New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-02
r,snch Hold Hem and
Monacu in Bloody
Battles.
c,yTFEN ASSAULTS
IN LAST TWO DAYS
Heavy Attacks on Nerdun Also
Thrown Back with
Great Losses.
Nv ARTHUR :. DRAPER.


var and the second month of the
su;s5 offensive on the West Front
"-or,d with lull along the Somme,
sarowirr the bloody repulse in two
s.vs' Of over twenty-five separate Ger
var counter attacks on positions won
s. the French and British last Sun
5.v But two O fthe drives last night
- AGAINST the British line, one near
p.,en,in-le-Pctit failing and one near
roureaux Wood achieving small
.uc,ess The main attacks broke TO
,;eccs against the new French posi-
lions north of the Avre.
Tbe dav. however. showed signs Of
German restiycncSs under the steady
nrocrcss Of the French IN recspturing
;beir lost positions near Nerdun;
There was a heavy attack south and
west OF Thiaumont, in which the Ger
rers returned 20 the charge, though
tlrovn back time and again, and a few
even succeeded in reaching the fore
most French trenches.
French Gain Ground.
later q French counter attack cleared
.herl out. ana even succeeded IN gain
;1C Gttle ground. driving the shat
teTe6 Germans from their advanced
trenches with crcnadeS. At the same
time the Germans struck again on the
ux.Chapitre-Che line, and here,
700 won a foothold in the French lines,
onlv 10 lose 10 a little later. The Ger
man losses are described as terrific,
while those of the French were light.
II is not believed mere that these
charges mean q plan 10 renew the
Veriun attack. but are intended both
70 feel out the French line, 10 see
whether IL has been weakened 10 pro
vide men for the Somme battlefield,
and as a threat 10 divert other forces
now there. The experts are convinced
that Germany las not the power 10
begin any real offensive on either
front
Night Attacks on French.
The efforts Of the Germans last night
were directed mainly against the eX-
IRENE right wing of the French troops
operating in the Somme region. From
Sunday evening 20 last night the Ger
mans launched not less than sixteen
regular attacks against the line be-
tween the Hem Wood and the SOmme.
In the Hem Wood and in the region
Of the MonGcu Farm the fighting was
particularly desperate. On Sunday
night the enemy succeeded by an
enormous effort in taking the Hem
Wood for the third time. but two hours
later the French counter attacked bril-
liantly and recovered the wood. The
renewal Of the German attack on Mon
day morning failed completely, one bat
talon losing a third Of its electives.
Station Captured Four Times.
The railway station at Hem on the
outskirts Of the forest on the road TO
MaricOurt passed from hand 10 hand
four times yesterday morning. Al s
o'clock IN the afternoon the French lost
it again, being beaten back by two Sax
on regiments, but at 4 o'clock splen-
did French charge recovered II.
The French are now organizing at
The outskirts of Maurepas. Glnchy ana
Guillemont The French losses in al.
this lighting were much less than those
OF the enemy. One regiment. which
led the attack on July 80 and whose ad-
vance was the most rapid, lost about
300 men. Of whom rs per cent were
only slightly hurt. The small number
OF serious injuries is attributable TO
the precision and efficiency of the sup
porting artillery.
The German official statement to-day
tells Of one minor success the driving
back Of a force of British which had
penetrated far into their lines near the
Foureaux Wood.
New Drive Expected.
To-day's calm is interpreted here in
the light Of past events as one which
Is 70 proceed a fresh lunge forward
Of the Allied battering ram. The Ger,
man boast that new positions behind
the lines have been made as strong as
those captured is not taken very
seriously the captured trenches were
Of cement and steel, and many Of them
took months 10 build. That the Ger
mans can duplicate them in two weeks
or TWO months is regarded as impos-
sible
French officers General Haig is
silent on this subject say that the
arrangements in the rear Of the at
lacking forces have reached periec-
tion never before seen. All kinds Of
supplies and ammunition have been
gathered in quantities far greater than
are likely 10 be needed. and every
thing has been perpared for a new
blow The violence Of the German
assaults is taken as proof OF the
value they set on the positions they
have lost-as q disproof of their claim
that there are others as good behind
them. The Germans have been seen
by the aviators moving men and max
ing strenuous efforts 10 strengthen the
positions on which the next drive viii
strife. II is expected that the next
light Will be a heavy one.
Huge Losses in Drive.
The end Of the first month of the
drive has brought a claim from Ger
many that the Allies have lost $4,000
men in it, Berlin figures the British
losses alone at 23O.OO men. Against
this must be considered the British
Official statement yesterday, which
placed the total casualties for the
mOnth-on all fronts at l59, $40 men.
Paris estimates that the Germans have
used up nearly division-from $4,000
70 $1,000 men-a day since July 10.
NO more definite guess is hazarded, but
~ IS believed here that the German
ioSses are close TO 100000 for the
month.
Comment Of the military critics here
Is generally turned toward the fact
thst, while Il year ago Germany was
on the offensive. and gaming, to-day
she IS on the defensive on all fronts,
Sno losing on all. The whole atmos-
phsre Is as different as possible from
that of last August /.
British Front Quiet.
The British official Communication
issIed this evening says:
4. between the Ancre and the Somme
tne situation is unchanged Elsewhere
Or me British front there has been
no lmnnrInrf irn.l... %