The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-07-14

FRENCH ADMIT LOSS OF
A' ADDED vERDUN GROUND
General BrussiIoff Reported Stop
ped For Time Being BY Ger
man Commanders On Stokhod
River; Italians Are Advancing
(AssOciatsd Press by Federal wireless

7 ONDON, July l3.-The fighting at
all fronts in Europe has slackened
temporarily, apparently in prepa-
ration for another tremendous assault
by the Allies as soon as they can re-
plenish their store of high explosive
shells and consolidate their present
lines.
The Germans are busy preparing for
the coming, storm and everywhere are
reported to be sending reinforcements
TO the fronts menaeed by the Allies,
and fastening supplies, munitions and
men to selected points where they will
be available for use when wanted.
There was some fighting in the sec
tors north of the River Somme yester-
day There the battle has been ebbing
and flowing for the last two or three
days in some sections. Mametz woods
to the northeast of the little town of
the same name, which was taken by
the British the first day of the present
offensive, has been the scene of some
of the most desperate fighting on this
part of the line. Monday the Ger
mans counter attacked and succeeded
in gaining fOothOld on the outskirts
of the woods, from which they had
been driven but short time previ-
ously by the British colonial troops.
Germans Driven Out
But they did not hold their advan-
tage long, according to the British Off
cial reports last night. The colonial
; troops, under orders from the cons
mander.in-ehief, Sir Douglas Haig, and
preceded by a tremendous artillery fire,
al 49,
day. The Germans were driven back
TO their trenches, the wood cleared for
the second time, and slight additional
gains made by the assailants. y
At Contamination there was some des-
perate fighting. The British troops
had been consolidating their gains at
that front, and appeared to be content
to hold the ground they had won in the
last ten days. The Germans, however,
seemed determined to wrest the village
from their conquerors, and launched a
series of desperate assaults against the
British lines. All attacks, however,
proved in vain, and the British have
reported full possession of all ground
won.
British Make Fresh Gains
where the battling has been so terri
fc for more than week, the British,
having cleared the Germans from the
bois, sncceeded in making other and
- fresh gains yesterday, by surprise
attack which resulted in tremendous
losses to the Germans, according to the
British official reports.
The machine guns of both armies
are playing conspicuous part in the
fighting. The British and Germans
both have them in huge numbers, and
hey are everywhere in the attack, 10
beat back the enemy and with the adj
vaRcing troops to help consolidate the
ground won.
The British also are making more
and more of their new trench mortar,
an invention of a civil engineer in the
employ of the government in Egypt
which is proving one of the most eff
ieient weapons developed by the war
so far
. wa All reports of those engaged in the
fighting agree that barbed wire en-
tanglements, however strong, have in
variably been well cut, and there is
universal praise for the new mortar.
But frequently the deep German
dugouts, instead of being rallying
points, become traps, with the oceu-
pants either surrendering or being
blown up by bombs thrown into the
entrance when they .hefnse to sur
render.
Gunners Work To Exhaustion
II The gunners, after their two week 3
bombardment, knew no cessation in
their toll. Where the British advance
they must move their guns forward
10 positions for the next stage in the
, attack. When they have a recess in
the firing they fall asleep amid the
thunder of the neighboring batteries
unless they have to work on new dug,
outs.
South of the S0mme the men under
General FOch are apparently resting
after their fearful exertiOns of the
last week, and preparing for a fresh
assault on Perrone. The Germans also
remain largely quiet, and the custom.
AIRY artillery bombardment in almost
any sector of the French line was the
only feature Of the day in that dis,
triet.
On the Yerdun lines the fighting has
gone against the French, for the Paris
Official report of last night announced
that the Germans, after a series Of at
taeks succeeded in making some gains
of ground at the intersection Of the
Flenry road to VauK. They also took
advantage Of their recent successes al