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Show W - Germans Back On Fourth Line Results of Somme Operations summarized sum-marized n British Statement London, Oct. 4. An ofTlclal statement state-ment Issued hero today gives details of tho fighting on tho somrao front after tho odvanco of September 15, describing tho capturo of villages, Including Combles, Gucudccourt and Thlepval and proceeds: "These vlctoifes brought our front lino t moro than ono point within a mllo of tho German fourth position west of tho Dapaumo-Transloy road." Tho statement continues; "Tho enemy has fought stubbornly to check our advanco and slnco September Sep-tember 1C soven now divisions havo boen brought against us nnd llvo against tho French. Tho severo and prolonged struggle demanded on tho part of our troops very great determination determ-ination nnd courage. "At tho end of September tho situation sit-uation may bo summarized as follows: fol-lows: "Slnco tho opening of th ebattlo on July l wo havo taken 20,735 prisoners and engaged 38 German divisions of which 29 havo been withdrawn exhausted ex-hausted or broken. Wo hold the hald moon upland south of tho Ancre, occupy oc-cupy every height of Importance and so havo direct observation ground to tho east and northeast. Tho enemy has fallen back upon a fourth lino bo-hind bo-hind n low rldgo Just west of tho Ha-paumo Ha-paumo Transloy road. "Tho importance of tho throo months' offensive Is not to bo judged by tho dlstanco advanced or tho number num-ber of enomy trench lines taken. It must bo looked for In tho effect upon tho enemy's strength in numbers, material ma-terial nnd morale Tno chomy lias used up his reserves In repeated costly cost-ly and unsuccessful counterattacks without causing our allies or ourselves our-selves to relax our steady, methodical methodic-al pressure." |
