Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-07-08
GERMAN Trench
CRUMDLED BY Big GUNS
GREATEST OFFENSIVE OF WAR
LAUNCHED BY BRITISH AND
FRENCH AGAINST GERMANS.
ALLIES Strike ALL FRONTS
Drive of Allies Started After Long and
Careful Preparation-Ovcr Million
Shells Hurled Daily by British
and French Against Teutons.
Latest European War News.

The tremendous offensive which
has been launched by the British army
on the German front is the culmina-
ton of five days battle which, in
the amount of ammunition expended
and in the territory involved, exceeds
anything of the kind that has been
previously known in the world war.
For some weeks reports have been
current in England and France that
the big push" of the British was about
to commence. 1t was stated that En-
gland had 100000 men fully equip
ped and trained in preparation for the
supreme effort to break the German
lines. More than a million shells are
declared TO have been fired daily in
the preliminary bombardment, which
extended over front Of ninety miles
in length.
British and French troops thrown
forward in a huge offensive against
the German lines on both sides Of the
River Somme, sixty miles north OF
Paris, have pen etrated at one point
to depth OF five miles; taken several
villages, and captured a labyrinth Of
trenches extending to a depth OF 1000
yards on a front of seven milss. The
drive, the most spectacular since the
British captured Loos last September,
began Saturday morning after the
German trenches had been bathed in
hail of shells from guns OF every cali
Der for days.
The greatest success gained by the
British was on the right In the cen
ter they captured what are designated
in the official report as many strong
points" along a front of four miles.
But north of the Ancre Valley to
CONNECTICUT powerful counter-attacks
by the Germans have resulted in fore
ing the British back from various Sec
tons of the ground gained in their
first onslaughts.
The town of Albert was the starting
point of one of the fiercest thrusts,
the British advancing from east of the
town of Mont Auban, more than five
miles away. Besides Mont Auban and
Serre, the villages of Hebeturne, La
Boiselle and Mametz have been cap
tured. Two thousand German prison
ers Saturday passed through the Brit
ish collecting stations.
In cooperation with the British, the
French initiated a strong offensive.
South of the Somme they captured
four villages and north of that river
they established themselves in the
neighborhood of Hardecourt and Curlu.
The number of unwounded German
prisoners taken by the French Satur-
day reached $500.
The recapture of the Thiaumont
work by the French also has been eff
fected. This important strategic point
has changed hands several times and
around 1t thousands have fallen.
The fighting is most intense around
Hill 904, lie Mort Homme and Avo-
court.
In the Trentino, the Italians con
tinue to advance along the entire Pc
sina line and in the Arsa Valley. Ar
tillery bombardments mark the action
on the rest of the Austro-Italian front.
While the Russians report progress
south Of the Dniaster river, in Galicia,
the Austro-Germans claim the capture
of Russian works west and northwest
of Lutsk, especially in the vicinity OF
Sokul, Volhynia.
Maintaining their drive against the
Austrians In Galicia In the direction
of Kolomea, the Russians have cap