Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-08-17

BURY DEAD BETWEEN
LULLS IN FIRING

sy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED Wac

10y HoFsiNG JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WlREl
German Trenches opposite the
British Position at CommecouiI on me
Somme Front Monday Aug. H.
Uia Bernn ana Sayvile Wireless,
Aug l6D-( (From a staff Correspond
cnt of the Associated Press) Half a
million British have been engaged in an
effort to break the German lines on
the SOmme front. often, as in the
fighting between CommcCourt and He
butornc. the British OutnumberCd the
Germans six to one They have
gained ground TO depth Of from
three to five miles over front of
about eighteen miles, but nowhere
have been able to break through.
More than ever, death has become
a commonplace in this most murder
out battle Of all times. The Germans
in the first line know that they prob
ably will be killed if their positions
are attacked Trenches are virtually
useless, for the heavy British shells
widen them into broad channels, af-
fording no cover Of any sort The
first line usually perishes
The advancing British foot troops
are no better off, because the Ger
mans reverse the process when part
of their positions have been cap
tured After the British artillery
have lcyclcd the German trenches the
infantry rushes i'm, often to be
thrown out again as the British artll-
lcry ceases fire which il has to do
owing to the proximity of the oppOs-
ing lines. Thus the battle has been
going on for weeks the opposing
forces now gaining, at terrific cost
and then losing at even greater cost
"a few Yards Of trenches. At present
an the fighting by tire British is car
ried on IRON their Pozieres salient
where their drum-fire is unCeasnS
day or night German officers who
were in the Champagne offensive say
no such artillery fire ever had been
developed previously.
German Fire Terrific.
The German fire too, is terrific.
An idea Of its intensity may be
gained from the fact that on certain
troops German guns threw l60O
shells i'm one minute ana forty five
seconds. resulting in great slaughter.
often the British assault dies away
before the German second Inc, from
which machine guns pour out streams
Of bullets which literally cut the men
into fragments At one point the
Associated Press correspondent stood
within 500 yards of the British
trenches near DClNllle wood. Nearby
the Germans had just buried l,23b
British as Iuils in the firing permit
ted
some 500 Brisish prisoners. whom
the correspondent saw behind the fin
ing ilnc plainly were still dazcd from
the shock They were a sorry spec
tacIe glad they had escaped from
HELL ass they termed it.
THE correspondent visited the en-
tine front of the present offensive
and everywhere found from talks with
Germans that they were more deter
mined than ever to stand their ground.
The men are in capital shape phys
lclI.y and of easy mind, although
They are looking upon death each
time. An officer pointed out that
nowadays each man is his own leader,
as u is often impossible under pres
emit conditions to transmit commands,
While the generals might still plan the
actions the officer said, it was PLAIN
that the infantryman, acting on his
own initiative i'm the presence OF
death, must save the day.
Back Of the German lines within
range hardly single house was
standing. Embers were still burning
In the ruins Of two villages as the
correspondent passed through Of
ieors said there were no German
Troops I'm such places and that the
victims were mostly French civilians
ui these the correspondent sa"
scores Of wounded Whenever possl
Die. the Germans removed these civ