The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-08-01

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always with every advantage on theil
side, could not realize that the tide
had turned in this, the third year Of
the war, and from their miraculously
strong and well-chosen positions
fought like tigers.
They Hammer Away
All through August the British Tom
mics kept doggedly at the enemy
bombing him, bayoneting him, driving
him back inch by inch up the slopes
towards 'Thiepval, from Mouquet Farm
to Pozieres. DEVILS Wood, as the
South Africans called Delville Wood
was taken literally a foot at a time
and held despite Internal shellfire. The
British would not let go.
In September they got their reward
They had gained to the crest of the
deadly ridge and then, with one swoop
almost, they captured village after
village-Guillemont, Ginchy, Flers,
Martinpuich, Courcelette, Guedecourt,
Lesboeufs, Morval and Thiepval.
Then Came the Tanks
On the 18th of this month the tanks
went into action for the first time
On that day the famous official mes
sage of an airman read:
"a tank is walking up the High
street of F1ers with the British army
cheering behind it,
And it was fact. A complete sur
prise to the Germans they crawled
over trenches and trees, shell-craters
and the walls of ruined villages
startling hundreds of the enemy into
surrender all by themselves.
Combles was abandoned by the Ger
mans during Stepember, the British
entering before daylight from the
north, the French from the south, the
wo allies meeting in the center of the
town and shaking hands. This was
the first town of the war to be given
up without a fight, owing to Franco
British pressure.
They Never Quit
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 boosted that the British 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 soldiest of Hindenburg's strong
points, along with Beaucourt, ST.
Pierre-Divion and 1000 prisoners.
s'StOp Your Tickling jock
Besides these and other towns and
villages taken by the British, had
'allen an incredible number of posi-
ions the capture of any one of which
n previous wars would have made
generals reputation. During the first
i've months of Somme fighting fell the
Windmill beyond Pozieres, Mouquet
Farm, Stuff and Schwaben Redoubts,
he Quadrilateral north of Flers, the
'ther one near High Wood, High Wood
itself, Mametz Wnod and Fricourt,
)elvilfe. Angle, Wedge, Acid Drop,
arrow Head and other woods ond
trong points, all interlocking and ma
ing their capture the harder because
ach was supported by the rest.
Ill of Britain's children did well, the
canadians at Courcelette, Austral-
ans at Pozieres, New Zealanders |
'lers, Newfounrlers near Thiepval,
outh Africans at Delville Wood, |
IRISH at Guillemont, Welsh at Mann
tz, Scots at Longueval and Beau
lont Hamel where the soldiers
3usht to the pipes playing stop
our Tickling Jock"
Eighty Thousand Prisoners
The Germans threw into theSomme
attles 81 divisions, all different, but
S some of these went in twice or
1ree times the equivalent of lao div
,ions were used against the British
nd French. The losses averaged
bout As per cent, killed, wounded
nd prisoners, or about $1,000. French
nd British together took over $4,000
risoners, the British share of the boo
2 being 20 heavy guns and howitzers, II
, field guns, 1876 trench modtars
nd 514 machine guns, plus stores
all kinds.
AS 1917 advanced the British kept
ounding AWAY at the PruSsianS. i