od, which was still full of cunningly hidden machine guns, and then
went steadily through it. This wood, which was described as a horrible
place, with its heaps of dead and shattered defenses, was effectually
cleaned out by the British and occupied by them, and a line was
established due north of the farthest extremity for about 1,000 yards.

Flers was captured by the British by successive pushes in which the
"tanks" again demonstrated their value. Leading the way, these
monsters waddled through the village, shattering barricades, crushing
their way through masonry and creating general alarm among the German
troops, who saw these formidable war engines for the first time.

In the capture of Courcelette, Flers, and Martinpuich the British air
service successfully cooperated with the movements of the artillery
and infantry. During the day, September 15, 1916, thirteen German
aeroplanes and kite balloons were destroyed, and nine others were
driven down in a damaged condition. The British reported that four of
their machines were lost.

On the following day, September 16, 1916, the Germans attacked the
British positions around Flers and along the Les Boeufs road, and were
beaten off. The British line which had been held and lived in for a
day was now little more than a series of shell holes linked by a
shallow trench. Though "the air was stiff with bullets" as an officer
described it, the British troops climbed out of their shattered
position and pushing on took possession of a more satisfactory trench
ahead, where they consolidated and sat down. This last small advance
cost the British more casualties than all the other operations during
the two days' fighting.

CHAPTER VI

CAPTURE OF COMBLES--AIR RAIDS

Meanwhile the Allied troops--the French on the south, the British on
the north--made steady progress in hemming in Combles. The French
increased their gains by storming Le Priez Farm and against severe
attacks held their gains north and south of Bouchavesnes. In another
dashing attack they took by assault a group of German trenches south
of Rancourt, some of their troops pushing forward to the edge of the
village. South of the Somme they advanced east of Deniecourt and
northeast of Berny, taking several hundred prisoners and ten machine
guns. The closing-in process around Combles went steadily forward.

In the evening of September 17, 1916, the British forces in the
vicinity of Courcelette extended their ga