The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-06
FRENCH ATTACKING
 PERONNE SUBURBS Great Railway Center Is Primary Object of French ATTACK IS REFUSED Attempt to Rush French Line Is Sue cessful for Moment Only-Heavy
 Rainstorms Impedes Fighting
 to Some Extent

Paris, July 5-The full force of the French offensive is again being exerted both north and south of the Somme, but principally southward. In this direction the French are now in the outskirts of Peronne, the great railway center, which is their first objective in their effort to cut the German communications.
 Sormont farm, taken by the French. is only two miles from Peronne and ad- joins its suburban houses. The impor- tance the Germans attach to this point is shown in their free counter-attack last night when they rushed the French lines back to the village of Belloy-En- -Santerre, which they momentarily held. The rush temporarily dented the French advance, but it was quickly strengthened out when fierce hand to hand fighting placed the town again in French hands.
 Close to 10000 German prisoners have been taken, while the extent of the muni- tions captured is shown in the fact that 60 guns were taken by single army corps. Meantime the movement north of
 
 French left wing may act simultaneously with the British right wing.
 The British have been facing an ex- treme,y heavy resistance and larger Ger man endorsements were hurried forward yesterday by the Cologne-Cambria rail- way, which runs to the very center of the German front attacked by the British.
 ARE IGNORING FRENCH
 The tenacity with which the Germans are holding to their positions around La Boissele, while the French menace of Peronne is comparatively eslected, leads to the belief that the Germans are chiefly concerned in breaking tL> British offen- sve even at the sacrnce of some ground to the south.
 The French have now, in some places, pushed through the third and last line of the German defenses as they existed be- fore the attack. The Germans are hastily constructing a new line, but are mani festly unable to make it as strong as the three lines perfected after 20 months la bor.
 The phenomenal rainstorm which swept over the whole terrain has inn peded in certain measure the Anglo French offensive on the Somme. Never theless, the French. continued to push ahead south of the river. making use full gains in the Flaucourt and Estrees, including the strongly fortified village of Belloy and the woods between Asse- villeres and Barleux. thus strength ening and straightenig their line and bringing nearer the capture of Peronne, which now Is separated from the French advanced post at Flaucourt only by a narrow bare plateau border ing the Somme above Blanche and reaching its highest point. 97 metres. at the hamlet of LaMassonnette.
 IS LOGICAL MOVE
 This is logical move since, as a result of the progress of the past three days, the depot at Peronne of the rail- road connecting Chaulnes. Rove and Cambrai is now under the fire of French guns, as Is the depot at Chaul- nes, where the Paris-Cambrai and Tergnier- -Amiens railroads cross. Such an offensive will be a serious menace to the Germans and likely to have the additional advantage of relieving pres sure upon the British against whom the Germans continue to direct the bulk of their forces
 verdun. the Keystone of the whole front, continues to play successfully the thankless role of holding and vast ing the greatest concentration of the enemy's forces.
 Fighting on the east bank of the Mouse has been revived with some thing of its old fury. Tuesday the enemy succeeded in capturing the Thiaumont work for the fourth time but the French believe that this is not likely to prove of any more advantage than before. since they hold all ap- breaches and the work itself is swept
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