Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-04


course of the ni'ht. More than 500
Germans were t.ken prisoners.
PetrOgrad, Sept 4 (vfa London,
2:55 p. m.)-The Pussisz.s have
broken across the Themioyka
river, western tributary of the
ZlOta Lipa, and seized a position
on the AustrO-German front, the
war office announced today. They
took 2,721 prisoners and six ma
chine guns.
Paris, Sept. 4, Q2;06 p. m.)-Opera-
lions on the Somme front have been
retarded by bad weather, the war Of
flee announced today. In the new ac-
tian@44sGuns have been captured by the
French. Prisoners continue TO arrive
at the rear.
East of the Mouse on the verdun
front the French yesterday took 400
prisoners
Graphic Story of Sunday Battle.
With the British Armies in France,
Sept. 8, (via London, Sept. 4, 5: 35 a. m.)
1t was "by the right flank" IN the
concerted Anglo-French attack on the
Somme front today, with the great bat
tie which never has ceased for two
months, flaming up into a general con-
fiict, that Kitchener's new army
charged the flower OF the German
the Prussian guards-four divisions OF
which were concentrated before the
British to stay the British offensive. In
places the emperor's favorite troops
were driven back, counter attacked,
and again had to yield their crimsoned,
shell-wrecked trenches to stubborn
English and Scotch, most OF whom two
years ago did not know how TO form
fours.
The attack was not Simultaneous,
nor was IL along the whole line. Diff
ferent sections were timed with clock
work regularity, while the French and
English acted together as If one army.
By the roar of the guns in the early
morning along the whole front no OBJ
server could have told where the blows
were to fall. Against Thiepval no eff
fort was made. But just before dawn
their infantry rushed the old first line
trenches at certain points both north
and south of the Ancre.
The first stage of the infantry action
was entirely on this flank and at Mo-
quet farm, where the Australians were
at it again. They pushed through it
and beyond it. Nothing more pictur-
esque had happened in the Somme bat
tie than these hardy ranchmen, who
can shoot and ride. smooth shaven, la
comic. bred out of doors, going against
the Prussian guards.
MurderOus Work of Guns.
Later in the morning, the big bust
ness of the day began from DEVILS
wood southwark through to the Somme.
All the murderous power on both sides,
guns and machine guns, was exerted
to the utmost.
Guillemont was the prize the British
sought. Two weeks ago this village
was the most completely devastated on
any on the front and the British had
been pounding it day after day with
every calibre of gun. Guillemont no
longer is a village, but an iron and
lead mine. Twice the British had car
ried their charges into il, and even
through II. only TO be forced out II is
estimated that 1000 shells were fred
into IL and that 100000 of bullets
traversed IL.
Sapping forward and connecting up
shell craters into trenches. the British
worked their way, aided by occasional
charges, but the Germans established
themselves in a small trench salient
southwest OF the village where they
were only 30 or 40 yards from the Brit
iSh anu SO near thdt the bfltlSh gun
dared not fire on them for fear of hit
ting their own men. Here the Ger
mans had a machine gun so placed that
IL swept the space between the
trenches, but the British managed TO
get across, and. about midday. swept
toward Guillemont. cleaning up nests
OF machine guns and across the fields
on the other side, establishing them
selves In a sunken road. But south OF
Guillemont one section of the Prussian
guard resisted desperately In Falfe-
mont farm and Wedgewood and here
all the afternoon bonn hing and hand