Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-03

fiklS. July :.--Reports to-day from
the battle Of the Somme.. long eN-
pected as critical, If not the de-
cisife stage of the war. show that the
entente forces are sweeping forward
alohG IL twcnty-five- milo front The
french already have taken more than
o.ooo prisoners. while the allied lines
nave cnveloped, within the last TWEEN
tE-lour hours. nine villages and fifty
square miles OF French territory, held
until now by the Germans
The great Franco British offensive
was expected and eagerly awaited in
the last ten days. but tho exact point
where tho blow was to be delivered
was carefully concealed 1t was be.
neved that II would be north Of Arras,
was finally decided for strategic,
rather than sentimental grounds. TO
execute tho move north Of Arras nj
point where the piercing Of the line
Mouiu operate more seriously In the
dislocation Of the German forces
ihe theater of operations for the
british forces runs between Connie
court, north of the River Ancrc. to a
point just north OF the Somme, while
the French attacked OH both sides OF
Royc.
Thus the entente allied armies pre-
sent Il front of twenty-five miles, with
the British on the left for (ltteen
miles. and the French on the right for
ten miles.
REGION is FAVORABLE
FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS
The region Of this supreme contest
is one favorable for military operations
III virtually all is within the Depart
:ncnt of the Somme which is :, Ievo,
?in,rau OF chalky formation.
Tho fighting lines extend be.wccn
E"eat number Of villages. which are
usually devoted to textile industrio.
while the outlying agricultural Sec
.lonS arc level fields, chiefly devoted to
beet culture.
nc intense homba rdment of the last
TOUR days WAS the signal for an .,d
vance over these level fields bc,-;nr;r,
AZ 1880 o'clock yesterday morning. rho
entente allied artillery then lcnptheucJ
'"e range SO rs to shut Off all COM
,iuficatlon between the first German
'''e ana the German reserves In thu.
rear. THIS made II impossible for Tho
Icntons 10 utilize their perfect or
Sani"aton for the shifting of TRAM.
ana Tor the bringing up of re enforce
hchts' 1t is thought by French mill
tarH Observers that tho Germans mis-
oaicu'a'cd the Intentions Of the entente
hilics and expected the attacks fur
Their TO the north
inc villages which the French can
urea IN IN" hrst sweep include Dom
pierre Bcc1uincourt, Bussus and Fay.
ana thesc ana the towns taken by the
Observation-Disclosures and Mametz-wcrc
an f"nnu to have been strongly forth
fed by the Germans
me entente allies. pronting from
tnelr experience in the war quickly
threw up strong carthworks aroma,
INC villages, thus iakcn. in order to
protect then, against countcrattncks
!, was not before night. however that
INC Germans were able to deliver any
counterattacks. This WAS conferred
against the French positions on The
outskirts Of Farkecourt and il was
repulsed with heavy losses, ending I'm
preciptate retreat
lhroughout las, night the French
continued their drive. capturing tho
village of Curlu, Of which they already
had occupied tho outskirts and pro-
SiesslnS south OF Somino, sctwccn
Hcrbccourt and Asscvillcrs
GAINS OF EXCEPTIONAL.
STRATEGIC VALUE
In addition to the military successes
the terrain overrun by the entente