Evening star., 1916-09-21
VERDUN
GAIN MORE GROUND
Take Enemy Trenches Near
Thiaumont Work and Ad-
vance East of vaux.
GERMANS LAUNCHING
ATTACKS ON S0MME
British Hold Firm, While Gen.
Jofre's Forces Also Repulse
Teutons.

resumed by the Frencn IN the teEuuIi
region, attacks on the east bank OF the
Meuse gaining them two trenches south
of the Thiaumont work, and some
ground east of Fort Vaux and in the
Chapitre wood.
The Germans launched heavy counter
attacks last night on British positions
south Of the Ancre, on the Somme front,
the war office announced this afternoon.
New Zealand troops, defending the at
tackled positions. beat of the Germans.
with severe losses to them.
Powerful counter attacks by the Ger
mans against the French in the neigh
borhood of Priez farm and Boucha-
vesnes, north of the Somme, were
beaten back yesterday. The battle
ragged many hours along three-mile
front, and the Germans succeeded In
getting temporary foothold In part OF
Bouchavesnes, but were dfslodged with
the bayonet.
Troops Of Crown Prince Rupprecht af
Bavaria are engaged In continuous
hand grenade fighting with entente al
the River Somme. says today's official
statement. issued by the German gen.
eral staff. Ground which had been
gained by Germans in an attack south
west of Rancourt and in Bouchavesnes
was lost. the statement adds. after bit
ter fighting.
Bad Weather Interferes.
The latest French communication fol-
lows:
North of the River Somme the en-
emy have not renewed their activities
along the front between the Priez farm
and the farm of Abbe wood. Bad
weather has interfered materially with
operations on either bank Of the River
Somme.
'In the Argonne an attack Of the en-
emy delivered upon our positions at
Four de Paris resulted in failure be-
cause Of our curtain OF fire. This at
tack was preceded by the explosion OF
a mine.
"on the right bank of the River
Meuse our troops yesterday evening
executed two operations. each OF which
was brilliantly successful. Southeast
Of Thfaumont work We occupied sew
captured over 100 prisoners. inciudins
two officers. We also took two ma
chine guns. In the eastern part OF
Vaux-Chapitre wood we have advanced
our line by about 100 yards. while in
the forest of Apremont one Of our adj
vanced posts repulsed an attack OF the
enemy. in which hand grenades were
used.
"a French air pilot yesterday brought
down a German aeroplane, which fell
near Moislains, to the north Of Per-
onne.
Teutons in Powerful Effort.
Describing the fierce lighting of yes
terday between the French and Ger
mans, Paris says:
North of the Somme the Germans
yesterday made a powerful effort to
Gently won The battle lasted from 8
o'clock in the morning until nightfall
on a front of five kilometers, between
Priez farm and a point south of the
farm of Able wood.
ENEMY masses made repeated at
tacks, preceded each time by violent
artillery preparations. Our troops re-
sisted magnificently all the assaults,
repulsing the attacks with cross fire
of machine guns and artillery. Every
where we held our positions.
"The battle was particularly violent
at the edge of Priez farm and in the
region of Bouchavesnes. In front of
Priez farm four assaultfng waves were
successfully smashed by our fire. The
enemy attack could be seen from our
side to break up and flow back in. dis
order behind q forest. leaving the
ground covered with corpses.
Enemy Is Dislodged.
"1n the sector of Bouchauvesnes the
enemy. who. after several sanguinary
defeats, had succeeded about 1 o'clock
in the afternoon in setting foot in the
northeastern part of the village. was
dislodged with the bayonet in our ir-
resistible attacks. Fifty prisoners, in
c1uding several officers, remained in
our hands.
According to observations made at
the whole front and statements by
prisoners the enemy suffered heavy
losses.
''The usual cannonade occurred on the
remainder Of the front"
German Communication.