The Washington times., 1916-07-03
Allied Armies Roll Forward Un-
der Blazing Sun In Worlds
Greatest Battle.
FIGHTING MORE INTENSE
Artillery Has Been Pounding
German Line in Flanders for
a. Hours Now.
BY ED L. KEEN.

LONDON. July 3.-Under a blasting
July sun, the allied armies are pushing
on across the rolling farmlands Of the
Somme region today in what IL rapidly
developing into the greatest battle In
the history of the world.
The fighting not only Is growing more
intense with the arrival Of German
reserves. but threatens to spread along
the whole of the 1lo-mile front from
Somme to the sea.
British artillery has been pounding the
German line In flanders with the most
a Rotterdam dispatch today.
The. sound of ships guns has been
heard along the Flanders coast
Supposedly British monitors have
lery. whose rumble may be heard across
tho chr nncl In London.
berlin dispatches to the United Fress
Saturday night expressed the belief
that the British will deliver their most
powerful stroke further north In
F1anders.1
Gunfire Without Cessation.
The gun fire on the Flanders front
continued throughout yesterday with
out cessation. said the Rotterdam dis
patch. which added
''No such tremendous cannonading for
such long period without break has
been heard since the first coast battle
nearly two years ago." ..
The fighting on the 25-mile front over
which the British and French armies
are drying eastW wa ,orH co me
ing huge losses in men. No estimate OF
the British or French losses has reached
London. but the German losses In the
first thirty-six hours are said to have
exceeded 10000.
$500 Dead in One Village.
In the village Of Dompierre alone. 1900
German dead were counted after three
French regiments had fought their way
In with bayonets and bombs.
men %ounde edp by shei.r ree before the
infantry attack began. The artillery's
curtain-fire made It impossible to effect
their rescue. They bled to death under
The Anglo Frer.ch offensive. after the
first thrust deep into the German lines
has now resolved itself into a steady
rolling movement: with Bapaume and
The German counter-attacks are hour
ly growing more vigorous and have
checked and bent back the British left
which advanced rapidly into the villages
Of Serre when the offensive opened
Saturday morning.
The British center. north II Albert. Is
also under terrific counter-attack.
East of Albert where the extreme
British right links up with <be French
Driven out of La Boisselle. Fricourt.
Mametz. Contamination. and Montauban.
the Germans are lighting with despera.
ton to save important highway lines OF
communication which imperil both Ba-
paume and Peronne.
South OF the Somme. the French placed
themselves within bare seven miles of
Peronne by the capture Of Dompierre.
Frise, and Becquincourt.
British Cautious.
The British public. far from being in
toxicated by the early successes, is pre-
pared for the development of a cam
paign lasting perhaps several months.
The people OF England realize the vast
difference in the character Of the pres
cnt offensive and that inaugurated by
General Brusiloff on the Austro- German
Ing advance with small gains. They ex-
bect heavy German counter attacks and
tonne allied reverses.
General Haig. according to all dis
patches from the front. Is carefully
conserving his men, preparing the way
for each attack with the most tre-
mendous artillery attack ever seen In
Critics here unite in declaring that
the allies now have larger munition
reserves than the Germans. and give
1ull credlt 10 minister OF MunitlOHs
Lloyd-George for that superiority.
In some spots behind the German lines
shells were bursting at the rate of
ninety per minute, one correspondent re-
ported. They fell In streams on the
village of Thiepval, which was blown
to pieces.
During the night preceding the begin
ming of the infantry attack the shell.
fire In some places was 80 Intense thai
a blur Of light seemed to run along
the front.
The Germans. waiting nervously In
their dugouts for the blow they knew
was about to come, sent MP hundreds OF
Rockets throughout Friday night. They
lighted the whole front in order to
catch sight OF the first line Of British
infantry.
Effect Easily Seen.
Under the greenish glare OF the Ger
man illuminating bombs the terrible ef
feet OF British bombardment was easil,
discerned from behind the battle line.
The British soldiers. hugging thei
trenches under the steady torrent Q
shells that poured overhead. wrote let
ters home and went to sleep early. They
knew without being told that the inten
styling OF the bombardmept meant tn
order to attack would come shortly afte
dawn.
The British reserves began comin