original positions along a wide
front.

An engagement typical of the prolonged fighting on the Somme occurred
near Armentieres, where the Australians on a two-mile front made the
greatest trench raid ever undertaken in any war, inflicting heavy damage
upon the enemy by bombing and hand-to-hand fighting. The German position
at Longueval passed into British control on July 28, after what was
called the most terrific fighting of the war, in Delville Wood.

Between August 6 and September 10 the British under Gen. Sir Douglas
Haig and the French under Gen. Foch fought off many determined German
counter-attacks in the Somme sector, and continued their advance, the
French gaining Maurepas and the British moving closer to Guillemont
and Ginchy, driving the Germans back along eleven miles of front and
capturing Thiepval Ridge and other important positions near Pozieres.

On September 9 German official reports admitted considerable losses on
the western line, both in the section south of the Somme and to the
northeast of Verdun. Fierce attacks by the Germans at Verdun had been
renewed during August, but the French, under the able command of Gen.
Nivelle, more than held their own, recapturing a considerable portion of
the terrain occupied by the enemy, including Fleury and the important
Thiaumont Work.

ITALIANS CAPTURE GORITZ.

The greatest blow which the Italian army had struck against Austria
since the beginning of the war was completed on August 9, when Italian
troops captured the fortified city of Goritz, for which they had been
struggling for months. The number of prisoners taken by the Italians
was 21,750, and in the next few days nearly 20,000 more fell into their
hands, with great stores of war munitions and many guns.

The taking of Goritz, one of the strongest fortresses in Europe,
compelled the retirement of the Austrians at other points along the
Isonzo River, and opened the road for the Italians, under Gen. Cadorna,
to strike at the coveted city of Trieste, twenty-two miles to the
southeast. With the capture of the "keystone" at Goritz, the Italian
commander confidently expected the resistance of the Austrians to weaken
and looked forward to the early occupation of the coveted provinces of
the Trentino.

ITALY AT WAR WITH GERMANY

On August 27, Italy declared war on Germany, giving as a reason the fact
that Germany had sent both land and sea forces to the aid of Austria.
The declaration became inevitable w