The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-02
LENS AND vERDuI
STORM CENTEn|
IN SAVAGE F|GI||
German Hold on Coal Cit i
Precarious But They
Holding on DesperAtely

London. July LENS ana vss1 Il
were the storm centers In S4S
fighting today, anniversary Of the + 81
ginning Of the somme battle. zs|z
Sir Douglas Haigs CAnAdt8iS
charged on once more through f
water-soaked ground along the Go
chez rivers north bank. TAey ns 7
ed tho Teutons further back q
front of half mile.
PrecarjouS as Is the Gernn6n 6N
on the ruins OF the big coal cafS1 4
seems now certain that to make IN "a
selves complete masters Of u 4
British will nrst have to turn tASs
Oppy line SO as to get we'll 6o1f1u1Es
the TeHteH front and prevenE 81 ~
eleveHth-houF counter sfrfve II r. -
fixnkfng possibilities might ap4it l7 IA
aster within the grasp Of victory
The new Verdun battle reeofs b
itself today into see-saw fghting. -
Germans failed to make further 49, q
way in their drive west OF th1 r
between Avocourt and Dead Ss
hill. West of that hill . Ffonch n M
vance post changed hands Axo Il
Churned by shell IRE 1t Wa 1Am1
abandoned by both sides and nnS !
another mo mans land" q
Wars grim irony Is seen ~ q q
tary experts here In the tActtco nGs
sued by General Haig 1t Lsena
by the crown prince at verdnn.
compared to the manner ct attaA1
these fronts in previous battles.
Both have learned their To-
It cost the lives Of hundreds " r.
sands Of gallant Frenchmen. Na11<
man and Germans to teach thoGA
CONS. In 1915 when Lens wn3
rake In the battle Of Artoto. GGmGS
Foch's army lost 100000 In Killed II
wounded. Lens remained Ii 0sr
hands. Later IN the battle Of EoG
British Atried to take the coa1 ~ +
from the north. They lost sS,0oos 19
futtis attempt. verdun was ~ =
Hest battle the Germans foughffS
through the war. Their to4al II &
and wounded was upward o. 1oesAo
Haig tried the old tactics oncA
before Lens after the capture ~
ridge. the most powerful ha1kton
er to protecting the minfnE ~
The British casualty total Tor
l1o,o00--was the answer.
Today, two years after the nfUk
was hred at Lens. and yoa&N 1lS
haif after the crown primes E6xT
Douamont. bomb and b4yonAk RI
ade and bare hands. are Agai1
inx time TO the furious churuaA ~ 4
firing cannon. But the attAekiGkf
DDS have changed. Quick.
ed infantry dashez on comrI6x
short fronts. repeated in rapa4
sion. have replaced the old s6Qa
tactics Of hurting dense maS1
Thousands into . sea of Kanlk
drs. Bit by bit. tina .<attAcntQ
now tries to gain its eoAl
bite II means to eat itsalf int
posing side until only ! sx&n
crust ID lefe.~ aag
Thus. the nrst4 Of July. 1S11Sx
u short one month Of thu annfs
Of the wars outbreak. sews tl31
army chiefs today trying IN
again. IN novel exDAFimSax
they have vainiy tried since tNNS
tie Of the Marne. q NS1
Evazy Dispatch from the L.
emphasizes the life saving
Haig's tactics. ''OuE troop&
British commander yaatArdnoS
gained the whole OF thoiS III
on zach occasion with It'll
This has given impetus "a
lAti6n here regarding The
new compound which. nne
munitions minister. Dr..
Addison. enables the BSftf1 4
ter maximum advance "a
cost az lives.
The Germans have dax
chss river. Thsy Aave
ssrything1 that might faesll
ttsh advAnee .sesatn 2x
dpttsds IN QFenn1
exatsgs aese kosag
lnG cetux RI