Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1916 — FRENCH HOME ON SOMME RIVER [ARTICLE]

FRENCH HOME ON SOMME RIVER

German Base Is Threatened by the Allies. ENTIRE LINE STRAIGHTENED New Trenches Are Now in Front of Peronne—British Maintain Ground Gained—Fierce Counter-At-tacks Repulsed. Paris, July 7.—Violent counter-at-tacks by the Germans on the French lines on both banks of the Somme were repulsed with heavy losses to the attackers, according to the official statement issued by the French war office. French Line Straightened. London, July 7. —The French offensive along the Somme has made steady progress so that the left of the advance now rests on Hardecourt and the right on Estrees, while the entire Intervening front has been transformed within the last four days from one of Irregular lines, that exposed some positions to a flanking Are, Into a homogenous line without fissures or dangerous wedges. The solidity of this front Is in marked contrast with the fronts in the battles of the Champagne and the Artois, the irregularity of which permitted of a heavy cross-fire beings brought to bear upon the more advanced points. Two Echelons Formed. That part of the present front facing Peronne has the classic from of two echelons on two sides of'Peronne, which Is said to be the only one of the well-known dispositions laid down In ancient tactics that has survived the revolutionizing developments of the present war. The right of this formation Is protected by a defensive curve that unites the new front with the old line. Tacticians declare the maneuvers that accomplished tills formtaion constituted one of the most notable strategic phases of the war. The new French trenches at the most advanced points are now In front of Peronne and the village of Mount St. Quentin, situated on an elevation 300 feet from the point from which, In 1870, the Germans bombarded Peronne.

Battle North of Somme. Having captured the whole German second line south of the Somme from the river to Belloy, the French have resumed operations north of the river and have cleared the bank almost to Clery. The French who have established themselves at Sormont farm also threaten Clery. The British are still heavily enall along their front from Hardecourt to Gominecburt. Notwithstanding heavy German counter-attacks, they have been able to maintain all the ground gained, and a slight advance was scored by General Haig’s forces in the vicinity of Thiepval.

Threaten Peronne Defenses. The French push to the south of the river now threatens Barleux and Vil-lers-Carbonnel, crucial positions in the German defense of the railway center at Peronne. On the other bank of the river the French are striking east of the village of Horn. Paris announces the capture by the French in their offensive of 75 cannon and several hundred machine guns. Instead of compelling the Germans to lessen their efforts at Verdun, the Anglo-French offensive seems to have increased their determination, possibly in the hope of preventing the French from “ending re-pn for cements to the Somme.

Breslau Sink* Two Rus* Ship*. London, July 7. —Dispatches from Sotchy, a Russian port on the Black sea, forwarded from Petrograd by Reuter, say that the former German cruiser Breslau, now renamed the Mldullu, in the Turkish naval service, torpedoed a transport loaded with supplies and sank a sailing vessel. Off Vandar she completed the destruction of a transport which had been torpedoed on a previous day by a Turkish submarine.