Evening star., 1916-07-27
BRITISH PREPARE !.
TORENEW DRIVE
=
Artillery Activity Particularly
Marked in Regions North
of Somme.
HAND-T0-HAND FIGHTS :
AT VARIOUS POINTS
Germans Now Have Their Greatest
Concentration Of Big Guns
Trained on Enemy. s

LONDON, July 27.-Heavy
shelling of the German lines on
the Somme front by British guns
is in progress following the sue
cess of Gen. Sir Douglas Haig in
clinching his hold upon Pozieres,
possession of which was neces-
sary to a further advance toward
Bapaume, his objective.
There was great activity
throughout the night by the Brit
ish artillery, apparently in prep
aration for a renewal of the at
tack. The Germans in reply are
using quantities of gas and eye
irritating shells, evidently in ef-
forts in interfere with the opera
tions of the British infantry,
which is being kept in close touch
with the Germans, hand-to-hand
fighting at various points being
reported.
Germans Claim Success.
British hand grenade attacks against
the German lines to the west Of the
town of Pozieres in the Somme region
were repulsed yesterday according to
81,
army headquarters today. South of the
River Somme a French attack launched
at point northeast of Barleux failed.
the statement adds.
In the Verdun. region several strong
French attacks were carried out In
the region of Froide Terre and Fleury,
but they were repulsed. according to
Berlin Fighting continues at some
points. =
Germans Are Confident.
| HEADQUARTERS OF THE GERMAN
ARMY ON THE SOMME, July 26, via
London. July 27.-The French and BRIT
ish, giving themselves no rest are con-
tinuing their efforts to widen the sack-
like position north and south of the
Somme wherein they are now pinned
on three sides by German armies. Both
German officers and men are confident
of their ability to hold their own, and
are aided by the most powerful aggre-
cation of artillery which Germany has
as yet accumulated in any single bat
tie theater.
The great allied offensive has not
availed 70 check the rich harvest of the
fertile lands in the occupied French
nrn Tha wi RI
er of the sword and plowshare. too. has
planted the fields right up to the line
of trenches. and not the least striking
impression of the long automobile tour
made by the Associated Press corre-
spondent on the front of Picardy and
lie de France was left by the sight OF
army soldier-harvesters swinging era
dies in broad fields of ripened rye.
loading stacked sheaves into wagons
and feeding the threshing machines in
utter disregard of the great battle
raging almost within rife shot.
Sometimes within actual range SOL
diers in some instances reaped the crop
under the fire of their enemy.
The crack guard regiment gathered
a crop of hay from a field so close to
the French that the grass could De
cut only at night and carried back to
vacant fields, where it could be spread
and cured
Harvest Worth the Risk.
The harvest will be well worth the
risk Great fields of wheat: oats. rye
and potatoes, all showing remarkably
good condition. despite the lack OF
artificial fertilizers. were to be seen
on every hand. The wheat and rye
were particularly filled out and an
officer of the German army,
who was encountered by the cor
respondent during his tour, sara
casually that the crops of grain and
vegetables in the occupied districts OF
France would be sufficient to supply
the needs of the army.
a,naup1n ArrAnHo nAoT