Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-01
London Hears of Fight
With Great Enthusiasm;
Expect Heavy Losses

London, July 1.-After weeks of in
tense bombardment with guns of every
cahber firing a million shells daily,
the British early this morning
launched a general offensive against
the German line along front of
twenty miles north of the river Somme
They succeeded in taking the German
front line trenches and capturing many
men.
The French on the British right CO.
operated in tine attack. When the last
dispatches thus far received left Brit
lsh headquarters the fighting was still
progressing and further successes, it
was said, were being recorded.
The front selected for the British
offensive was decided upon many
weeks ago and the bombardment of
the rest of the line as we'll as the fire.
quent raids which procured for British
Headquarters Important information as
10 the disposition of the Germans was
designed to keep the German generals
guessing as to the point at which they
would be called upon to meet the
brunt of the attack. This is the first
ume since the outbreak of the war
.i'dt me Intention OF an army TO un-
| dertake an offensive has been so well
advertised a week ago, when the Ger
man attacks against Verdun began to
make further headway and it was
reared the army of the crown prince
was getting within a distance of Ver-
oun which was dangerous for the
allies. the British guns began to speak.
since then, except for the hours when
British infantrymen were raiding Ger
man trenches, continual lombard
ment has been maintained.
Batteries Take Turns
Batteries which now are innumer-
able took turns at smashing the Ger
man defenses, destroying communi-
cation trenches and blowing up am
munition depots. New trench mortars,
| particularly destructive, tore away
wire entanglements, broke down para
| pets and generally opened the way for
men with rifles and bayonets. Big
guns of 15 inches and other large
| calibers prevented the Germans from
bringing up supports, wrecking every
thing within range.
! The artillery fire was particularly
/ intense on stretch of the front north
of the Somme and earlier dispatches
/ told of the destruction of the towns OF
/ Thiepval and BeauCourt, where the
Germans had concentrated ammu-
milton. Early this morning more guns
We're brought into action on this
| twenty-mile sector and for an hour
ana half the Germans were subjected
to bombardment which is described
as the fiercest experienced in this war
of heavy artillery.
London Enthusiastic
The news of the British offensive,
which was quickly circulated in Lon
| don, created the greatest enthusiasm
and details of the battles are being
anXiously awaited. Only this morning
| the correspondents at the front for
British newspapers, while writing of
the British artillery and raiding sue
cesses, warned the public that an ad-
vance must be made by infantry and
not by artillery, and that the British
army could not expect to come out Of
| the engagement scatheless. First ac-
counts of the battle state the British
casualties were not heavy.
Frantic Rush for PaDcrs
The news spread throughout Lon
don like wildire, There was a frantic
rush to obtain special editions of the
evening newspapers. Along the Strand
and other thoroughfarcs there was d
turmoil of excitement. From the tons
of buses passengers, especially SOL
diers, Cheered the tidings which had
been awaited so eagerly. Men and
women in little groups scanned the
special editions, then broke out in
cheers of joy
The war Office announced that the
necessary passenger traffic between
Great Britain and the continent would
be regulated closely and reduced as
far as possible. Only those having
serious reasons are permitted to travel.
To prevent transmission of naval or
military information. all passengers
baggage will be searched.