CAPTURE OF FRISE AND MERICOURT WOOD.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14129, 4 July 1916, Page 5

CAPTURE OF FRISE AND MERICOURT WOOD.

FOOTING IN THE SECOND LINES

OVER SIX THOUSAND PRISONERS

FRENCH LOSSES SMALL

(Pouter's Telegrams.)

(Received' July 3, 8.15 p.m.)

Paris, July 3,

A communique states that heavy fighting in our -favour proceeded all day north of the Somite in the region of Hardecourt and Curlu.

We captured a fortified quarry east of Cualu.

We gained a footing in the second lines at many points south of the Som--818.

We captured the village of Frise and the wood of Mericourt.

Our xinwounded prisoners now exceed 6000, including 150 officers. Some guns and much material have also been captured. Our losses were slight.

The insignificant losses in the Somme region were due to our complete artillery preparation, the dash of the infantry and the air squadron's effective work. • •■,

The latter bombed heavily the railway stations at Longuyon, Thionvillo,

CABLE .MEWS.

[Pbbss Association—CoprmoHi.J

Dun, Brioulles, and Amagnuelequy. At the last naixed they destroyed the buildings and a train.

The Germans to-day fired heavy shells at Nancy and Belfort, and their aeroplanes bombed the open town of Luneville. Reprisals will be taken.

All the places mentioned in the British and French communiques lie in a restricted area on both sides of a line drawn from the river Anere, north of Albert, to Peronne, on the Somite, 16 miles to the south-east.

Fricourt is three miles south by east of Albert, and Montaubon is the same distance due east of Fricourt.

La Boiselle and Contalmaison lie to the north and north-east respectively of Fricourt.

Hardecourt lies east of the line, about a, mile and a half SE. of Montaubon, and Curlu is two miles south of Hardecourt.

Frise, which the French have captured, was the scene of a German success m January. It is five miles NW of Peronne. Between the two, and slightly to the south, is Herbecourt .Dompierre and Becquincourt are a short distance south of Frise, and Assevillers is stilt further to. the south Mericourt is five miles west of Dompierre.