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Show III l A i German Positions Northwest of Bazentin-Ie-Petit Wood Captured Cap-tured in Stormy Attack Extending Over 1500-yard Front Remaining Strongholds in Ovillers and La Boiselle Also Taken Hundreds of Wounded Germans Taken From Enormous Cellar by British Litter Bearers During Heavy Shell Fire Tragic Scenes Enacted. RUSSIANS DRIVING BACK GERMAN TROOPS General Von Linsingen Forced to Withdraw Troops Southwest South-west of Lutsk to Point Behind the Lipa River Hindenburg Reinforced. Berlin, July 17, via London, 4:55 p. m. An artillery bombardment of intense violence is in progress at many points from the Somme district north to the sea on the western front, the war office announced today, the German lines being heavily pounded by the British guns. The statement on operations along the western front, says: "Between the sea and the Ancre the British at many pointo increased their fire to great violence. In the Somme district artillery activity has been very considerable con-siderable on both sides. Local enemy attacks followed in which the British penetrated into Ovillers wood a'hd which have led to lively fighting." Rome, July 1 7, via London, 3 : 1 2 p. m. The repulse of a heavy attack by the Austrians in the upper Posina valley in the Trentino as the result of an Italian counter attack was announced an-nounced today by the war office. I I The British have won Important new successes in the Somme region. London today's reports the capture of German second line positions along a 1500 yard front. The Germans also have heen completely driven out of Ovillers and La Boiselle. An important victory Is indicated for the Russians in the Volhynian sector. Berlin admits a retirement at one point while Petrograd announces an-nounces the taking of 13,000 prisoners prison-ers Sunday. Attacks On Lorraine. Paris, July 17 Noon. The Germans Ger-mans made two attacks in Lorraine last night. The war office report of today says both nsaults were repulsed. The attacks In Lorraine were delivered deliv-ered at a point southeast o Nomeny. French Make Progress. "West of Fleury the French made some progress, taking three machine guns. A raid on a trench in the Champagne, Cham-pagne, occupied by Russian troops, was met successfully by a counter attack, at-tack, causing heavy loss to the Ger-On Ger-On the Verdun front the night was comparatively calm except in the vicinity vi-cinity of Hill 304, where rifle firing was briek. The announcement says: ""Between the Olse and Alsno before Moulin Sous Toutevant a strong re-connoltcring re-connoltcring part- of the enemy was dispersed by our fire. "In the Champagne a surprise attack at-tack delivered by the Germans against a trench in the sector held by Russian troops was broken up by a counter attack at-tack which inflicted losses. Relatively Calm at Verdun. "On the Verdun front the night was relatively calm except near Hill 304 where there was spirited rifle firing. West of Floury detachments of our troops made some progress, and captured cap-tured three machine guns. "After a rather long bombardment :- the Germans delivered two nttacks ; against our positions in the region of 1 Ham, in Lorraine southeast of No- i mony. Both attacks were repulsed Wk ' nnd PrlBoners remained in our hands. tfj London, July 17, 2:57 p. m. German i S second line positions northwest of Bar 11 zentiri le Petit wood have been cap- y m J tured by the BriHsh in a stormy at- F ' ' tack, the war office announced today. P The positions were captured in what 0 the statement characterizes as "a further important success, extended over a front of 1500 yards." A strongly held position in Waterlot farm, east of Longneval, also was captured cap-tured by the British, while the remaining re-maining strongholds of the Germans in Ovillers and La Boiselle also were taken. The statement says: "A further important success has been gained by us. Northwest of Ba-zentin Ba-zentin le Petit wood we stormed and captured German second lino posi-, tions on a front of 1500 yards. 'East of Longueval we widened the gap in the German second line by capturing cap-turing the strongly defendd position on the Waterlot farm. "On our left flank, in Ovillers and La Boiselle, we captured the remaining remain-ing strongholds of the enemy." British Capture Trench. British Front in France, July 17. Noon. Via London, 4:30 p. m. The British today captured a German trench in the neighborhood of" Pozl-eres. Pozl-eres. The capture of the trench strengthens the new British line In this vicinity. The British also cleared out nests of German machine operators who had been holding out in cellars and behind be-hind barricades in the ruins of Ovillers Ovil-lers and La Boiselle. Otherwise the situation along the British front is unchanged un-changed at this hour. A total of about 100 officers and mon surrendered to the British who had steadily closed. In upon them, using us-ing bombs and trench mortars, the Germans being short of food. Hundreds of Wounded. In an enormous cellar at Bczantin le Petit, the British found several hundred wounded Germans who had taken refuge. It was tragic business for the British litter bearers bringing them back through the German shell fire, which was meant for the British reserves and gun positions. There were cases where a litter bearer was wounded and put on a 'stretcher emptied emp-tied when a. wounded German on it had been killed by the same shell. The British persisted until all who had not received a final wound in transit were safo In the rear. A captured record of a German battalion bat-talion shows that 600 of its members were killed or wounded by the British shell fire in the bombardment before the attack began. German Troops Withdraw. Berlin, July IS, via London, 4:1G p. m. A withdrawal of German troops under General von Linsingen, southwest of Lutsk to a point behind the river Lipa, is officially announced by the war office today. "Today's statement on operations along the eastern front says: "Army group of Field Marshal von Hindenburg: Increased force west and southwest of Riga and on, the Dvina front preceding Russian enterprises. enter-prises. Near Katarinehof, south of Riga, considerable enemy forces attacked. at-tacked. Lively fighting developed here. "Army group of General 'von Linsingen: Lin-singen: Southwest of Lutsk a Russian Rus-sian attack was arrested by a German counter-attack. Thereupon, in order to strengthen the line of defense the troops were withdrawn behind the Lipa without being molested by the enemy. At other places the Russians Rus-sians were completely repulsed." Western Front Fighting. "Lively fighting occurred south of Biaches, but failed before our curtain cur-tain of fire, or did not develop on account ac-count of our fire. The number of prisoners taken during the fight for the possession of Biaches increased to four officers and 3GG men. "The more extensive attacks by the French began on July 15, to the-east of the Meuse (Verdun front) were continued to this morning. The enemy did not achieve any success in this -sanguinary struggle but lost ground at a few points. "On the remainder of the front there have been no incidents of especial importance. A French advance, ad-vance, following up an explosion near uurcies, was repuiseu. wo carneu out some explosions with good results re-sults on Combres hill. A German patrol pa-trol brought back a few prisoners near Lanfroicourt, Lorraine. "On July 15 two enem' aeroplanes in addition to those reported yesterday, yester-day, were put out of action, one in an aerial battle behind the enemy lines south of the Somme, while the other was shot down from earth near Dreslincourt-Oise within our lines." Petrograd, July 17. The Russians are continuing their successful advance ad-vance in the region of the Low.er Lipa, the war office announced today. The number of prisoners taken by the Russians in Volhynia yesterday was nearly 13,000. Tho announcement follows: German Resistance Breaks. , "In Volhynia east and southeast of Suinuhi (Sviniusky?) village our brave troops have broken down (he resistance of tho enemy. In battles in the region of Pustomyty more than 1000 German and Austrian prisoners havo been taken together with three light guns, two heavy guns, machine guns and much other military booty. In these battles brave General Vladimir Vladi-mir Draggmiroff was wounded in the leg by a shrapnel splinter. Many Prisoners Taken. Tn the region of tho Lower Lipa our successful advance continues. The enemy is making a stubborn resistance. re-sistance. In battles in this region we took prisoner 226 officers and 5782 mon. We also captured 24 guns, of which twelve were heavy pieces, together with fourteen machine guns-A guns-A few thousand rifles and other equipments. We havo also captured In this vicinity fifty-one officers nnd 2581 men. "The total number of prisoners taken tak-en on July 10 in battles in Volhynia is approximately 314 officers and 12,-637 12,-637 men. We captured thirty guns, on which seventeen were heavy pieces, a great number of machine guns and other material. "In the direction of Kirlibaba on the frontier of Transylvania we have occupied a new set of positions. "In tho region of Riga skirmishes on both sides have been successful for us and part of the enemy's trenches have been taken together with prisoners. Great Success on Caucasus Front. "Caucasus front: The offensive on ..I V, t- Pli.il." -.f mil. Ooimirno f vi-tn f til lllll. 11U111V Ul lUl VVU.UOUO XL Uil is developing. A great success was obtained on July 16 by the Plastuney division of Kuban Cossacks belonging belong-ing to the column of General Gornas-taeff. Gornas-taeff. The Turks sot fire to tho village vil-lage of Balburt during their hasty retreat re-treat thence." British War Expense. London, July 17, 4:02 p. m British expenditures have now reached a total of more than 6,000,000 pounds dally, according to a statement mado by Reginald McICenna, chancellor of the exchequer In the houso of commons today. Italian War Report. Homo, July 17. "In the upper Posina Po-sina area tho enemy attempted to stop our advance, delivering a heavy attack supported by concentration artillery ar-tillery fire between Monto Santo and Monto Torairo. We mado a counter attack and after severe hand to hand fighting, repulsed tho enemy, along the whole front. "Hostile alrcrnft against shelled Cortina di Ampezzo. We retailiated on onr usual targets in the Drave valley. . , "On July 15 our aircraft bombarded camps in tho Folgaria area. Throughout Through-out vesterday the enemy displayed much aerial activity, bombarding sev- eral points In the Camonlcona and Adige valleys. There were no casualties cas-ualties and damage was inflicted. Last night, five hydro-aeroplanes dropped drop-ped bombs on Trevlso killing one person per-son -and wounding a few others. One machine was brought down by our fire. Two occupants of the machine were killed." German Steamship Sunk. London, July 17, 5:35 p. m. Reuters Reu-ters Stockholm correspondent reports the sinking by a Russian submarine of the German steamship Syria. Her crew and Swedish pilots were rescued. The Syria, 3,607 tons gross, was owned in Hamburg. nn |
