FRENCH ADVANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17285, 28 September 1916, Page 3

FRENCH ADVANCE.

IMPORTANCE OF MONACO FARM,

(From H. WARNER ALLEN, Special Correspondent of British Press with French Armies.)

WITH THE FRENCH ARMY ON

THE SOMME

August 1

The Franco-British attack on the line between Delvillo Wood and the Somme, made to-day, was preceded by the usual heavy artillery preparation. At four o’clock this morning nearly everyone in Amiens —fifteen to twenty miles from the lines —was awakened by tho cannon, and the bombardment steadily increased in .intensity until six o’clock. I watched the artillery preparation from a point on tho southern bank of tho river, from which the French and German lines on the further bank were clearly visible to tho naked eye. Tho French heavy shells were bursting in clouds of dust and smoke along tho whole length of the German lines, though their \ lolence was chiefly concentrated on what was left of the little wood north of Hem railway station, called Hem Wood, and on the trenches on the Downs above guarding the flank of Maurepas. The Germans were replying vigorously. Six and eight-inch shells were bursting about two hundred yards from us, evidently in quest of a non-existent battery, and their fire redoubled when a number of French batteries about half a mile away beuan to take their part in tho bombardment. It was clear that the enemy was firing at random. His aeroplanes were far too busy defending themselves to signal the position of the French guns, and on their side not a single kite balloon dared to show itself. The result of three-quar-ters of an hour’s heavy bombardment on the part of the Germans was that a ruined section of ,their former trenches without a man in it was still further demolished and that a number of Hioll holes were added to those made in the surrounding country by the F rench guns before the first advance.

. THE LINE OF ATTACK. It was easy to follow the lino of the coming , French attack. The French advanced post met the Somme at a point between Hem and Monaco Farm. The southern horded of the river is fringed with a long marshy wood, and abovo its trees one could distinguish the piles of brick which marked the position -of ruined Hem, and further vo the right the' square, grey-roofed tower of Monacu Farm By some curious freak of war this tower, though in the very forefront of the battle, had escaped destruction. In fact, no building in any of the neighbouring villages Frise/ Curlu, Hem, Rerbecourt—has suffered so little. Twenty-four hours later, however, it was in French hands and only a mass of ruins. The wood in- tho marshes along the river bank was still thick and green, since neither side could hope for any advnntago in shelling ground that water and mud made impassable. From this wood the ground to rise, and above Monacu Farm there were two little woods which provided a strange contrast with the dense green foliage along tho Somme bank. These copses were merely a collection of bare stumps, as naked as a broomstick, between which one could see a chaos of destruction and shel-holes. By their position they protected Clery, which was hidden from our sight by a low hill,- and tho Germans had fortified them strongly ns outworks of that village. The French guns were working great execution upon them, arid it seemed that most of their defences had been destroyed. Tho Germans, lio.vever, clung to them manfully, and. ns soon as there was a lull in the firing, or, it may be, under cover of the night, would set to work to repair the damage done as far as possible. As a rule, the most they could do was to put up fresh barbed wire entanglements, which were promptly torn to pieces again when the French gunners resumed. It is surprising how well the bestconstructed trenches have resisted the avalanche of high explosives that has been launched on them. A deep trench with dug-outs some 20ft deeper remains a formidable obstacle even after it has been pounded for many houis. In comparing this offensive to that oi Champagne, I was much struck by the number of shelters that were still tenable despite a weight of metal rained upon them infinitely greater than that thrown on the German trenches m Champagne. Underground defences are far deeper than they were last September, and so far as actual destiuction is concerned the heavy artillery has done no more than keep pace with tho improved defensive organisations. It is on the human element ns well as on the material destruction that the issue depends. A shelter may have resisted, and yet the men concealed in it may be quite incapable of fighting. Stupefied, deafened and paralysed by the explosions round them, they simply cannot make an effort, and often do not even attempt to man the trench when the guns have stopped and they know that the enemy is advancing I noticed in the third line of one of the strongest German positions long lines of trenches which were still almost intact, dug-outs and all, and yet the French troops had carried these lines at the bayonet’s point with practically no losses.

THE NEW FRENCH TACTICS. Above Hem and Monacu Farm the hills rise in rolling downs, studded here and there with small woods. On the irorth bank of tho Somme the country is far more hilly than on the south, and in their advance on Maurepas .and Clery the French have to fight their way across this undulating country. The Germans have boon working hard at thpir lines in this part of the front, but /it may well be doubted whether they are as strong as those that the Allied armies have already carried. Trenches prepared with long - and sdentific labour may resist heavy shells to a certain extent, hut defences hastily thrown up stand no chance against modern high explosives. At the same time, progress must be slow, lhe new French tactics of wiping out the defences with artillery firo before the infantry advances, and of the infanta y halting whenever opposition is met with to enable the guns to finish their work, appear ,o be invincible, given mastery of tho air and predominance of artillery, hut any hasty advance would be absolutely contrary to this safe and sure method, which has already saved thousands of French lives. In to-day’s offensive tho French, working in the closest co-operation with the British, set before themselves certain definite objectives, all of which have been attained with insignificant loss. The capture of Monacu Farm marks an advance in the direction of Clery which makes it impossible for the centre of their army on the north hank to he taken in the flank. The capture of Hem Wood straightens tho line in the same direction, and the French troops working along the river deserve greatest praiso for their brilliant advance, as" the ground is very difficult. The German counter-attacks on Monacu Farm proved that the enemy was well aware of its importance. THE MENACE TO MAUIIEPAS.

Further north the French have forced their way up the slopes to the edge of the very strongly fortified village of Maurepas. and the French artillery is now free to concentrate on the defences of that fortress. Its capture will mark an advance of great importance. and will be of material assistance to the British in their advance on Guilleniont.