Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-07
(By Associated Press.)

PARIS. July 5.-The French have
| captured a line of German trenches east
| of Curlu, the war office announced to-
| day.
They have also captured Sormont
farm, facing Clery.
The French resumed the offensive dur
| ing the night on both sides of the
| Somme. South of the Somme they made
| further progress toward the river, par
| ticularIy at Sormont farm. This posi-
| ton is on the left bank opposite Clery
| All the region between the farm and
| Hill SO on the road leading from Flau-
| court to BarleuX, is now dominated by
the French. After a heavy bombardment
the Germans captured part of the VII
lage of Belloy- En-Santerre, but the
French quickly expelled them, taking
the entire village. The Germans still
hold part of the town of Estrees, where
severe fighting is still in progress. Ger
man attacks on French positions there
were stopped by the French fire.
The number of prisoners taken thus
far exceeds 5000. The number Of can
non captured has not been ascertained.
On the Verdun front heavy fighting
is still in progress. West of the Meuse
the French repulsed a strong German
attack in the region of Avocourt and
Hill 304. East of the river there was
a violent bombardment of Thiaumont
redoubt and the Chenois sector.
DRIVE ON PERONNE.
Despite the phenomenal rainstorm
" hich swept over the whole terrain, the
French continued to push ahead south
of the Somme, thus strengthening and
strengthening their line and bringing
Eearer the capture of Peronne, which
Low is separated from the French ad-
Sanced post at Flaucourt only by a
| no nj
Somme above Blanche. and reaching its
highest point, ninety-seven meters, at
the hamlet of La Massonette.
This is a local move since as re-
suit of the progress of the past three
days the depot at Peronne OF the rail-
road connecting Chaulnes, Roye and
Cambria is now under the fire of French
guns as is the depot at Chaulnes, where
the Paris-Cambrai and Ternegier-
Amiens railroads cross. Such an often
sive will be a serious menace to the
Germans and likely to have the addi-
tional advantage of relieving pressure
upon the British against whom the Ger
mans continue to direct the bulk of
their forces.
Verdun, the keystone of the whole
front, continues to play successfully the
thankless role of holding and wasting
the greatest concentration of the Ger
man forces. While General Foch'S army
is making it's attack on the Somme.
fighting on the east bank of the Mouse
has been revived with something of its
cid fury. Tuesday the Germans sue
ceeded in capturing the Thiaumont
work for the fourth time, but the
French believe this is not likely to
prove of any more advantage than be-
fore, since they hold all approaches and
the work itself is swept by the guns
of Froide Terre and Belleville.
The statement follows:
North of the river Somme we have
resumed our offensive action and occu-
pied last night a line of German trenches
east of Curlu.
South of the Somme our infantry,
continuing it's successes in the direction
of the river, took possession of the Sor-
mont farm on the left bank opposite
Clery. All the region to the south lying
between this farm and Hill SO on the
road which runs between Flaucourt and
Barleaux is in our possession.
After an intense bombardment the
enemy last night attacked Belloy-en-San-
terre and were able to occupy for an
instant the eastern part of this village
but a counter attack by our troops
brought the entire village back into