n trenches by assault and established
their new line on the saddle to the north of Maurepas and along the
road leading from the village to Hem. A strongly fortified quarry to
the north of Hem Wood and two small woods were also occupied by the
French troops. During the course of the action in this district they
took 150 unwounded prisoners and ten machine guns.

British air squadrons numbering sixty-eight machines on August 12,
1916, bombed airship sheds at Brussels and Namur, and railway sidings
and stations at Mons, Namur, Busigny, and Courtrai. Of the British
machines engaged in these attacks, all but two returned safely. In
the evening of the same day the British forces attacked the third
German position which extended from the east of Hardecourt to the
Somme east of Buscourt. On this front of about four miles the British
infantry carried the trench and works of the Germans to a depth of
from 660 to 1,100 yards. To the northwest of Pozieres the British
gained 300 to 400 yards on a front of a mile, and also captured
trenches on the plateau northwest of Bazentin-le-Petit.

The French continued to make appreciable gains south of the Somme,
carrying portions of trenches and taking some prisoners. The new
British front to the west of Pozieres was repeatedly attacked and
bombarded by the Germans, and on August 15, 1916, they succeeded in
recapturing trenches they had lost two days before. But they were
unable to hold their gains for more than a day, when the British drove
them out and consolidated the position.

During the afternoon and evening of August 16, 1916, German and French
to the north and south of the Somme engaged in heavy bombardments. At
Verdun the German lines were forced back close to Fleury, the French
taking enemy trenches and smashing a counterattack with their
artillery.

On the afternoon of August 17, 1916, there was hard fighting along the
whole Somme front from Pozieres to the river. The British gained
ground toward Ginchy and Guillemont and took over 200 prisoners,
including some officers. During the night the Germans delivered
repeated attacks against the positions the British had captured, but
only in one instance did they succeed in winning back a little ground.

On August 18, 1916, the British continued to add to their gains,
advancing on a front of more than two miles for a distance of between
200 and 600 yards. As a result of these operations carried out along
the British front from Thiep