The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-19
Defenses Northwest of Verdun
Cleared of Germans.
Infantry Surprise Rush Caught
Germans Unawares.
THRU TO TEUTONS' THIRD LINE
Charged While Artillery Bonn
bardment Still Was Booming.
Germans Gain Trenches at st.
Quentin but Are Ousted.
(By the Associated Press

French Front in France, July 10
The crown princes army suffered the
rudest shock when the French
Wednesday attacked and recaptured
all the positions northwest of Verdun.
These cost the Germans much hard
fighting when they were taken from
the French. The affair cost the Ger
mans not only the loss of their for
mer conquest and about five hundred
prisoners but the French cut into
their line and repeated counter at
tacks by the Germans failed to re-
cover any part thereof and resulted
even in more losses.
The Germans, when they advanced
at the end of June obtained posses
sion of a number of observatories,
giving them views of the French lines.
The Germans for several days have
been expecting the Franch would try
to shell. them out but did not expect
an infantry attack.
The French were obliged to delay
the movement owing to bad weather
but continued the heavy lombard
ment, causing the Germans such
losses that they were obliged to take
the Tenth reserve division which was
holding their positions, out of the
trenches as some of it's companies
have been reduced to fifty men each
The Twenty ninth division replaced
it, supported by the Forty-eighth
division composed of French troops
brought from the Russian front. 1t
was while relief was proceeding that
the French attacked, thoroly surpris-
ing the enemy by appearing in their
trenches while the bombardment was
proce eding. Before the Germans could
recover the French were within the
third line trenches. The enemys dis
order was so great that the French
were able to gather many prisoners
| and dashed even further forward than
they intended and occupied ground on
thousand yard front of what had
been French positions before the Ger
man attack in June.
The French now hold all the OBJ
| servatories overlooking the slopes of
Lemort Homme and Hill 304. The
whole engagement lasted only thirty
minutes. The first German reaction
| occurred unsuccessfully twelve hours
| later.
Spirited Battle Near st. Quentin.
| Paris, July 19.-The Germans made
an attack last night on a front of see
| meters south of St. Quentin. The war
| office announced that the enemy
gained a footing in the French first
| line but was expelled from the greater
part of these positions by a counter
attack.
| A German attempt to regain ground
| captured by the French near Avocourt
wood on the Verdun front was de-
| feated.
Russ Lose Captured Fort.
Petrograd, July 19.-Russian troops
| captured Novica as a result of a night
attack, but due to their hevay losses,
withdrew to the eastern end of the
village, where two enemy attacks were
repulsed, according to today's official
| statement.
"On Tuesday we captured near No
v1ca three machine guns and 22S pris-
| oners," the statement added.
| British Recapture Posts.
| London, July 19.-Recapture of
British advanced posts east of Monchy
| lie Preux, which Field Marshal Haig's
men were forced to leave under Ger
man attacks Wednesday, was an
| nounced in the official report today.