Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-07
LARGE AREA WRESTED
FROM ENEMY IN FIVE
DAYS Of BIG ADVANCE
French Now Firmly Installed
Between Second and Third
Lines Over Front in Excess
of Seven Miles, Paris Says
(By Associated Press.)

lBy ASSoclateQ EreSS)
PARIS, July 6.-The French offensive
has made steady progress in the last
twenty-four hours. All counter attacks
have been repulsed, large area of new
territory has been occupied and extern
sive captures of guns and munitions
have been made.
In the first five days the French
have advanced with remarkable uni
formity. The ground gained varied each
day in depth at different points, but
the gains haze averaged about the same
along the entire front and the French
are now firmly installed between the
German. second and third lines Of de-
Tense over a front in excess of seven
miles.
That the French losses have been
comparatively insignificant is indicated
by the maintenance on the front line
of attack at their own request of the
same two army corps that made the
first assault on the German positions
| last Saturday morning. One of these
| corps distinguished itself before YER
dun in February after having won
laurels in the battle of the Marine.
The other corps comprises chiefly CO.
| lonial troops and 1T also is counted
among the elite of the French army
organizations. The generals commands
irg each corps were again Acongratu-
lated yesterday by General Focht.
EFFICIENCY OF ARTILLERY.
Not all the divisions of these two
corps have been actually m action. but
casing the calculations upon 5000 men
made prisoner by these troops, the
French clearly appear to have suffered
only slightly in comparison with the
| forces with which they were engaged.
This result is attributed by German
prisoners to the efficiency of the French
heavy artillery
ut was impossible to keep up the
fight under such fire." said an officer
taken prisoner yesterday. I'VE took
counsel and the officers unanimously
decided to surrender to avoid useless
sacrifice of life.
What we have to do now" the officer
| is quoted as adding, sis to save men
, for the coming victorious war which
Germany will wage four years henceP
The new French trenches at the most
advanced point are now in front of
Jerome and the village of Mount st.
Quentin, situated on an elevation 800
feet from the point from which in 1870
the Germans bombarded Peronne.
SECOND POSITIONS TAKEN.
The Anglo-French offensive in
Picardy has had another day
of substantial progress. outstanding
features being the resumption of the
French advance north of the Somme
and the capture of German second po-
sitions there.
Complete preparations had been made
quietly in this section virtually unhin-
dered by the Germans while the French
forces south of the river pulled up level
and got a thorough grip on the Ger
mans second positions. This was ac-
complished by the election of the Ger
mans from the part of EstreS they still
! had and the capture of their commun1-
cations between Estrees and Belloy.
The northern troops then emerged from
their trenches and dashed forward a
| good mile.
The Germans second positions had
been so demolished by artillery that
they were unable to make a strong -e-
sistance except at the village Of HEM
which had been strongly fortified. Here
the attacking troops met desperate OPP
position. Each house ruin was fiercely
disputed, but by dint of hard fighting
the village was won as well as Monacu
farm to the southwest.
IMPORTANT CAPTURE
The French consider the capture OF
Hem as of considerable Importance. for
| il commands the passage OF the river
| to Feuilleres already in their hands
It's nossession thus assures a direct bond
between corps on either side Of the
stream.
The Germans are beginning to react
more vigorously as reserves arrive par
ticularly south of the Somme and the
French advance there is hoLy contested.
French critics expect that the Germans
will concentrate all their energies IN
defense of the villages of Barleux and
The former bars the
ravine lying between the two plateaus
which separate the French line from Pc
rome while the latter, village OF 5Vo
inhabitants, stands on the southermosc
of the two plateaus, three hundred rect
high and ral1es the whole valley Oh the
Somme as far as Peronnel