Arizona republican., 1916-07-03
BATTLE OF SOMME
MARKS OPENING
OF BIG DRIVE
rRepublican A. p. Leased wirel


PARIS, July THE battle of the
Somme, now in full progress. marks
the opening of the Franco British Of
fensive, long expected as d critical, if
not the decisive stage of the war.
Early reports today show that the
entente allied forces are sweeping for
ward along a 25-mile frcnt. The
French already have taken more than
5000 prisoners, while the allied lines
have .enveloped within the last twenty
four hours nine villages and fifty
square miles of French territory, held
until now by the Germans.
The theater of operations for the
British forces runs between CONNIE
court, north of the river Ancre, to a
point just north of the Somme, while
the French attacked on both sides of
the Somme and southwark toward
Roye.
Thus the entente allied armies pre-
sent front Of % miles with the Brit
ish on the left for Is miles and the
French on the right for 10 miles
The region of this supreme contest
is one favorable for military operations.
great number of small villages which
are usually devoted to textile indus
tries, while the outlying agricultural
sections are level fields chiefly DEVOTED
TO beet culture for the extensive sugar
production of France
The intense bombardment of the last
four days was the signal for an ad-
vance over these level fields, beginning
at 1880 o'clock yesterday morning The
entente allied forces then heightened
the range so as to shut off all COM
munication between the first German
line and the German reserve in the
rear. This made it impossible for the
Teutons to utilize their perfect organi-
zation for the shifting Of troops ant
for the bringing up of reinforcements
1t is thought by French military OBJ
servers that the Germans miscalculateC
the intentions of the entente allies ant
expected the attacks further to th'
north.
The villages which the French cap
tured in the first sweep include Dom
pirere, Becquincourt. Bussus and Fay
and these and the towns taken by tn
British-Montauban and Mametz-
were all found to have been strongl
fortified by the Germans.
The entente allies, profiting fror
their experience in the war, quickl
threw up strong earthworks around tn
villages thus taken, in order to protec
them against counter attacks 1t wa
not before night, however, that tn
Germans were able to deliver an
counter attack This was centere
against the French position on til
outskirts of HardecOurt. 1t was re
pulsed with heavy losses, ending in
precipitate retreat.
Throughout last night the Frenc
continued their drive, capturing II
village of CurlU, of which they alreac
had occupied the outskirts, and pre-
crossing south of the Somme betwee
Barbecourt and Assevillers.
In addition to the military success
the terrain overrun by the entente a
lied troops has a strategic position.
The German headquarters is at 5
Putain, 20 miles southeast of Peronn
Already the French forces threatt
Peronne with the evident purpose
cutting the trunk railway there, whi'
is an indispensable artery for Germs
military reinforcements.
The speed of the advance of the e.
tente allied troops is taken as shown
that the perfection Of the artille
preparations exceeded anything y
done in the destruction of field worl
Infantrymen of both allied armi
leaped out of the trenches at the wo
of command with cries of joy, wi
sabres and with the singing of t
Marseillaise and Tipperary.
The concrete sheltered machine gu
that had stopped the French in Artt
and i'm the Champagne had all be
demolished here, and it was CHIEF
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