The Dermott news., 1916-07-06
uNPREcE0ENTEp 6OMsARDMENT OF SEVEN DAYS PRECEDED
 THE ATTACK
BATTLEGR0WS MORE INTENSE
Russians Continue Their Drive South of Dniester Having Captured 217.. 900 Austrians Since June-ltaI.
 ians Continue Advance

London grand offensive on the western front began by the Brit ish and French on both sides of the River Somme 60 miles north of Parls. has already resulted in great wedge being driven into the German lines along q 16-mile front with ifs sharp point penetrating nearly five miles.
 At o'clock the British had pushed from a short distance east of Albert as far as Montauban, more than five miles away, and had repulsed q Ger, man counter-attaek on that village
 Both to the north and to the sou'n a number of other villages. including Hebetrun, Serre. La Boissele and Ma metz, had been swept out of German hands, some of them only after de termined resistance by their de lenders
 Fricourt, three miles east of Albert. was still in German possession in the early evening but with tbe capture of Montauban and Nametz to the east md southeast of it. and La Relsse'le to the northeast. the place was nearly surrounded and is speedy surrender seemed inevitable
 Further south the French are coop erating with the British and have taken the village of Curlu and scored other notable advances
 The entente allies, drive was begun against German trenches leveled at= ter a seven-day bOmhardmeat, Tn which more than 1000 GOO shots daily had been fired.
 Battle Grows More Intense.
 The progress of the battle has been marked by steadily increasing inten- sity of the fighting North of the River Ancre it has been particularly severe The enemy in several viii Iages offered strenuous resistance. but the gallantry of the British troops resulted in their gradually workin. around various strong points.
 With Fricourt now nearly surround- ed the British further north are or both sides of the Gommecourt salient. and the village of Mametl now fs com pletely in their hands. A German counter attack on Montauban was sue cessfully repulsed The number of prisoners so far taken in this reg'2n is about 1 .500. The reeoi>i naturally is incomplete. and other prisoners are being brought in Tho operations are being favored by fine Wather.
 The battle is characterized by 'he British effort to surround villages which the Germans have made a strong point of resistance
 At 6 o'clock the British wore around Gommecourt and Beaun1ortHa"els and fighting at this time was con tinuing determinedly the first stlee of what promised to be long action developing.
 Among the troops opposite the Brit ,sb. it has been found. were the Prus sian guard reserve division which fought at Loos and Neuye Chanpe
 Many Prisoners Are Taken.
 The British are GehH0e eal'anA= and have taken many prisoners in the front lines
 The French. advancing on the BrIIISn TlGuls Nlt Ati'iF Ills " t"sA t.' steadiness. After the assault they very quickly covered a distance of two kilometers beyond inc German front line. Thus far the day has gone well for France and Ensland.
 The British offensive was preceded by a bombardment of a week, com pared with the bombardment of 2f days before the advance al Loos last September. The shorter duration of the artillery preparat ion, however. was more than made up for by its intensity.
 The terrible effect of the British fire was described from day 10 day by correspondents all of whom agreed that nothing to equal it had occurred before on the British front >~>-~~->-~--~~--~>->~----~->