The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-07
Battle Raging With Fury in
Northern France.
FORMS LINK WITH FRENCH
GermansSimuItaneOuslyLaunch
Offensive on British.
Enemy Gains 500 Yards OF
Trenches Near Thiepval.

trenches in severe fighting east of La
Boisselle (east of Albert) General
Haig reported this afternoon. The
gain is one of the most important adj
vances scored by the British since the
first day of the allies great offensive.
Severe fighting is going on in the
La Boisselle sector, Haig reported.
| The Germans have suffered heavy
| losses.
southwest of Thiepval a de-
| termined enemy attack was complete
ly repulsed," reported the British
commander-in-chief
Germans Counter Attack Vigorously.
The British gain east of La Boisselle
is of particular Importance because It
links up with the eastward advance OF
| the French north of the Somme- The
Germans had massed large forces on
| this sector and counter attacked des~
perately in efforts to fling back the
British line.
The statement follows:
| This morning in certain sectors OF
the battlefield east of Albert, we re-
sumed a vigorous offensive at dawn
The Germans at the same time launch-
| ed heavy attacks on our new trenches
| in the vicinity of Ancre and north or
| Fricourt with the result that violent
| fighting is now in progress along the
| whole front between the Ancre and
Montauaban.
| Up to the present several impor-
tant tactical successes have been gain
ed by our infantry in the vicinity OF
lOvillers, La Boisselle and Contalmai-
| son, but northwest of Thiepval the
1 enemy succeeded temporarily in re-
1 gaining two or three hundred yaruS
of lost ground"
French Wins Gallant Victories.
| Paris. July THE solidity of the
French conquest in Picardy at last
has been put to the test and military
men here say it has come out Of the
ordeal with flying colors.
The Germans who managed to gath
er considerable forces, partly, appar-
emily from the British front where the
pressure was lessened during the day
and partly from depots, delivered a
series OF violent attacks on two points.
The first of these was between Hem
and Maricourt on the Clery road. The
second was on the extreme right be-
| tween Estrees and Belloy, the object
being to drive a wedge between the
French center and right where the
French line crosses the Somme river
from Hem to Fueilleres and between
the extreme right and the rest of the
| French front
| The success of these maneuvers
would have forced the eventual retire.
ment of the whole French line. The
| German reaction, however, came too
! late.
/ The French had time thoroughly to
| strengthen their line, to advance and
| place in position heavy artillery and to
bring up plentiful stocks of munitions
| Consequently the attacking wave was
caught in a whirlwind of machine gun
fire from the trenches and was shot
! to pieces by the ''seventy-fives'' while
the German supports following and
reserves far in the rear were shattered
/ by salvos from medium and heavy bat
! teries.
Two and Half Miles From Peronne
The German infantry pIodded for
ward again and again but nowhere.
French reports say, made any impress
! sion upon the French lines
Rarely even did they get to grips
with the occupants of the trenches.
This accounts for the small number OF
prisoners taken.
The Germans, says the report had
striven the whole day without effect
ing the slightest modification of the
situation.
The French remain two and half
miles from Peronne on the south side
| of the Somme and four miles from
that city on the north side of the river
There are no formidable natural OBJ
stacles in the way of their occupation
of the city when the French COM
mander judges that the time is ripe
to do SO.
Austrian Report Reads Optimistic.
Berlin, July Z. by wireless to Say
ville.-The Austro-Hungarian war Of
fice's statement of July follows:
Russian front: The fighting in
the vicinity of Kolomea (Galfcia) was
extended. strong hostile advance
west of town was checked by a coun-
ter att4ck- Southeast of Tlumach
German and Austro- Hungarian troops
broke up with artillery and infantry
was built in 1879.
| fire attack over a front of a half
kilometer by large force of Russian
cavalry.
"In the district south of Lutsk
! (Volhynia) the attack of the Teu-
tonic allies gained further ground.
Violent Russian advances west and
northwest of Lutsk were repulsed A
Russian cavalry attack in the Zloczey-
lza district also was a failure.
North of the Baranovihi, German
and Austro-H Hungarian troops re-
pulsed strong attacks for which prep
aration was made with violent artii-
iery fire. These engagements have not
been ended.
italian front: There was great ac-
| tivity on the part of the enemy's can
non and mine ti1rowers against the
Doberdo heights, particularly in the
district south of Monte DeIseidusi-
Isolated and severe hand grenade at
tacks developed"