THE SOMME ADVANCE: BRITISH FIELD BATTERIES MOVING UP TO HARASS THE GERMAN RETREAT NEAR BAPAUME. The German retreat made a great change in Ihe conditions of life for the British field artillery. A war of movement began in which they were continually to bs seen crossing open ground to take up new positions. Our drawing shows a typical case—some field batteries moving up to harass the Germans near Bapaume, about three miles away in the background. The guns had to be brought across country through thick mud. and teams of eight horses were used in place of the usual six. The extra ammunition was brought up by pack-horses, each carrying six to eight rounds in panniers. In the right foreground one of them is seen slipping into a shell-hole. The-road, indicated in th? left back-round by a line of broken trees, could not be used, as it was under heavy shell-fire from German covering batteries. Clouds of their, shrapnel can be seen bursting over it. British infantry may be observed moving up about 100 yards this side of the load, and deploying as the enemy fire becomes heavier. Between the infantry and the field batteries moving up are some teams of ammunition pack-horses going up and returning after dumping their load behind a battery in action. Just behind the right-hand gun of this battery is an artilleryman engaged in registering the new ranges. Other batteries are also seen in action on the far side of the disused road in the left background. In the middle distance on the right one gun is seen being drawn across a bridge over an old trench, on this side of which are the remains of shattered wire entanglements. In the air overhead are several aeroplanes out on reconnaissance. The British artillery has since distinguished itself once more in the great battle of Arras, where it did magnificent work. "The guns," writes Mr Beach Thomas, "destroyed the most thorough earth defences left in Europe."—From Illustrated London News.

Otago Witness, Issue 3300, 13 June 1917, Page 30 (Supplement)

THE SOMME ADVANCE: BRITISH FIELD BATTERIES MOVING UP TO HARASS THE GERMAN RETREAT NEAR BAPAUME. The German retreat made a great change in Ihe conditions of life for the British field artillery. A war of movement began in which they were continually to bs seen crossing open ground to take up new positions. Our drawing shows a typical case—some field batteries moving up to harass the Germans near Bapaume, about three miles away in the background. The guns had to be brought across country through thick mud. and teams of eight horses were used in place of the usual six. The extra ammunition was brought up by pack-horses, each carrying six to eight rounds in panniers. In the right foreground one of them is seen slipping into a shell-hole. The-road, indicated in th? left back-round by a line of broken trees, could not be used, as it was under heavy shell-fire from German covering batteries. Clouds of their, shrapnel can be seen bursting over it. British infantry may be observed moving up about 100 yards this side of the load, and deploying as the enemy fire becomes heavier. Between the infantry and the field batteries moving up are some teams of ammunition pack-horses going up and returning after dumping their load behind a battery in action. Just behind the right-hand gun of this battery is an artilleryman engaged in registering the new ranges. Other batteries are also seen in action on the far side of the disused road in the left background. In the middle distance on the right one gun is seen being drawn across a bridge over an old trench, on this side of which are the remains of shattered wire entanglements. In the air overhead are several aeroplanes out on reconnaissance. The British artillery has since distinguished itself once more in the great battle of Arras, where it did magnificent work. "The guns," writes Mr Beach Thomas, "destroyed the most thorough earth defences left in Europe."—From Illustrated London News.