Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-07
Mastery Strategy Of French
Manifested on the
Somme /.
FORMING EcHELoNs
Teutons, Attacking Below River
Suffer Heavy Losses--Crucial Posi-,
tions in Danger

London, July British troops hav'
captured thousand yards OF German
trenches in severe fighting east 0
La Boisselle feast Of Albert), Gen
eral Haig reported this afternoon.
The gain is one of the most I'M
portant advances scored by the Brit
tsh since the first day Of the allies
great offensive.
Severe fighting is going on on tne
3 La Boisselle sector, Haig reported L
The Germans have suffered heavy los
ses. -,
Paris, July. THE lull in the Tight
ing on the French front on both sides
of the River Somme. where the al.
lied offensive is under way, continued
throughout last night. The war office
TODAY reported utter calm on the SOM
me front.
Berlin, July la severe check has
been administered to the British ar
mics in the combined Anglo-French
offensive, according to reports receiv-
ed here today, and the British have
suffeerd unusually heavy losses.
Since the opening day of the Brit
ish attack, General Haig's army has
been unable to make any Important
gains against the German line. Fore
ed .to:abandon shell-wrecked first-hne
positions, the Germans retired to
their second line north of the Somme,
where they threw back time and
again British infantry assaults.
It is well understood mere that the
British will resume the offensive, per-
haps with greater violence than mark
ed the first day of the forward move
ment, but the manner in which the
the Germans wall withstood the first
shock has inspired the greatest con-
fidence in Berlin.
Paris, July THE French often
sive along the Somme has made
steady progress, so that the left OF
the advance now rests on Hardecourt
and the right on Estrees,i while the
entire intervening front has beer
transformed within the last four days
from one of irregular lines, that ex'
posed some positions to fiankine
fire, into homogeneous line with
out assures or dangerous wedges.
The solidity of this front isl il
marked contrast with the fronts il
the battles of the Champagne and th'
Artois, the irregularity of which
permitted of a heavy cross fire be
ing broughtc.to bear upon the more
advanced points.
That part of the present front fac
ing Peronne has the classic form O.
two echelons on two sides of Peron
me, which is said to be the only ont
of the .:well-known dispositions lait
down in ancient tactics that has sur
vived the revolutionizing develop
ments, of the present war :.
The right of this Formations is pro
tec:ed by defensive curve that unit
ed the new front with the old line
Tacticians declare! the maneuver
that accomplished this formation con
stituted one of the most notable stra
tegic phases of the war. = ).
Violent counter attacks by the Ger
mans on the French lines on bot
banks Of the somme were repplse'
with heavy losses: to the attackers
according to the official statement. is
sued by the French War Office.
u London, July THE results of tn
staff conferences of the Entente Al
lies in London in May and June ar
becoming continually more apparent
the coordination of the allied attack
ON the sTeutonic forces, and increasin
evidence of the initiative passing frol
the Teutons to the allies at all mo!
all points.
AS the French and British armit
now are engaged in reorganizing an
preparing for the second phase of tt
battle of the Somme, there is a CON
parative lull ON the western from
and Russia again takes the cent,
of the stage. Yesterdays news fro
Petroerad is highly important in II
light of the future development