Arizona republican., 1917-08-21
FRENCH AND ITALIANS START
 MONSTER 0FFENSIVES WITH
 SUCCESSES ALREADY REPORTED
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

gagged in the successful parrying of German counter thrusts against the newly won ground in Flanders, the French and the Italians have started monster offensives-the French against the German near Nerdun and the Ital- ians against the Austrians from the region of Playa to near the headwaters of the Adriatic sea.
 Sharp, decisive browS have gained for the French positions held by the Germans on front of more than elev- en mines, extending from the Avocourt wood eastward across the river Mouse and into the Bois de Chaume, while | the Italians, after a bombardment of an intensity never before experienced | in that theater, have leveled Austrian defenseS, crossed the ruins and also the ISonZo river and now are at deadly grips with the enemy along a front of about 37 miles,
 Nearly 12,000 prisoners already have | been counted by the French and Ital- ans, and doubtless this number will be l materially augmented when full de- | tails of the fighting are at hand. In ! addition, the Germans and Austrians l lost heavily in men killed or wounded and in guns and machine guns cap tured.
 1 The new territory taken by the 1 French embraces positions that have l literally weltered in French and Ger man blood in battles that have waged l to and fro since the German crown prince started his most costly enter prise, the attempt to take Verdun. which resulted in utter failure as a military maneuver, and cost the lives 1 of tens of thousands of his men | Notable among the captured posi- uons are the Avocourt wood, two sum- mits of Le Mort Homme, the Corbeaux | wood and Champneuville, all of which l were held notwithstanding vicious l counter attacks by the Germans. which were broken up by the French fire | with heavy losses to the enemy French airmen materially aided the in | fantry in the press forward sweeping
 low over the German forces and emp tying their machine guns into the
 ranks, and in fights in the air with
 German protecting machines, eleven of which were sent hurtling to the ground. Likewise the Italian fliers are giving their infantry valuable support,
 more than 200 of them being engaged
 in attacking with bombs and ma chine fire the Austrians behind the lines.
 At last accounts the Italian guns were energetically proceeding with the work of destruction of the new posi-
 tions taken up by the allies.
 The situation in Flanders and in northern France is calm as compared with last week. but both the British and French continue to make sallies
 at various points and to strengthen the positions won in the recent fight ing. The Canadians around Lens daily are biting further into the German line land now have the coal center virtually surrounded except on the east. Even 1 0n this sector the Canadian guns have
 the range and are making almost inn l possible any movements of the enemy
 from or into the town. The entente all lied airmen still are carrying out raids
 on German positions in Belgium, many
 tons of bombs again having been drop ped by them. In Rumania the Austro- Germans have forced back the Ruman- | ians on both sides of the OituZ and
 Trotus valleys according to the Berlin
 official communication. In the fight ing in the former sector more than L.
 800 Rumanians and thirty machine
 guns fell into the hands of the invad- CTS. while in fighting on the Sereth
 river, 2,000 additional prisoners were
 taken.
 Smashing French Victory
 1 PARIS, Aug. 20.-A smashing French victory on the Verdun front is recorded | in the official report issued by the wa
 office tonight The French have cap
 tured the enemy defenses on both sides of the Mouse over front of more thar J eleven miles, penetrating the German
 line at divers points to depth of a
 mile and one quarter. More than 400(
 unwounded German prisoners have
 been taken.
 The text of the statement reads:
 ] North of Verdun our troops captured
 enemy defenses on a front of eighteen | kilometers and to a denth exceadi~e
 two kilometers. On the left bank of the
 Mouse we hold the Avocourt wood, tht ! two summits of Le Mort Homme, Cor
 beauX wood and Cumieres On tn '. Int bank we occupied Tallou rdgc = Champneuville, Hill 344. Mormon s farm and Hill 240 north of Louvemont : "On the right bank our troops hay. ) advanced considerably in the Bois de e Posse and the Bois de Chaume. = The number of unwounded prison ! CTS taken is more than 4000
 e The Germans carried out violen
 counter attacks in the Avocourt woo, l. and against Le Mort Homme and HiI tt 344, but our fire everywhere broke dow s their efforts and inflicted heavy losses = Our aviators took brilliant part ii q the battle.
 e Our pilots brought down eleve $ German airplanes while two enemy ma
 (COntinued on Page Twol