The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-13
We're Preparing for Seventh
Assault Eighteen Days.
BATTLE RACES SOMME FRONT
Crisis at Hand in Second Phase
of British Offensive.
Germans Throw Two Entire
Corps to Defense Bapaume.
BY HENRY WOOD.

Paris. July 13.-Dense German
masses are storming the approaches
to Fort Souville in the seventh great
assault on Verdun since the battle
for the fortress began 146 days ago.
The violence of yesterdays attacks
furnish unmistakable evidence that
Germany is determined to continue
the attack on Verdun, regardless OF
her critical position on other fronts
French military critics agreed on this
point today after studying the re-
ports from headquarters.
The present attack began Tuesday
The Germans had spent eighteen days
in preparation. They brought up new
guns and trench mortars, shitteo
more troops from the west bank OF
the Meuse and hurried fresh sup
plies of ammunition to the SouvllIe-
Damloup sector.
75's Take Terrible Toll.
The French, ready to meet the
shock. turned loose a sheeted fire into
the advancing German ranks and
took terrible toll with the To
Throughout Tuesday night and all day
yesterday the battle ragged on the
Souville-Damloup sector the Frenen t
counter-attacking with great spirit
Only at one point, near the intersec-
ton of the F'leury and NauX ROADS,
did the Germans gain any ground
In the Champag gne, the French PEN
etrated a salient in the German line,
takins. prisoners. In the Argonne, a
German attack northeast of Bolante
was checked by French fire. In the
Vosges a German attack south of Car
apach was repulsed after a violent
grenade combat.
New Crisis for British Near.
Lordon, July 13.-The second phase
of the British offensive is approaching
a crisis in the battle northeast of AL
bert, where British troops are striving
to advance two miles eastward to the
heights of Martinpuch.
The Germans have thrown two
whole army corps into action on both
sides of the Albert-Bapaume road to
defend the approaches to Bapaume.
They are making the most savage
counter-attacks, particularly south
east of Contalmaison, where Ger
man success would hold up the whole
British advance.
German correspondents, admitting
the great power of the British often
sive, claim that the attacking forces
have suffered heavy losses comparable
only to the casualties at Verdun. Brit
ism correspondents report that the
English losses have been severe only
in the death grapples for possession of
villages where German machine guns
have played on the British lines.
LuIl on KoveI Front.
No Canadian or Australian troops
have taken part in the Somme Of
fensive thus far, but the Newfound-
land troops have distinguished them
selves, according to reports from
British headquarters.
THE Newfoundland battalion was
pushed up in what may be called the
third wave in tie attack on probably
the most formidable section of the
whole German front. through an al
most overwhelming artillery fire and
across ground swept by machine fire
from hidden positions" said one dis
patch. THE men behaved with COM
pletely noble SteadineSS and courage" :"
On the eastern front the operations
east of Kovel have reached a tenn
porary lull with the Russians and
Austro-Germans redfstributing their
forces and bringing up artillery along
the Stoched river for a renewal of
heavy fighting.
Paris, July 13.-Todays official
statement of the French office of war
follows:
There have been intermittent artiI-
lery exchanges along the front of the
River Somme.
''In the Champagne district we pen
etrated a salient of the German line
in the vicinity of Prosnes and brought
back some prisoners.
I'm the Argonne two surprise at
tacks delivered by the enemy on the
northern and eastern portions of the
Bolante salient failed under fire. At
Deadman's Hill we caused the ex-
plosion of a mine and then occupied
the southern side of the crater.
'On the right bank of the River
Meuse there has been no infantry
fighting. During the night, however,
there was an intense bombardment in
the sectors of Souville, Chenois and La
Laufee.
I'm the Vosges an attack bv the
enemy upon one of our trenches south
of Carspach has been repulsed after a
spirited engagement with hand gren-
ades."