Semi-weekly herald., 1917-08-06

surprise to the Germans they crawl
ed over trenches and trees, she'll
craters and the walls of ruined VII
lagos startling hundreds of the en-
emy into surrender all by themselv-
es.
Combles was abandoned by the
Germans during September, the
British entering before daylight from
the north, the French from the south,
the two allies meeting in the center
If the town and shaking hands. This
was the first town of the war to be
given up without fight, owing to
Franco-British pressure.
During October, in the drizzle, the
British took Eaucourt PAbbaye and
lie Sars. November was wet and
soggy and during the short lull which
came in the fighting about this time
the Germans boasted that the Brit
ish army had spent itself and was
no longer dangerous. The reply was
one of the most brilliant victories of
the war, the capture of Beaumont
Hamel, one of the solidest of Hin
denburg's strong points, along with
Beaucourt, st. Pierre -Divion and T.
coo prisoners.
Besides these an dother towns and
villages taken by the British, had
fallen an incredible number of po-
sitions the capture of any one of
which in previous wars would have
made a generals reputation. Dur
ing the first five months of Somme
fighting fell the Windmill beyond
Pozieres, Mouquet farm, Stuff and
Schwaben Redoubts, the Quadrilater-
ly north of Flers, the other one near
High wood, High wood itself, Nametz
wood and Fricourt, Delville, Angle
Wedge, Acid drop, Arrow head and
other woods and strong points, all
interlocking and making their cap
-ure the harder because each was
supported by the rest All of Brit
ms children did we'll, the Canadians
Courcelette, Australians at Pozi-
eres, New Zealanders around Flers
|ewfoundlanders near Thiepval the
South Africans at Delville wood, 1r-
sh at Guillemont, Welsh at Mametz,
Scots at Longueval and Beaumont
Iamel, where the soldiers fought to
he pipes playing "stop Your Tick
ing, Jock"
The Germans threw into the Som
ne 81 divisions, all different, but as
ONE of these went in twice or three
lines the equivalent of 140 divisions
were used against the British and
French. The losses averaged about
5 per cent, killed wounded and pris-
aners, or about 100000 French and
British together took over 5000 pris-
oners, the British share of the booty
icing 20 heavy guns and howitzers,
o6 field guns, 1856 trench mortars and
IA machine guns, plus stores of all
linds.
AS 1917 advanced the British kept
pounding away at the Prussians. In
February and March, unable to stick
it out under the everlasting ham,
mering the kaiser's men fell back,
abandoning Bapaume, Peronne, and
surrounding country. The German
high command had previously prepar-
cd what is known as the Hindenburg
'line, Arras to Craonne, via st. Quen-
lin, and counted upon that to hold.
But on April 9th, by a marvellous
ly rapid vancouver, Sir Douglas, now
Field Marshal Haig, struck at the
Arras pivot and broke it, driving in
The German line to the switch" po-
aition between Lens and Queant. So
was the spring offensive launched,
the first few days netting the Brit
ish 19,343 prisoners, 257 guns and
howitzers, 227 mortars and 470 ma
chine guns in addition to many which
were destroyed.
Thus the third year of the war has
seen the British get the upper hand.
They do not claim that Prussia's
power is broken, but they do claim
to have taken the enemy's measure.
won the initiative and made telling
punch for victory.
- IA n -
BEETs AND STRING BEANS.