Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-18
British Alone of Entente AL
lies Able to Make
Gains
ADVANCE 100 YARDS
Germans Confident They Can Hold
Back Assaults of British and French
In the West

Paris, Aug. 18-By a powerful at
tack on the northeast front of Verdun
last night, the French completely re-
captured the village of Fleury, driv-
ing the Germans from that part of
the village which they still held, it
was officially announced today.
The crown princes forces still re-
tain a few ruins outside and east OF
ykhe village near the Chapitre forest.
The French also advanced west OF
the town, between Thiaumont and
Fleury, taking fifty prisoners.
The French blow was struck on
the l7Sth day of the great battle for
the fortress city. 1t was preceded by
a terrific bombardment and heavy
curtain fire that prevented the Ger
mans from bringing up reserves.
London, Aug. 18-Attacking fierce
ly on all three of the principal battle
fronts, the forces of the Central
Powers have checked temporarily at
least, the Entente Allies, except on
the Somme front, where the official
announcement by the British War Of
fee last night says the British have
mada another advance, taking 100
wards of trenches northwest of Bazen-
tin.
Even in this section the Germans
are .counter-attacking, having deli
vered yesterday six determined as
saults on British trenches northwest
of Pozieres, all of which were repuls-
ed with heavy losses to the attackers.
There were no infantry attacks
yesterday on the French section oil
the Somme front, but violent artil-
lery duel is in progress north of
Maurepas.
A high military officer of the
French Army, in explaining the opera
tions on the Somme front, said:
"The operations Wednesday were
merely a detail of the offensive and
of only local bearing, but significance
is derived from the fact that the Ger
mans did not counter-attack as usual.
Never before have they failed to re-
act when successfully attacked. and
their failure to do so in this case is
either a sign of weakness or, more
likely, because of confusion of orders.
"The precision with which the
French offensive has been carried out
is shown by the fact that every OBJ
jective designated in advance of an
action has been reached. At Maure-
pas a certain number of houses were
selected and every one of them was
captured and occupied; it never was
intended tc attempt the occupation of
the entire village.
One consequence of this precision
in the French operations is the re-
duction of losses to the minimum.
The operations in Artois end in Cham
pagne cost five times more than all
the ground gained on the Somme. The
purpose is to destroy the German
forces, and the Franco-British defen
sive also has accomplished the feat
of holding on the western front the
greater possible portion of the Ger
man forces.
Tt is faflacious to figure out the
probable duration of hostilities on
French soil by computing the average
surface of ground gained a day. Every
time an action takes place, even
though the gain may be no more than
hundred yards or so, the opposition
is beaten. He loses heavily and the
weakening moral effect cannot be
measured in yards. 1t is a cumula-
tive effect which sooner or later will
wear the enemy down so that he Will
be unable to hold the French gains to
a few hundred yards.