New-York tribune., 1916-07-13
Haig Clears Mametz
and TrOnes, Moves
on Bapaume.
RAIDS PRESAGE
SPREAD OF DRIVE
Offensive May Be Extend
ed to Lille Front
French Halt Attacks.
rRv Cahle 20 II. Tribune J

London, July 12.-The furious oat-
.le continues in the Contalmaison
sector. north of the Somme. Driven
out last night from the Mametz and
Trones woods. lying west of Conta'-
maison. the British succeeded to-day
N winning back the greater part OF
Mametz and in forcing the enemy out
Of larger part Of Trones.
Each hour adds 10 the tierceness OF
the fighting on the British line. The
Germans have brought heavy rein
forcements TO this part Of the front,
acting doubtless on the assumption
that the most serious menace on the
West is General Haig's army.
Since the commencement Of the
hattie the enemy has received large
reinforcements," the British COM
mander reported this morning. Lon
don estimates that no less than 6Oo,-
600 German bayonets oppose the ad-
vance Of the British forces.
British Drive Toward Bapaume.
slowlv-for though the German
line bulwarked by mass of reserves,
rrogress can be made only by a
grinding process-the British are
driving steadily toward the Bapaume
plateau. Their immediate objective
is the crest of the ridge west of the
highland. for this commands the
plateau. and will make its capture
easy.
This advance has a two-fold purpose :;
!. will s.raighten the British line and
so make easy further progress for the
French. whose position is well east
ward of the British front; and 1t VIII
imperil the very important railway
centre Of Bapaume.
The fighting near Contalmaison IS
continuing with bitter stubbornness'
SAYS the German official statement TO-
day. British accounts bear this out
side is suffering. Two heavy attacks
were launched by the Germans to-day
against the newly won British position
in CONTAMINATION. Both were hurled
back. "The very large number Of Ger
man dead in Trones wood shows the
costliness of their attack last night,
savs the British statement.
French Halt on Somme.
The French, in the meantime, have
halted along the Somme. Their artil
l.rv is pounding the German line, ou
the infantry has made no move be
fore the French line advances for
new assault on Peronne an attempt VII
be made 10 push forward the front u
the south. so that the wedge pointed
at Peronne can be strengthened.
Berlin reports the checking OF
great attack" on the Belloy- -Soyecour
front last night This undoubtedly is
forerunner of renewed assaults in thu
region.
When the time comes for the British
and the French to begin fresh assaults
or an extended scale, the ground Is
readv. With Contalmaison and The
two woods on the east in their hands
the British have line running cas-
and west. from which flank attack Is
easy. The Belloy-Estrees line. SOUR
Of the Somme, offers to the frehch
similar opening. a..
Exceedingly heavy assaults on ths
Verdun front have won small gains
with severe losses in men. for the DER
mans. Apparently the Crown Prince
is unmoved in his determination te
carry this venture through to success
however heavy the cost. This incessan'
pounding has called many available
French reserves to the Meuse front.
Effect of Verdun Attacks.
The Kaiser's generals undoubtedly
had assumed that this assault on Yer
dun would weaken any French attacf
south of the Somme. This assumption
from the beginning explains the rapit
advance Of the French, as compared
With the harder progress OF the brlV
ish. The new attack on Nerdun eH
plains, too. the lull in the Frencn oil
iensivs south of the Peronne line.
In the last twenty-four hours there
have come hints that the British woulC
attempt an attack in the Lille sector, ol
even along the line further north. BE
tween the main battlefield and the sea
we have been actively engaged IN pom
harding the enemy's position and rald
ing his first line" says the British OF
hclal statement issued this afternoon.
The Irish Fusiliers and the Seafortf
hlghlanders have taken an active par
IN these enterprises. The Irish pene