Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1916. THE SOMME BATTLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, 20 September 1916, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1916. THE SOMME BATTLE.

SYMPTOMATIC of the increasing German alarm caused by the steady persistent advance of the Allies is the dismissal of German Generals who are unable to stand against the overwhelmI ing strength of the Allies. Every day sees the Allies nearer their immediate | objective on this front, which is the capture of Bapaume and Perorme, and ' it would seem that these strong'holdis will not remain much longer in German hands. It will assist in following the advance to observe ibriefiy the nature of the country in the immediate vicinity of the attack. As described by an authority t'he main German lines confronting the British, who were, of course, on the left of the Frendh, were on the ridge of t>he high ground extending east-south-east from the bend of the Ancre, near Thiepval, to the north and west of Combles. About two-thirds of the way from Thiepval to Combles the ridge is, so to speak, cut in two iby a saddle of lower ground ■between the Foureaux or High Wood, on the north-west, and the Delville Wood on the south-east. This saddle would, of course, be commanded by the army that held the two wooded heights on either side. The main road from Albert (the Allied advanced ibase at the junction of the Ancre and the Somane) to Bapaume crosses theVidge about the centre of its western segment, and Pozieres, with its neighbouring elevated ground, is where the road traverses tihe crest of the ridge. Just over the ridge on the lower land stretching away north-east to Bapaume lie on either side of the road Courcellettes, to the north-west, and: Martinpuich to the south-east. At or close to these villages were posted German batteries, iwhiile masses of German heavy guns were assembled about Beaumont- Hamei and Miraumont, just north of the Ancre, and respectively three miles north-west and 3j miles north-east of Thiepval. The Germans apparently expected that the chief weight of the original Allied, attack would be directed a'gaiinsfc their positions north of the Ancre, somewhere in the Hebutejme district, or .between that place and Arras. Hence their massing of guns at Beau-mont-Hamel and Miraumont. The German lines on the ridge were not only elaborately constructed and intricate, ibut they were strengthened at either end' of tho eight-mile front by a formidable bastion in the shape of a sort of field fortress. One of these 'bastions was the Thiepval position, •which was rendered still more formidable by the fact that its assailants would) ibe exposed directly to the fire of the massed artillery at Beaumont-Hamel and Miraumont. The other bastion was the double field fortress of Guillemont and Ginchy, on the south-eastern edge of the eastern segment of the ridige. Guillemont is about two miles west of Combles, and Ginchy, which is distant from Guillemont barely a mile, is only a mile and a half northwest of Combles. On a spur of the ridge between the GincCiy-Guillemont <bastion and Combles is the 'Leuze Wood. It is clear that the British now command the ridge. Possibly the next important development to take place will be the capture of Combles, situated mid-way between Bapaume and Peronne. Doubtless it is the objective here to drive a wedge between the two towns and in this way endanger botlh.