The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-06-30
BRITISH GUN FIRE
INCREASESINFURY
Aim to Destroy German Posi-
lions and Rest Camps.
TRENCH RAIDIaG CONTINUES
Teuton Drive at Verdun is Repulsed
While French Strike in the Cham
payne Region.

payne Region.
London, June 30.-The first special
dispatches from British headqGar ,er:
in France sir. the present activities
began, appe,i in the newspapers.
They emf asize the heavy Smelling
to which tne British have subjected
the German lines on front OF ninety
miles. One despatch tells OF the OBJ
liberation of an entire village which
the Germans had been using for billet
purposes, and adds:
The object of this artillery fire Is
simple but terrible one. 1t is to kill
the Germans in large numbers, and
save British man-power as much as
possible. 1t is to destroy the enemy's
batteries, break up his defensive
works, blow up his ammunition stores
behind the line, and bring down his
observation balloons, to reach his men
in and beyond their communication
trenches, in their billets and rest
camps on the railways, and generally
to cause the destruction of his Of.
fensive powers over a wide area. The
British gun fire has been successful
in many of these objects.
From Melville St. WAIST to the
Somme, British batteries have carried
out concentrated bombardmentS witt
great effect. The eyes of the enemy
docking down from a kite balloon have
been blinded, and a large number Of
important positions have been search
ed by British high explosives ane
shrapnel. The enemy's reply every
where has been feeble"
A despatch from the British head
quarters in France, dated June %
says:
Unusually heavy artillery firing, with
numbers of trench raids, have contin
ued all along the British front during
the last twenty-four hours. Here anc
there intense outbursts from artillery
concentrations on both sides.
1.-The British used both gas and
smoke to cover their trench raids. Ir
the Ypres salient were found bodies
of Germans killed by gas in theil
trench. The Germans retaliated by
bombardment of the Canadian posi-
lions at Observatory Ridge and Sorre.
Hill.
"The ease with which raiding par
ties, under cover of bombardment, can
rush a trench of the enemy, infict
losses and bring back prisoners is
such that it has become systematic
nightly business along the whole FROM
in the last few days, on scale moi
attempted before"
After a violent bombardment, which
lasted the entire day, the Germans at
tackled the French positions northwes
of Thiaumont, in the Verdun sector
according to an official statement issu
ed by the French war department. The
French machine gun and curtain fire
is declared to have devastated the at
tackers.
The statement further says:
"In the Champagne district, in the
vicinity of Tahure and at point tC
the west of Butte de Mesnil a success
surprise attack made it possible fol-
us to clean up certain trenches of the
enemy on the first line and to pene
trate at several places as far as the
second line Here we blew up mum
Der of sheltering works. There was {
very spirited bombardment in the re
gion of Chenois."
The German war office in Berlin
says:
"In the western war theatre tn
same conditions prevail along TIE Brit
ish front and the north wing Of the
French front as have existed dnring
the last few days. Attacks by enemy
patrols and strong infantry detach
ments, as we'll as gas attacks have be
come more numerous. Everywhere
the enemy was repulsed. Waves OF
gas have given no results. Artillery
fighting attained great intensity al
certain points"