New-York tribune., 1916-07-10
Village of Biaches to
Southwest Carried
by Storm.
GERMANS LOSE
ENTIRE SECTOR
British Make Gains at
OvillerS and Also at
HardecOurt.
Bv FRED r. PITNEN.
L. - Il. -.--.-a


Tarls. July 9.-Hanrmcrinc rclcut-
,esly a. the German lines in Picardy
vt b tre fury Of two days assaults
had cumpled N like paper. the
french troops under General Foch
swept forward to-day TO within a
m.'e of Pcronne. BY nightfall, wher
both sides rested on their arms for
,he FIRST time in hours, the French
Hrcs had been extended on a front OF
two and a half miles 90 a depth Of
mile on The average.
The village Of Biaches on tho out
skirts Of Peronne 20 the southwest,
was carried by storm, and the whole
sector wing between Flaucourt, Bar
'rav and Biaches was wrcsted from
're Germans.
Tonight the French are consoli-
dating their lines at this point and
bringing up the heavy artillery. with
which 10 is intended TO pave the way
FOR the capture Of the city and the
railway running To Comblcs.
Meanwhile. on the front between
'he Arcre and the Somme, the Brit
ish made progress in the neighbor-
hood o. Ovillers and gained ground
r Hardccourt village, the capture
of which is admitted in to-day's off
c.al statement from Berlin. At other
points they delivered fierce attacks
which broke down before heavy fire
from the oncmy's guns.
Offensive still Effective.
A. no point along either the West
ern or the Eastern fronts has the
Joint offensive Of the Entente Allies
,o.t any Of its effectiveness. While
Tho Germans on the West front are
CONCENTRATING all their strength to
check the drive along the Somme the
Teutonic armies IN the East, from
Riga 10 the Carpathians, are slowly
falling back before the onrush OF
The Cars hosts, unable to receive
help from the armies on any other
front.
By The capture yesterday Of Harde
cour. and Hill 13o, and by the envelop-
men. Of 3 aches and the sector immedi-
ttely southwest Of Peronne, the French
row hold the German second line along
their whole front in the Somme often
sve The possession Of Hill 139 brings
t.e troops Of General Foch to within
three kilometres two miles Of Com
hes. and az Biaches they are less thar
two kilometres from Peronne.
Peronne, on the south; Combles, IN
the centre, and Bapaume, in the north
are The three main German supporting
positions in the sector under attack
and all have been turned in the last
twenty months into veritable fort
fe'scs. With Peronne now under then
guns however, the French have only tC
lake Mont S. Quentin, the city's chiei
remaining defensive position, 20 sweer
ite entire sector behind their lines.
Capture of Combles Near.
H.l l3o and Hardecourt were the
chief defensive positions Of Combles
and their fall brings the capture OF
that place much nearer. Southwest OF
tomhles and directly cast Of Harde-
court is Maurepas. powerfully held by
me Germans. But between Hill 13S
tnd Combles there is no strong sup
porting point. The possession Of Clery
on the south, and Of Combles, on the
north. would leave Maurepas an unten
able salient, besides opening Mont s.
Quentin 20 attacks from both the north
and the west.
The French are now in a position tc
teg.n attacks on Combles and Clery a.
soon as the British straighten out then
lines 20 meet the French front. The
great result achieved in the last French
advance. is the relief OF the BRITISH
Positions further 10 the west.
The English forces have been held uT
~ an immensely strong German second
Inc. supporting positions running from
tolth Of ContslmaisOn TO the north ol
fozieres. Heretofore they have had 70
oonhne themselves 10 frontal attacks
On this position, but now, with the ne"