Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-06

9 3
systematically to reach this ouiiosnk
with larEe-ca1iber shells.
One Of the long-range pieces OF ar
tillery was SUCCESSFUL IN oispoieaux
convoy of the enemy In the oIreCst ~
of Heudicourt, to the northeast OF ST.
Mihiel.
an Alsace. in the vicinity OF Burn
haupt. one of our detachments pene-
trated a German trench, which was
found to be full Of dead bodies.
Counter Attacks Repulsed.
The French offensive has made
steady progress in the last twenty-four
hours. All counter attacks have been
repulsed, a large area Of new territory
has been occupied and extensive CAP
lures of guns and munitions have been
made.
In the first five days Of their battle
against the Germans the French nave
advanced with remarkable uniformity.
The ground gained varied each day In
depth at different points, but the gains
have averaged about the same along
the entire front, and the French are
now firmly installed between the Ger
man second and third lines OF defense
over q front in excess of seven miles
That the French losses have been
comparatively Insignificant is indicated
by the maintenance on the front line
of attack at their own request OF tne
same two army corps that MADE the
first assault on the German positions
last Saturday morning. One OF these
corps distinguished itself before Yer
dun in February after having won
laurels In the battle Of the Marine and
at all parts Of the front where there
has been heavy fighting. The other corps
comprises chiefly colonial troops. and 1t
also is counted among the elite OF the
French army organizations. The gen.
erals commanding each corps were
again congratulated yesterday by Gen.
Foch-
Heavy German Losses.
Not all the divisions of these two
corps have been actually in action. but.
basing the calculations upon 5000 men
made prisoner by these troops, the
French clearly appear to have suffered
only slightly in comparison with the
forces with which they were engaged.
This result is attributed by German
prisoners to the efficiency of the French
heavy artillery.
1T was impossible to keep up the
night under such fire." said one OF the
officers taken prisoner yesterday. I'VE
took counsel and the officers unani-
mously decided to surrender to avoid
useless sacrifice of life.
What we have to do now" the off,
Ger is quoted as adding. lis to save
men for the coming victorious war
which Germany will wage four years
hence"
The new French trenches at the most
advanced point are now in front of
Peronne and the village of Mount St
feet from the point from which, in
1870. the Germans bombarded Peronne.
Second Line Trenches Taken.
The outstanding feature of yester-
days operations was the resumption of
the French advance north of the somme
and the capture of German second po-
sitions there
Complete Preparations had been made
quietly in this section virtually un-
hindered by the Germans. while the
French forces south of the river pulled
up level and got a thorough grip on
the Germans second positions. This
was accomplished by the election of the
Germans from the part of the Estrees
they stiil held and the capture of their
communication between Estrees and
Belloy. The northern troops then
emerged from their trenches Ind dashed
forward a good mile. The Germans
SeCOH0 POSITIONS naO Deen SO QemOl-
ished by artillery that they were I'M
able to make strong resistance except
at the village of Hem, which had been
fortified Here the attacking
house ruin Was ercei Sp0 disputed but
by dint of hard fighting the village
was won, as well as Monacu farm. 30
the southwest
Hem as of considerable Importance. for
1T commands the passage of the river
to Feuilleres, already in their hands.
Its possession thus assures a direct
bond between corps on either side of
the stream.
The Germans are beginning to react
more vigorously as reserves arrive.
particularly south of the Somme, and
the French advance there is holly con-
tested French critics expect that the
energies In defense Of the villages Of Bar
1eux and Vi1lers-Carbonnel The former
bars the ravine lying between the two
plateaux which separate the French
line from Peronne, while the latter, a
village of 500 inhabitants, stands on
the southernmost of the two plateaux,
800 feet high, and rakes the whole val
ley of the Somme as far as Peronne.
Reports French Repulse.
BERLIN. July s. via London.-At-
tempts made by the French yesterday
to advance in the wood southwest of
Fort Vaux. in the Verdun sector, were
repulsed. says the official statement
issued today at the German army head
quarters. Similar efforts made by the
French to recapture the Damloup hill
battery. the statement adds, were I'M
successful
French troops yesterday made an at
tack along a narrow front in the Aisne
district to the south of Vi1Ie-Aux-Bois,
ment says The attack was not sue
losses.
Between the Ancre brook and the
River Somme and in the region south
of the river fighting continues. Minor
progress made by British troops near
ThiepvaL il is added. was balanced by
counter attacks. Farther to the south
the British succeeded in obtaining a
frm foothold in an advanced trench
salient.
The headquarters staff announces
that the small village of Hem in the
Somme valley, has been evacuated by
the Germans.
Belloy -en-Santerre. southwest of
Peronne, has been captured by the
II is added. has come to.a standstill
Official German Version.
The text of the statement follows;
From the coast to the Ancre brook
artillery activity increased in strength