Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-09

declares.
The official statement regarding opera
tions on the western front says:
'On both sides of the Somme our hero
ism and tenacity prepared for the enemy
a day full of delusions. Numerous and
continuously repeated attacks were re-
pulsed with sanguinary losses. The
enormous number of fallen Englishmen
before the Ovillers-Contalmais SON Bazen-
tine le Grand sector. and of fallen
Frenchmen before Biaches-Soyecourt
front give an Indication of the masses
of enemy forces employed for the at
tacks, and of the devastating effect OF
our artillery, machine gun and infantry
fire. On -he right bank of the Meuse the
enemy continues to sacrifice his men IN
strong fruitless assaults against our po-
sitions on Froide terre Hill He has not
been able TO win foot of ground. Sew
eral hundred prisoners fell into Our
hands.
Weak advances against the Damloup
hill battery were easily repulSed- Artl-
lery and patrol activity on the remainder
of the front was very lively in places
An attack made by about one company
of French in the Bois lie Pretre failed
British Storm Trenches.
LONDON, July 9. Sunday.-British in
fantry after a fierce bombardment,
stormed line of trenches and gained
footing in the Bois de Trones, according
to the British official statement issued
late last night. An appreciable advance
was also made in the neighborhood of
Oviilers.
The text reads:
The hghting today has been prin-
cipally on our extreme right nahh'
where further important successes
were gained by our troops.
."To the east of Bernafay wood, after
fierce preliminary bombaroment, we
stormed a line of trenches and gained
lodgment in a strongly defended wood
known as the Bois de Trones- There
We captured 100 prisoners and several
machine guns.
The French on our right flank great
Iy assisted our advance by the hre OF
their artillery The enemy losses from
the combined Anglo-French oombard-
ment were severe.
"A strong German counter attack in
mass subsequently launched across the
open against these captured positions,
= completely broke down under the ire
of 1s-pounders and 15-millimeter guns.
The enemy retired in disorder
In the neighborhood of Ovillers
hand-to-hand fighting continues among
the ruins of the village. But there,
too we made an appreciable advance
Despite the cloudy weather, our
aeroplanes and kite balloons did some
work, taking photographs and direct
ing the fire OF the batteries. A large
explosion was caused in one OF the
enemy's ammunition depots and BOMBS
were dropped on his billets. One of
our machines. although disaoied, sus-
minutes with three hostile aeroplanes
and afterward landed safely in our
own aerodrome.
with this exception. few enemy ma
I'D
behind his own trenches
oficial French Report.
PARIS, July 8, 1915 p.m.-The Of
fetal communication issued by the war
Office tonight reads:
North of the Somme. notwithstand-
ing the persistent rain and fog. our
troops delivered an assault this MORN
ing on the village of Hardecourt. and
or MameIon to the north, in co-opera-
ton with the British army which at
tackled from it's side the Boise de
Trones and a farm situated southeast
of that wood. In thirty-five minutes
orr infantry, by the vtgor of the at
tack was in possession of the desired
objects.
Two German counter attacks, one
from the north. the other from the east,
were launched in the afternoon on
Mamelou. conquered by us. but were
broken by our fire. The Germans suf-
fered heavy losses in these actions.
and left 2co prisoners in our hands
south Of the Somme there was no
event of Importance to report
'-On the Verdun front our first and
second lines were subjected to an inter
rnittent bombarlment. On the left
bank the activity of the artillery con-
tiuued very violent in the sectors north
OF Souviile, the Furnin wood and the
Damloup battery
The usual cannonadfns occurred on
the rest Of the front.
"Belgiau communication: In the sec
to-s OF tsDesinghe and Steenstraete we
continued successfully today our de-
stuclive fires on the German defen-
siye works The enemy responded
feehly. In the region or Dlxmlde
quite violent artillery actions have &C.
CURED