Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-03
ALLIES SWEEP FORWARD
ON FRONT OF Is MILES
Nine Villages and Fifty Square Miles of French Terri
tory, Held Until Now by Germans, Enveloped
Within Last Twenty Four Hours

allied troops has an exceptional strate-
: sic value. The towns captured by tho
French are only seven miles west of
peronne. the chief rail highway from
tho German confer at Cologne to tho
German front in the region OF Noyon
and scissors.
The German headquarters is at ST.
Quentin. twenty five miles southeast of
Pcronnc. Already tie French forces
threaten Pcronne. with the evident pur-
pose OF cutting the trunk railway
there. which is an Indispensable artery
for German military endorsements
The speed OF the advance of the
entente allied troops is taken as show
ing that the perfection of artillery
preparations exceeded anything yet
done in the destruction OF field works
Infantrymen Of both allied armies
leaped ont Of the trenches at the word
Of command, with cries of joy. with
cheers and with the singing of the
'Marscillaiso" and "Tippcrary."
The concrete sheltered machine guns
that had stopped tho French In Artois
aud in the Champagne were all de-
molishcd here, and II was chiefly man
against man with rif1o and bayonct. at
which style Of lighting, the officers say
the French and British both showed
superiority.
Desperate lighting continues around
Ncrdun. and although this field OF
from the lighting i'm the north. Vcrdun
Is considered part OF the vast military
plan now unfolding
The French now nave taken the ag-
Eressive at Ncrdun. to-days report
showing an attack on Dead Mans i'm,
with heavy German losses md the
taking of prisoners by the French. The
French ar" thus keeping the cierm.ns
fully occupied at Vcrdun. and are pre-
venting them from sending re -cnforcc-
mcuts t. relieve their weakened line
III the north
On the other hand. the Germans pride
themselves on being able, finally, 10
take Ncrdun.
FRENCH PUBLIC AND PRESS
INTENSELY INTERESTED
The French public and the press arc
following the great offensive with in
tense interest. but without cXcitcmen Mt
Paris maintains tho same calm as IL
did during the battle of the NIarn.. and
accustomed crowds to-day filled the
b"uierardS' and there were eager
thronGs around the bulletin boards
A correspondent at the front. I'm de-
scribing the capture of Dompicrrc, SAWS
the soldiers OF one corps. taking cr-
ample from their commander, WONT into
battle covered with flowers
That, said general. pointing to
"A carnation TN his buttonholc, "wiIl
fade yondcr where the Germans arc
now
The correspondent continues: Two
regiments covered themselves with
Sio-y in the fight for Dompicrrc. which
hah been transformed by tho Germans
into Il rcritahle fortress In the face
OF fire from the machine guns tina,
hao survived the hombardmcnt intact.
they rushed tho positions with such
impetl"sity that the gunners were can
tnred before they had time to put their
guns into action. The streets Of tho
ruined village saw serious haud-to-
hand fighting. When it was over 40
bodies lay on tho ground. The sur
rivors were prisoners.
The battle flag OF one regiment
riddlcd with bullets, was carried into
The village at the head OF the first
company.
Two Scotch regiments in the region
n"rth or The Somme went over three
ines OF German trenches without "a
hitlt, stopping only inside the village
81 Montauban. where they put several
hundred Germans To tho bayonct aud
TOOK prisoner the entire staff of a reri
mont"