Evening star., 1916-07-22
Assaults Near DamIoup, File
Morte and Near st. Die
All Prove Futile.
APPARENTLY PLANNING
FOR FURTHER ASSAULTS
British Subjected to Intensive Bonn.
bardment, Gas Shells Being
Freely Used. +

Germans are preparing for further at.
tacks in an effort to check the allied Of
fensive in northern France. An inten-
sive bombardment of the British lines
at several places is being carried out,
gas shells and tear-producing projec-
tiles being freely used. The British
guns are replying vigorously.
The afternoon bulletin from Paris ig-
nores the Somme front. where the
French presumably are busy consolidat-
ing their positions on the ground won
from the Germans in Thursdays as
sault. In the Verdun sector the Ger
mans attacked French position south
Of Damloup. northeast of the fortress.
but were repulsed. They are heavily
bombarding the Fleury and Fumin
wood sectors in this region.
German attacks on French trenches
at File Morte. in the Argonne. and
northwest of ST. Die, in the Vosges.
were repulsed.
The Germans, in an attack on tho
British on the northern edge of the
Letpsic salient, succeeded Friday in oc-
cupying British front trenches, but
later were driven out, according to the
British official communication issued at
midnight. Elsewhere along the British
front comparative calm prevailed.
French Official Report.
The latest French statement follows:
Between the Disc and the Aisne we
of the enemy in the region of Moulin
G~t ~
ploded mine with good results at
Bolente. A surprise attack of the
enemy against a small position at File
Morte was repulsed.
"On the right bank Of the Meuse
(Verdun 'front.' there was a violent
bombardment Of the sectors of Fleury
and Fumtn wood. An attack by the
enemy on a trench south of Damloup
was beaten back by our fire.
In the Vosges, after a spirited bonn
bardment. the Germans delivered an at
tack at II o'clock last night against
our positions northwest of ST. Die. 1t
ives repulsed with heavy losses.
Aeroplane Activity.
'One of our aeropIane souadrons yes-
terday bombarded three times the rail-
way station at Metz-Sablons. throwing
115 bombs Of great size on the railway
buildings and tracks. The bombard-
ment must have caused great damage.
In the course Of one of these expedi-
tions German aviator who was pur-
suing our squadron was brought down.
One OF our machines was compelled to
land after an accident and has not re-
turned. This morning a German ayi-
ator dropped bombs on Belfort, caus-
Ing neither casualties nor damage"
British Communication
The British statement of last night
says:
Except for local encounters there
has been a comparative lull in the
main battle area Friday and there has
been no change in the situation since
the last report.
1.-The enemy made a bombing attack
on the north edge of our positions in
the Leipsic salient and succeeded at
one point in entering our front
Taking advantage of the fine wealth
er, the royal flying corps yesterday con-
tinued their bombing operations against
points of military Importance with sue
cessful results. The hostile aircraft
were inactive until evening, when a
good deal of fighting took place behind
the German lines. One of our offensive
patrols encountered eleven German ma
chimes. and. as a result, three German
were shot down. one bursting
into flames.
Fokker Is Shot Down.
Another encounter between four of
our machines and six of the enemy
lasted forty-flve minutes. One Fokker
damaged. The remainder fed.
man machine was forced to the ground
Our total loss during the day was one
TT now has been esta blished that the
enemy's assault on July 1s on the Del
vile wood area over a front OF 1000
Saftal,ons was dna%n aUn from four @ diersns
divisions. The enemy's losses were cor
great"
German Version OF Fighting.
Tho latest German statement reads:
IAN attack by the English in the re-
zion OF Fromelles on Wednesday was
we have established, by two
strong divisions The brave Bavarian
division, before whose front the at
tack took place. counted on the ground
in front Of them more than 1000 en-
emy killed, ana Drought IN nitnertO
4s1 prisoners, including ten officers
and sixteen machine guns.
"On both sides Of the Somme the en-
emy yesterday. as was expected. pre-
pared to deliver a main blow, but il
failed. After the strongest fire prepa-
ration over froIt of about forty kilo-
meters (about twenty-seven mileS) at
tacks were made from south of Pozi.
eres to west of Vermandovillers. Moro
than seventeen divisions, with moro
than 100000 men. participated in the
attacks.
.The result for the enemy is that the
first line of the German division along
4 front of about three kilometers south
If Hardecourt was pressed back from
ts foremost trenches into the next
.renches, lying 800 meters behind. and
.nemy divisions penetrated into the
,alient of the little wood of Nerman-
dovtllers.
Extraordinary Losses Reported.
"On the entire remaining front the
wild onsets broke to pieces against
he death -defying loyalty of our troops.
With extraordinary losses for the
enemy Up to the present seventeen
,ficers and 1900 men have been cap