New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-25
FRENCH GAIN
ON Mile LINE
Complete Seizure of
Maurepas-Flank
Combles Ridge.
tBy Cable TO The Tribune. I

London. Aug. 24.-ln the 1ace OF
heavy counter strokes, both the British
and the French renewed the attack
north of the Somme to-day. Both
blows succeeded in forcing back the
German line.
Driving forward along front Of
a mile and a quarter, Foch's troops
completed the occupation of the viii
lage OF Maurepas and pushed beyond
to a depth of $50 yards.
This advance fanks the German po-
sitions on the ridge guarding Combles
on the south and brings the French
line here almost on a parallel with
the front at Clry. The seizure Of
the remaining portions Of that viii
lage is thus made comparatively easy.
The British pushed nearer Thiepval,
gaining 800 yards on 400-yard front
and winning more spurs of the Thiep-
val ridge. They are now within 500
Yards of this village, which has proved
the strongest bulwark in the defences
of the second system from Thiepvsl to
Martinpuich.
French Shell Thirty-Mile Line.
Meanwhile, from Sstrees, the south
ernmost point of the French offensive
on the Somme, to Lassigny, thirty
miles to the south. Joffre's artillery is
shelling the German line night and day.
This may be the prelude TO a wider
attack.
A drive in this sector would have
as it's purpose the forcing back OF the
huge German salient which loops
around Roye and Noyon. If the French
can cut a gap in the line north Of the
apex Of the salient, they will endanger
the Germans at the apex and so force
q retirement.
The new Allied assaults to-day were
preceded by very heavy counter at
tacks by the Germans. These contin-
ued to increase in violence, but failed
to win any material gain in either the
British or the French sectors Of the
Somme front.
At Guillemont, where the British
have been creeping forward steadily,
the Germans hit Haig's line the hard
est blow. They reached the parapets
of the British trenches and engaged
the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
But tney were soon beaten off and fell
back to their own trenches.
Soyecourt, at the southern end of the
French sector, was bombarded heavily
again. This suggests that the Germans
intend to open a counter attack here
soon. In anticipation of this, and in
the effort to clear the way for new
thrusts, the French guns are pounding
away day and night.
Dispatches from the front describe
this bombardment as "of extraordinary
intensity" The canronading extends
from Vermandovillers through Chaul-
mes and Roye to Lassigny. The Ger
mans, in efforts to quiet it, have sent
many aeros over the French lines, but
Joffre's fiers invariably have driven
them back.
German Losses Severe.
The German losses in their counter
attacks are reported to be exceedingly
severe. The Verdun situation has been
reverred. While the Germans are pay
ing a heavy toll, the British and French
have been paying a rema. kably low
price for their gains since the first
three weeks of the big push.
This statement comes from an OBJ
server who is especially well informed
It explains, too, the deliberate strategy
behind the Allied campalg. The first
attacks forged ahead with heavy loss
Continued on page 3. column