Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-23
DUNK|RK IS BOMBARDED
At RANGE OF % Miles
Longest Range Artillery Duel Ever
Fought Occurs Across Franco
Belgian Border.
REPLY BY FRENCH BATTERIES
Several Civilians Killed by Shells
From Germans New jess Will
lard"-Hand-to-Hand Fighting in
Fields North Of Arras.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.1

Especial to The Times Dispatch
LONDON. June 22.-Tho longest
range artillery duel ever fought oc-
CURED to-day between Dunkirk and
Nieuport. across the Franco Belgian
border.
AT range Of twenty three miles, the
Germans new Jess W1llard"-as the
British artillerists have christened it
because OF Its remarkable reach-flred
into Dunkirk last night and to-day
twenty-nine shells, with n net casualty
list of several civilians killed.
During the night the bombardment
met with no reply, but with dawn the
allies air scouts located the giant
cannon. and then began the duel, which
overshadows all the remarkable fea-
lures of modern warfare yet introduced
In this greatest OF international con-
hicts. French heavy batteries began
hurting shells in the direction of the
booming engine, whilo aviators circled
low above the intervening mo mans
land" to direct the fire of the French
gunners.
The official report from Paris to-
night records no results OF reply by
the French batteries.
WARFARE OF ANCIENTS
TO SOUTH OF DuNI<IRK
While this ultra modern combat was
proceeding warfare of the ancients
was being typifled in the fields to the
south of Dunkirk. where, north of
Arras and north of the La Basseo
Canal British and French troops were
hghtins hand to hand with the Ger
mans for supremacy in battle which,
as Berlin admits. holds the fate Of both
armies in Northern France
The Germans, during the night and
following bombardment Of great In
tensity. made several counterattacks
north OF Arras. but In all Of them were
driven back, except ut one point south
east of Souchez where they succeeded
in gaining a foothold In one section OF
trench. Between Souchez and Ecurie
an artillery duel OF extreme violence
was fought during the day.
Counterattacks by the Germans to
recover lost positions in the region of
the labyrinth" and to the east of the
Quenneviercs farm were brought to q
standstill by the French artillery and
rifle fire.
GERMANS MAKE CLAIM
TO SHARP ADVANCE
The German report. after chronicling
the repulse Of attacks by allied forces
along the User. north of Arras, south
of Neuville and in the ChampaEne
region, makes claim OF n sharp ad-
vance on the Meuse heights at the Ca
Tonne trenches in hand to hand fighting.
before dawn. The French were cleared
from all the trenches they had cap
tured, and 1870 prisoners were taken.
The French report Of this lighting
says the Germans succeeded only in
occupying part Of their former second
line. from which they were subse-
quently expelled by the French in
countcrattack, which regained for the
latter mastery Of the whole position.
Paris states 220 men and three officers
were captured by the French.
Berlin's report covering hghting in
Alsace admits that the Vosges army
has been withdrawn from the western
to the eastern bank OF the Fecht River.
The French claim continued advance
between the two branches OF the
Fecht in the direction OF Sonderbach