"IT GOES WELL."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 218, 12 September 1916, Page 9

"IT GOES WELL."

FOCH ON THE BATTLE. PRISONERS SAD AT FAILURE. Press Camp. British Army in France. July" 11. "It goes well," said General Foch. receiving the Associated Press correspondent, who came across from the British lines to see something of the French part in the battle of the Somme. "It goes well." was the phrase heard from French officers and soldiers. General Foch's quickness and decision of manner singularly expresses the French spirit. While Frame was withstanding the blows of the Germans at Verdun, and all the world looked in that direction, he was secretly preparing a sledgehammer blow, in conjunction with the British, in that part of the line hitherto conspicuous for its quiet. "We were here, and ue went there, gaininsr more prisoners than our total losses," he said, as turning to a map on the wall of his headquarters he swept his finger from Ihe former French first line toward the salient formed by a turn in the Somme whore the Germans have their backs to the river in front of Peronne. The gesture represented a 'depth of" four miles, the largest gain the Frcneh have; made on the western front since the trench warfare began. "And there is more to come," h? added. IN WINNING MOOD. A note from his chief of staff meant the freedom of the lines, which, by the elation on the features of every man whom the correspondent saw, were in winning moodBig guns, which were silent, and other big guns, slowly grumbling, were drawn forward by big tractors along routes thick with traffic. Railway trains were unloading more shells at the bases: shells were being stacked beside the roads and in the fields; new roads were building: lines of light railway were Toeing extended. There was the same scene of prodigious industry as back of Verdun, but this time, instead of being on the defensive, it was overflowing on ground taken in the offensive. "Are we downhearted? No,"' called a soldier in good English. Passing officers and men exchanged joyful congratulations. No one seemed to care how coated with mud he was. or how unshaven, so long as he had sometiling to eat. The supply of shells was kept on top. Bearded veterans were using the debris left by the Germans to make themselves comfortable or to secure their new trenches. ATTACK UNEXPECTED. "Yes, I speak English,"' said an officer. "I came from New York. Who was saying that France had no punch left? Well, what do you think of this:" Some four or five hundred prisoners taken the previous night, and waiting to be marched to the rear, were human lumps of utter exhaustion asleep on the ground. All expressed the same astonishment that the French should develop su.-h a sudden and determined attack ill that quarter. They had understood that only tiie British were to attack. '•We thought the war would be won. said a German, "if we could stop the new British Army. Now we don't know." Parked nearby were thirty-three guns, all taken by the Colonial Corps, which had already put its name and the date of the capture on the trophies. One must have been a piece of honour, for it bore tho German Emperor's monogram. Across the battered first line trenches, through the ruins of Dompieree. a good sized village, reduced and broken to bricks and dust, were many German dead still visible in cellars and underground warrens. The tide of soldiery and material was still flowing up to the ne-w front. The country is flat, preventing as many observation posts and commanding redoubts as where the British attacked around Albert, and permitting the sweep of infantry across the fields once it had a start. 810 CAPTURES. In the distance around Flaucourt. the ••75" battery could be seen flashing their messages to" the Germans beyond. With their rapid fire they had covered the charge of infantry up' to every German parapet. Then right into the open, in the wake r,[ the infantry, they advanced to cover the attack on the second line, which was taken before nightfall. For every mile of front where they advanced the French took 1,200 prisoners and seven guns- The general opinion was that their Josses were about one-third the German total in prisoners, killed, and wounded.