ator descending to 500 yards from the
ground, threw bombs among a har-
vesting party. killing two French girls
and Others
There is no safety anywhere in the
zone behind the front. What the ar
tillery does not reach is exposed con-
stantly to the bombs of aviators.
While the correspondent was at Bug
ny eight civilians were killed. Eigh-
teen others were wounded of whom
four died in the German hospital the
same day. At Cambria four persons
were killed and two were wounded on
the same night A French civilian
pointed out that. while the German
soldiers have bombproofs in which to
seek refuge, the civilians have My
cellars. He begged that this be
brought to the attention of the Brit
ish military authorities.