The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-03
French Within Six Miles Of
Vital Point On Teuton !
Main Feeding Line
WORK OF 20 MONTHS
Is LOST BY TEUTONS
Despite Great Ofensiv. In
Picardy Fighting Around
Verdun Shows No Let-Un
In Terrific Intensity

London, July 2.--TEe "Big
Push" of the Allies continues
with undated energy and In
creasing gains. Throughout the
day the Germans have been
pushed steadily back until to-
night the French arc within SIX
miles of Paronne. vital point ON
the main feeding railway OF tho
Germans and center OF IA system
of radiating high roads. They
have captured the villages or
Curlu and Frisc and have broken
into the German second line Of
dcfenscs at number OF points.
The British, operating ON .
fifteen-mile front to the north,
have captured the village of FRI
court and pushed further cast
ward toward the Bapaumc.
pcronne high road which now u
less than seven miles away.
In the first thirty-six hours of tibet
drive the French and British have
captured more than 800 German
French territory of the invaders and
have carried eleven villages and q
complicated series of entrencillnento
and redoubts which the Germans have
been more than twenty months in con-
structing.
Favorable, Says I-afg. M
The situation at the end OF the scc~s
ond day is summed up in a sentence
by the British headquarters: This
general situation may be regarded az
favora ble." says the report received
in London tonight from General Haix,
in France.
The day was one of consolidation
rather than OF surging rushes which
yesterday carried the Allies more than
two miles deep into German lines AZ
some points. The greatest p9egress
during the day was recorded south OF
the Somme. between that river and
by the French and east Of
Albert by the British center.
On the northern end OF the British
front, around and below Gommecourt
the Germans are offering strongest
resistance. Berlins first official word
on the fighting received here today
announces heavy losses of the British,
and no advantages worthy of mem
ton" III
In front of Albert. ho~ever. despite
strong German resistance, the British
today completed their capture Of
Fricourt. which had been practically
in the first rush Of tho
offensive. by the capture of Laboiselle
and Mametz. The town was strongly
defended. being in reality a small held
fortress. defended by an elaborate
system OF redoubts and entrencI-A
ments. Pressing through thu village
the British made an advance toward
the east. The extent of this advance
is not made clear by dispatches -
far at hand.
French Gains Greater.
or the two armies, the French to.g
day made the greatest advance. On
their entire front Of ten miles they
met furious opposition at hands of tbs
Germans who at many points already
arc launching strong counter attacks
The midnight statement from Paris
makes announcement OF the most line
portant gain OF the day. This II the
capture OF village OF Frise and N
advance through the hamlet to tho
eastward. Frise Is the point from
which strong blow at Peronnos4
where great German supply depotsl
are located, can be struck.
The French war ONCE makes the.
official announcement that to date the
French losses have been small. This
is attributed to the efficacious Artfls
lery preparation. which ground the
German defenses into dust before the
foot soldiers were hurled forward II
the charge.
OF the $500 prisoners taken by the
Franco British armies. 5000 are ~
the hands Of the French.
Berlin Admits t-BAck.
The Berlin statement admitting
that the Teutons were forced q
abandon their entire svstem Of hr1k
line trenches on both banks Of III.
Somme for some distance north an1'
south. states that the troops WITH
drawn took IN specially nrUparqM
positions some distance to tho rear, ~
It Is likely that It is this series III
into which the French x@s
port having penetrated during 60
day. 81
Over the twenty-five mile battle No.,
the air fleets Of the opposing axza1s
are unusually active. The ItoM4
have carried out series Of raids & Il
Important points held BY the ossnns
the front. s sse s3e|
FIGHTING AT vERDuN
INCREAsDB IN yIQ1e