The Harrison times., 1916-07-08
UNPRECEDENTED 6oMBARDMENT
OF SEVEN DAYS PRECEDED
THE ATTACK.
CATTLE GROWS MORE INTENSE
Russians Continue Their Drive South
of Dnlester Having Captured 217,.
600 Austrians Since June-ltaI-
ians Continue Advance.

London.-Ihe grand offensive on
the western front began by the Brit
fish and French on both sides of the
River Somme, 60 miles north of Paris,
has already resulted in a great wedge
being driven into the German lines
along a 16-mile front, with its sharp
point penetrating nearly five miles.
At 6 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 a Ger.
man counter-attack on that village.
Both to the north and to the south
number of other villages, including
Hebetrun, Serre, La Boisselle and Ma
metz, had been swept out of German
hands, some OF them only after de-
termined resistance by their de-
tenders.
Fricourt, three miles east Of Albert,
was still in German possession in the
early evening, but with the capture Of
Montauban and Mametz, to the east
and southeast of it, and La Boisselle,
to the northeast, the place was nearly
surrounded and its speedy surrender
seemed inevitable.
Further south the French are coop
Grating with the British and have
taken the village Of Curlu and scored
Cfhor noto hla advances
The entente allies drive was begun
against German trenches leveled af-
ter a seven-day bombardment, IN
which more than 1000, 900 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 vii
lagos offered strenuous resistance,
but the gallantry Of the British troops
resulted in their gradually working
around various strong points
With Fricourt now nearly surround
cd the British further north are on
both sides of the Gommecourt salient,
and the village of Mametz now Is COM
pletely in their hands. A German
counter-attack on Montauban was sue
cessfully repulsed. The number OF
prisoners so far taken in this region
is about 1900 The record naturally
is incomplete, and other prisoners are
being brought in. The operations are
being favored by fine wather.
The battle is characterized by the
British effort to surround villages
which the Germans have made a
strong point Of resistance.
At 6 o'clock the British were around
Gommecourt and BeaumontHamel,
and fighting at this time was con-
tinuing determinedly, the first stage
of what promised to be long action
developing.
Among the troops opposite the Brit
ish, il has been found, were the Prus-
sian guard reserve division which
fought at Loos and Neuve Chappelle.
Many Prisoners Are Taken.
The British are fighting gallanuy
and have taken many prisoners in the
front lines.
The French, advancing on the
British right, are moving with great
steadiness. After the assault they
very quickly covered a distance of two
kilometers beyond the German front
line. Thus far the day has gone well
for France and England.
The British offensive was preceded
by a bombardment Of week, com
pared with the bombardment OF 81
days before the advance at Loos last
September. The shorter duration OF
the artillery preparation, however
was more than made up for by It's
intensity.
The terrible effect of the British
fre was described from day to day
by correspondents, all of whom
agreed that nothing 10 equal It had
occurred before on the British front,
Scientific Explanation.
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