The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-08
IMPORTANT SUCCESSES

"S:44 D. m.-Despite stubborn resistance on the part of the enemy, our infantry, well assisted by our artillery, have pushed their advance with the utmost gallantry throughout this morning and gained sev- eral important successes.
 South of Thiepval, after a fierce pre- liminary bombardment, a further portion of the immensely strong work known as the Leipzig redoubt was carried by as sault This redoubt is situated in a salient of the German line and the enemy has exerted all his ingenuity over Its fort iications during the last 20 months
 Farther south, one of our brigades. at tacking from the west, forced it's way across 800 yards of the German front line trenches into the enemy's defenses in Ovillers Fierce fighting now is in prog ress for possession of the village.
 ''Following our successes of last night east of La Boisselle we advanced our line over a maze of German trenches on a front of nearly 20OO yards to a depth of 800 yards.
 North of Fricourt, linking up with the above attack, we drove the enemy from two woods and three lines of trenches.
 About 10 a. m the Prussian Guards were thrown into the fight east of Contal- maison in a desperate effort to force us back. The attack was crushed by our tlre, The enemy subsequently, lell DdIh to the north, leaving 700 prisoners of va rious regiments in our hands, About noon our infantry carried the village of Con- talmaison by storm, but we were sub seouently forced out again by strong counter attack.
 'tThe enemys casualties today must have been very severe. Large numbers of troops retiring over the open, were caught by our artillery and the village of Tl,. Datf haa a time when it was seen to be full of German reserves.
 An officer prisoner states that his bat tafion came under a raking machine gun fire from one of our aeroplanes, which was flying over the battlefield at an al- titude of 5000 feet Shortly afterwards the same battalion was heavily shelled by our long-range guns.
 Heavy rain has been falling through out the day and the sodden ground and flooded state of the trenches added tr the difficulty experienced by our troops. UNABLE TO STICK 1 Paris. July 7.-Repeated and violent at | Jacks by the Germans on the French posi- l tions at Thiaumont enabled them to op | tain footing in the French advances
 trenches, but they were driven out by l a counter-attack according to the of | ficial statement issued by the French wal | office tonight.
 | No action is reported from the Sommt | sector.
 | The text of the statement follows: | "On both sides of the Somme there was | no action of importance during the day. i Between the Disc and the Aisne a sur. | prise attack attempted by the enemy dur l ing the night at Moulin-Sous-T -Touven1
 completely failed.
 i "On the right bank of the Mouse fairly | spirited fighting occurred during the day l The Germans launched several attack: | successively in the region of Thiaumont | which were preceded by a bombardmen | of our position. In one of these at | tacks they succeeded in obtaining a foot l ing in our advanced trenches but oul l counter attack, delivered about o'clock | enabled us to re-esta blish our line, whicl | reaches to the immediate neighborhood 0 | the Thiaumont work. All other attempt of the enemy to advance in this secto
 were repulsed by the fire of our mitrail leuses and cost him serious losses. l, "A very violent artillery bombardmen | continues in the sector north of Souvil | and in the region of La Laufee. Tn
 usual cannonading is in progress on tn | rest of the front
 i Belgian communication: Tn the cours | of the morning a rather violent artiller, l battle took place in the region of Nieu port and east of Ramschappelle. We hay
 continued with success our pombardmen