The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-08
German Counter-Attacks on
Both Sides of Somme Re.
pulsed and Trenches taken
COMPARATIVE CALM in
PICARDY FOR BRITISH
Approach of Winter May
Cause Halt in Operations Of
Big Push-kaiser's Presence
Heartens His Men

London, Sept. 7.-Repulsing Ger.
man counter attacks on both banks
OF the Somme. the French have gained
fresh successes in local actions around
Deniecourt, south of the river and
have struck II powerful blow on the
Verdun front. Here German trenches
on a mile front we're captured in .
storming action delivered from Vaux
Chapitre to Chenois. 1t was this
sector tina the Germans came nearest
to effecting a serious breach in the
Ferdun defenses The French cap-
tured ESQ prisoners, including six Of
ficers.
With the exception OF bitter fighting
before Ginchy. the last twenty-four
! hours have seen comparative calm on 4
the British front in Picardy. A ter.
rife artillery battle is raging. but in
fantry attacks have grown fewer.
News reaches here from Paris to.
night that Emperor William Is view
ing in person the terrible struggle .r
the Somme. He has seen the French
advance TO within two-thirds OF i
mile of Combles and the German COM
munications imperilled by General
Micheler's drive. which resulted in
the capture Of two and a half milee
of the railroad from Roye to Peronne.
Heartened by the Emperors pres
ence, fresh German troops have
thrown their weight into the struggle
in tremendous counter blows which.
however. have failed to win back for
them any of the lost ground, accord
ing to French reports.
| May Soon Halt for Winter.
| Tho Indications. according to the In-s
ternattonal News Service c0rrespUu*.
dent, the big push may soon come 81
| halt for the winter. He quoted tlB@&
members Of the British stan to the
effect that next spring the allied pre-
ponderance of artillery will make the
decision easier.
| The midnight statement from. Paris
says:
! North OF the Somme there was
violent bombardment in various sec
tors without any infantry actions. In
a trench recently conquered there
were four bomb throwers and sixteen
machine guns to add to the mat .rial
already brought in.
! South of the Somme the enemy,
powerless before the violence Of our
artillery r1re, was unable to counter
attack. Just to the east of Deniecourf
we took some new trench sections
during isolated actions in which we
captured fifty prisoners
In Champagne German recon-
niterfng party was taken under our
IRE west of Maisons de Champagne
taken.
$50 Prisoners OF French.
| "On the right bank of the Meuss
/ tVerdun front) the enemy bombarded
our new positions in Vaux Chapitre
wood. In latt nights attack IN this
region. we took ESQ prisoners includ-
ing six officers. At other points there
was intermittent canaonad:ng
! "On the night of Septelber e.. Ge-
spite unfavorable weather conditions
sixteen of our bombarding aeroplines
| dropped bombs of heavy calihre on
railroad stations. bivouacs AID E .einv
depots A large fire was called ut
! Fillecourt"
| The night statement from British
headquarters In France follows:
The general situation is UNCHANGED.
| Our artillery dispersed the enemy.s
working parties east and southeast Of
Gtnchy.
Between the Somme and the An
ere. the enemy's artillery was active
in Smelling the rear OF our lines. Our
artillery replied effectively. assisted by
aerial observations and successfully
dealt with the enemy's batteries
| Between Souchez and LaBasse Ca
nal our artillery and trench mortars
bombarded the enemy's lines contin-
uously and northeast Of Holleboke. we
effectively shelled a bridgehead on the
Ypres Canal
| Yesterday our aeroplanes bombard-
ed and important railway junction on
the enemy's line of communication.
causing great damage to the station
and rolling stock. Also an aerodrome
| was bombed. one machine being de. 3
stroyed On the ground and another
damaged. Many other points Of mill
itary Importance were bombed and
good work accomplished At low altt.
tudes in locating positions. Three hos.
tile machines were wrecked and four
others driven down In a damaged con-
dition. Two OF our machines are miss.
ing