Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-07-12
bR|T|SH APIURE
1EUTON TRENCHES
Win Foes Positions on Eight
Mile Front.
GERMANS WIN AT vERDuN

kaisers Troops Enter French ros''
lions and Renew Fierce Attacks
Against stronohoId-EnoIlsh
Regain Lost Ground.
London, July 1.-THE British Of
fensive In Picardy has captured the
entire first system of German de-
lenses on front Of eight miles. Five
fortified villages, many redoubts, an
elaborate system Of trenches e 9
depth Of from one to two miles, 7,5OO
prisoners and invaluable booty has
been taken by the forces Of Sir Doug
las Haig.
Contamination and Trones wood have
been stormed and recaptured in the
last "a hours.
Rina Of Fire Around Peronne.
With the French capture Of Hill ",
from which ring of fire is now be-
ing dropped around Peronne, the en-,
tire second line and part Of the third
line of defense is now in peril.
Per0nne itself is in imminent dam
Rer and its evacuation at any moment
u not unlikely.
Germans Gain At verdun.
Paris, July 12.-While relative calm
prevailed on both sides Of the Somme,
according to the official communion
ton issued by the French war office,
heavy fighting occurred on the right
bank Of the Mouse, in the Verdun Sec
tor. German forces succeeded In gain
ing footing in the Damloup battery
and In some sections of the French
line In the Fumin wood.
Small detached operations enabled
the French to clear completely the
wood north of La Maisonnette, won
earlier in the day. French troops also
occupied some underground passages
between Estrees and Bally-au-Sau-
terre.
A heavy bombardment is being
carried out in the whole region
around Verdun, the Germans having
renewed their attacks on the front Of
the Fleury station, the Vaux wood,
C0ap1tre and CnenNS.
Recaptures Trones Wood.
London, July 12.-The British recap
tured nearly the whole Of the Trones
wood, the war Office announced. All
but the northernmost end Of the wood
u again in British hands.
The British lines north Of the
Somme are being brought up gradu-
ally to level with those Of the
French farther south.
London, July 12.-After a bloody
battle, which was marked no less by
the violence of the direct attacks
than by the fury Of the counter
assaults Of the Germans, the English
are again In the, shell-ruined village
-ef Contalmais son on the Somme front.
Official announcement of the recap
sture OF CONTAMINATION was made BY the
British war Office at noon,
The British had previously taken
the town, after it had been shattered
by artillery fire, but had to give it up.
"A second drive was, launched, and
after series of night attacks the Ger
mans were again driven out.
Contamination lies between the Ancre
and the Somme rivers, about eight
miles south of Bapaume, the immedi-
ute objective Of the British offensive.
General Haig, in announcing the
victory, reported that 1S9 German pris-
oners were taken.
...x1~- ,,% e,k1 I'D
lines Of enemy trenches in the Mametz
wood" added General Haig. "The
Yreater part of the wood Is now'i our
possession" -,
Heavy fighting continues in the
Trones wood, north of Hardecourt. !
counter-Attack RepuIsed.
The Germans made strong coun-
ter-attack at CONTAMINATION, but were
beaten off with heavy losses. The
whole village, General Haig reported,
Is in the hands of the British. In the
fighting for the Mametz wood the Brit
ish took 296 prisoners.
Twenty-Five villages all fortified to
the highest degree Of which the Ger
mans are capable, have been captured
by the Anglo-French armies since the
great offensive of the Somme began.
Peronne, lying bare mile across
the Somme from the French advanced
lines, and the next important prize to-
ward which the French are advancing,
lies within grasp of General Foch.'s
army. iS.4 ssessa
!. Dispatches from headquarters
showed that the village Of Biaches,
one mile from Peronne, was captured
by the French in the same dashing
spirit that drove the enemy out of
Dompierre, Hardecourt and other
strongly fortified points.
Dompierre, with it's entire first.line
German positions, was taken in fifty
minutes and Hardecourt in only thirty
Ave. The Germans resisted more stub
bornly mt Biaches, hut within less than
two hours the village and all it's strong
Notifications were in the hands Of the
French.
The war office admitted that Ger
man troops entered 200 yards of
French trenches in Lorraine east Of
Reillon.
AeropIane Raid on England.
Berlin, via Sayville wireless, July II.
Two German naval aeroplanes borh-
barded the British coast Notifications
at Dover and Harwich on the night Of
July 9-1O, the admiralty announced.