Evening star., 1916-08-18
GERMANlC ASSAULTS
ALONG SOMME FUTILE
Berlin Admits Falling Back Before
British, Near Martin
puich.
GEN. HAIG GAINS ELSEWHERE
Teutons Reported to Have Been Tied
to Machine Guns to Pre-
vent Flight Before
Enemy.

! LONDON, August 18.-Heavy
attacks were made by the French
last night on the Verdun front
After violent fighting at Fleury
east of the Meuse, they expelled
the Germans from part of the
town which had been captured
SAYS the French official statement
of today.
The French also made consid
erable progress in the region OF
Thiaumont, in the Verdun sector.
Fifty Germans were captured
there.
Several German counter at
tacks on the Somme front south
east Of Maurepas were. repulsed.
Six determined German coun-
ter attacks on the British trenches
northwest of Pozieres were re-
pulsed with heavy losses to the
attackers, according to the official
statement. Northwest of Bazen-
tin the British captured about
one hundred yards of German
trenches.
The British have succeeded in
driving back the German first line
for a short distance on a narrow
front southwest of Martinpuich,
the Berlin war Office admitted
today. In other sectors they were
completely repulsed, according to
the German version, which also
declares attacks by the French last
night on an extended front in the
Verdun region, were checked, ex-
cept at Fleury, where fighting is
still in progress.
Small British Gain.
A small British gain also is reported in
the London announcement of today which
| follows:
Last night the enemy's artillery gen.
orally showed increased activity. North
west of Bazentin-le-P Petit, by small To-
cal enterprise, we further extended our
gains in the enemys lines. German
| trenches in this area were found to be
greatly damaged and full of the enemy s
dead
"A further hostile attack from Martin
puich last night was repulsed as COM
pleteiy as were his former attempts yes
| terday."
French Official Report.
The French statement Of today follows:
North Of the Somme several attempted
counter attacks by the enemy against our
new positions southeast of Maurepas fail
ed under our fire. We took some pris-
oners.
South Of the Somme we recovered four
machine guns in trenches taken by us
south of Belloy.
"On the right bank of the Meuse (Ver-
dun 'front.' an attack by our troops ena-
| bled us. after a violent combat, to drive
out the Germans from a portion of the
village of Fleury. which they were occu-
pying.
Some enemy troops are still main
| tanning themselves in a small clump of
ruins on the eastern edge of the viii
lage. Between Thiaumont and Fleury
our troops also made an appreciable
advance Fifty prisoners. including an
officer. remained in our hands. We also
CAPTURED a machine gun.
"Eyerywhere else the night was rela-
lively calm"
German Announcement.
Tho German war office announcement
today says:
son the right bank of the Meuse," "
| s.vs the official statement. the enemy
( .tt.cked in the evening on a wide
front between the Thiaumont work and
tho Cbapitre wood. He also attacked
ran.a,edly In the western sector of the
,,auntain wood. At F1eury village the
| aghting still continues; otherwise the
enemy assault has been frustrated
"a French biplane was forced to de-
scend wednesday. near Nessle. by our
/ anti aircraft guns"
Operations in Somme Region.
The German statement recording the
onerations in the Somme region is as
| follows:
"North of the Somme the enemy ia
continuing his energetic efforts regard
less of heavy sacrifices. For these ef-
! forts the British brought forward sew
| eral fresh divisions. Southwest Of Mar
| tinpuich they succeeded on narrow
| front in pressing backward our frst
line into one situated close behind. On