New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-20
Gain as Deep as 600
Yards Is Made at
Some Points.
ADVANCE GOES ON
IN HEAVY STORM
French, Too, Make Gains
Attacks Repulsed,
Says Berlin.
IBy Cable 10 The Tribune.l

London, Aug. 19.-General Haig
gave proof to-day that the British
offensive is not broken. In a battle
which dispatches from the front de-
scribe as one of the most important
and most successful since the West
ern offensive began, the British
troops drove the Germans back on
a three-mile line. At some points
they penetrated to a depth of 600
yards.
The new attack began last night
and was carried on despite heavy
storm. Continuing the advance to-
day, the British attacked on an
eleven-mile line. They captured a
ridge southeast of Thiepval and ad-
,anced their line half way to Ginchy
and to the edge of Guillemont, thus
extending the wedge northward and
eastward. In addition they took
half-mile of trenches west of High
Wood. In the attack to-day 800 pris-
oners were taken.
Counter Attacks Fail.
Meanwhile fierce counter attacks
by the Germans failed to dislodge
the French from the positions they
won yesterday. Heavy rushes dur
ing the night and this morning were
repulsed with great loss, and the
Germans were forced to relinquish
hold they had regained in Maurepas.
Foch's men are now consolidating
the ground they won.
The British gains give them al
most complete mastery of the Albert
Ridge. With these heights in their
possession Haig's troops can begin
the advance on Bapaume, their first
objective in the present offensive.
Strong points in the German second
positions were carried by storm and
a path thus opened for further ad-
vsnces.
Advance on Two-Mile Front.
From High Wood, northeast Of Ba-
lentin to the point where their line
Joins the French, the British advanced
along a two-mile front. This brings
them within striking distance of Mar
tinpuich, and breaks open a road along
which they can extend their front until
it is on a line with the French position
at Msurepas.
Meanwhile, the left wing moved for
ward and scored a success which IS
especially noteworthy. Both at the
Leipsic redoubt and at the Monacu
farm, between Pozieres and Thiepval,
the British forced their line forward,
thus adding to the threat of the flank
ing movement against Thiepval.
The vigor of the new Allied attacks
is testified to by Berlin, which tells OF
a"stupendous effort on the part Of our
combined enemies" along a twelve-mile
front
While claiming that the Germans
threw these assaults back, the German
statement admits that the Kaiser's
troops shortened their salient line be-
tween Guillemont and Maurepas. This
is an admission that Combles is now
seriously threatened by the joint Allied
attack.
French Hold Offensive.
On the Meuse desperate efforts to
wrest the offensive from the French
have failed. Petain, in addition to
throwing back these efforts, has taken
rom the Germans the rest of the viii
lsge OF Fleury and made further ad-
vance in the neighborhood of Vaux.
4, Bitter fighting is still in progress on |
,ne Verdun front. Foot by foot the |
french have driven the Germans from
me few houses they still held in |
fieury. The French attacks here have
reacted on the fighting in the Somme |
there.
= through the constant pressure on the |
Derman lines Foch is gradually isolat- /
ing 1ulllemont, Combles and Harde-
court. When the British shall have
ssusightened their line 10 the north the |
banking movement against Combles can
oe carried through to success, and then |
On attack on Peronne from the north
can be launched.