The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-05

captured by the Germans for the fourth issued by the French war office tonight. | The French have advanced south and east of Assevillers, where they have cap tured a wood and the villages of Bar leux and Belloy- -En-Santerre. They also have taken the greater part of the vil- | 'age of Estress, where 800 prisoners fell | into their hands.
 I The text of the official statement fol- | lows:
 quietly in the whole section occupied by the French troops
 South of the Somme, in spite of bad weather, which interfered with our oper- ations, we extended our positions in the course of the day toward the south and east. We captured woods in the neigh borhood of Assevilers ana the villages of Barleux and Beloy- En- -Santerre. which we hold in entirety. Estrees also has of small part, where the Germans are still resisting. In the region of Estrees ! alone we took 500 prisoners. "On the left bank of the Mouse an ar tillery struggle is proceeding in the region of Avocourt and Hill BOA. "On the right bank of the Mouse the
 Germans redoubled their efforts in the re- zion of Thaumont, on which since mid day they directed bombardment of great
 violence with guns of big calibre. About ? o'clock, after several assaults had been l 1o,,, had on the work and succeeded in capturing it for the fourth time. Our troops main- tain their positions in the immediate neighborhood of the work. An intense artillery fire was directed by the enemy on Damloup and La Flaufee. No event of importance occurred on the rest of the front.
 "On the night of July our airmen bombarded the railroad station at Longu- yon and the barracks at Challerange and Savigny and military establishments at Laon."
 Belgian communication: There is noth-
 ing of importance to report"
 NIGHT WAS QUIET
 The night was quiet north and south
 
 izing the conquered positions, says the
 French official statement issued today, The Germans made no attempt to in terfere with French troops which were
 consolidating the new positions. In addition to the batteries already cap
 tured, three more have been taken. two
 of which were composed of heavy
 guns. French artillery is proving most destructive. In one dugout which was wrecked by shell 40 corpses were found.
 The Germans are said to have suf- fered enormous losses in the fighting near Herbecourt, which the French captured.
 At one point between the Avre and the Aisne French reconnaissance pen etrated as far as the support trenches Heavy fighting continued last night on the Verdun front. The Germans made | six successive attacks northwest of Thiaumont work, from which they were
 driven by the French recently. few | hours after they had carried ir. Last nights attacks were repulsed, the Ger mans sustaining considerable losses. Southeast of Fumin wood the French
 made some slight progress. The statement follows:
 North and south of the River somme the night passed quietly. The enemy undertoo kno offensive action against our troops who have organized them selves in the positions they conquered yesterday.
 Further information confirm pre- vious reports that the war material captured by us is considerable. New batteries, two of them of heavy calibre, have been added to the batteries already enumerated The effects of our destructive fire have been noted. Tn one shelter 40 bodies of German sol diers were found.
 Tn ravine north of Assevilleres and
 on the northern slopes of the village of
 tCentinued on Page sevea)