The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-03

by the French are only seven miles west of Peronne, the chief rail highway from the German center at Cologne to the German front in the region of Noyor and Soissons.
 The German headquarters is at St Quentin, 9 miles southeast of Peronne. Already the French forces threaten Pe- rome with the evident purpose of cutting the trunk railway there which is an indis- pensable artery for German military re- Inducements.
 The speed of the advance of the allied troops is taken as showing that the per lection of artillery preparations exceeded anything yet done in the destruction of field works Infantrymen of both allied armies leaped out of the trenches at the word of command with cries of joy, with cheers and with the singing of the Mar seillaise and Tipperary.
 The concrete sheltered machine guns that had stopped the French in Artois and in the Champagne had all been demolished here and it was chiefly man against man with rifle and bayonet at which style of fighting, the officers say. the French and British showed superiority, rushing over the ground with such rapidity that in an hour and a half from the moment the first order was given the german nrst line had carried over the largest part of the 25 miles front.
 Desperate fighting continued around Verdun and, although this field of action is separated by nearIy 100 miles from the fighting in the north, Verdun is consid- cred part of the vast military plan now unfolding.
 AGGRESSIVE AT VERDUN
 The French now have taken the aggres- sive at Verdun, todays report showing an attack on Dead Mans Hill with heavy md f1ly rf,fr by the French. The French are thus pre- venting the Germans from sending re- Inducements to relieve their weakened line in the north.
 On the other hand. the Germans pride themselves with being able finally to take Verdun and concentrating their chief effort in the south.
 The French public and the press are following the great offensive with intense interest but without excitement. Paris maintains the same calm as it did during the battle of the Marne and the usual crowds today filled the boulevards and there were eager throngs around the bull letin boards.
 A correspondent at the front in describ- ing the capture of Dompierre says the sol diers of one corps, taking example from their commander, went into battle cov- cred with flowers
 That said a general, pointing to carnation in his buttonhole, will fade wonder where the Germans are now" The correspondent continues:
 Two regiments covered themselves with glory in the fight for Dompierre, which mas been transformed by the Ger mans into a veritable fortress. In the face of a fire from the machine guns that had survived the bombardment, they rushed the positions with such impetuosity that the gunners were captured before they had time to put their quickfirers into action.
 ''In the streets of the ruined village there was furious hand to hand fighting. Of the German garrison defending the town, not one man got away. When it was over, 140 bodies lay on the ground. The survivors were prisoners.
 ''The battle flag of one regiment riddled with bullets, was carried into the village at the head of the first company.
 Two Scotch regiments in the region of the Somme went over three lines of Ger man trenches without a halt, stopping only inside the village of Montauban, where they put several hundred Germans to the bayonet and took prisoner the en- tire staff of a regiment"