Evening star., 1916-08-25
TEUTON FORCES DELIVER
HEAVY COUNTER ATTACK
Repulsed With Large Losses, Ac-
cording to Paris Com
munication.
BRITISH SCORE ADVANCES
Capture German Positions in Region
of Delville Wood and to
the South Of
Thiepval.

LONDON, August IS, 4:42
p.m.-Of6cial announcement was
made today that after hard fight
ing on the Somme front the Brit
ish lines had been advanced sew
eral hundred yards in the region
near Delville wood.
The capture of Maurepas, on
the Somme front, by the French
is recorded in the official an
nouncement of today from Berlin.
The complete occupation of
Maurepas brings the French and
the English advanced lines on the
Somme within two miles of
Combles, the advance on which is
greatly aided by this forward
movement. Maurepas formed one
of the principal supporting points
between the Somme and the higli-
way from Albert to Bapaume, and
also was an important strategic
base by reason of its situation on
a plateau dominating the region
toward the south.
Prince In Command.
The Germans have placed on the line
against the French between Hardecourt
and Clery the fifth division Of Bavarian
reserves and the first division Of the Prus-
sian Guards. This guard division IL COM
mauded in person BY Prince Eitel Fred
erich. second son Of the German emperor.
and took part In the fighting at Maurepas
Gu,!lemont. where the English have
made progress, Is being defended by the
Kaiser Wilhelm II Regiment Of wuert-
temberg.
The French gains on the Somme front
in the vicinity Of Maurepas yesterday
were followed by a heavy German counter
attack last night. The French Official re-
port issued today says the Germans were
repulsed with heavy loss. The German
assault was delivered against Hill 121
near Maurepas.
On the Verdun front the Germans
attacked Fleury in the night, but were
unsuccessful
British Seize Trench.
British troops advanced 800 yards
yesterday south of Thiepval. capturing
and many prisoners.
The following dispatch received from
a correspondent with the British armies
in France. written last night, says:
There has been murderous work on
both tanks in the Somme region, where
with every stage of the British prog
ress. the fighting seems to become
more bitter and the artillery fire hot
ter On the left the Germans hold to
Thiepval and on the right still cling
to Guillemont. which, of all the ruined
villages. now is most completely pestle-
mixed by shell fire.
The repulse last night of a German
attempt to drive the British out of the
edge of Guillemont and the neighbor-
ing stone quarry was one of the most
sanguine since the war began
Tonight the British have been
making further progress east of Del
Vile wood and further tightening the
pincers on Ginchy and GuiIlemont.
German Guns silenced.
This afternoon they pressed forward
another lap toward Thiepval. and OBJ
servers witnessed another artillery cur
tain Of fre which utterly siienced the
German machine guns as the British
charge picked its way among shell era
ters for 400 yards UP a hillside entered
the German trench and sent back the
usual punches Of German prisoners.
"All was seen clearly as IL on a stage
and viewed from gallery. even to the
detail of men standing on the edge of
the trench and throwing bombs as they
might toss biscuits into basket. Clear
ing out the snipers, ploddinR ahead
with their supply of bombs and carry
ing their light machine guns. that per-
sistent line of infantry, under the cover
Of the continuous blasts from their own
guns and in the midst of bursting shells
of the enemy. never faltering. reached
the very top of the ridge at one point
for a front of 900 yards
In 500 Yards Of Thiepval.
They were within only 500 yards OF
the pulverized remains of what once
was the village of ThiepvaI. which has
become the most redoubtable of names
to hundreds Of thousands of men.
Meanwhile the British kept on send
ing fifteen-inch shells into the Thiep
val area and into the German dugouts
which lie deep under the wreckage o.
houses. Spouts of smoke and dust ros.
to the height OF 200 feet, and wha
looked like the bodies of men or sec
tions of timbers were tossed about"
French Bombard Heavily,
The French are violently bombardins
the German lines from Estress, which
marks the southern extremity of thei
present offensive to IassfRnv a dis
tancs of about thirty miles, according
to the war correspondent of La Lii
berte OF Paris.
The correspondent says that heav.
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