Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-05-13


IL, gives an account of the German
attempts on Saturday and Sunday last
to break the British lines around Ypres
and the commencement of the Anglo
French offensive north of Arras. He
says:
"The calm that prevailed Thursday
and Friday proved to be only the lull
before the storm. Early Tuesday morn.
ing it became apparent that the Ger
mans were preparing IN
strength against our line Stare : -.
and northeast from vi
were concentrating under cover I, -
violent artillery fire, and at about 10
o'clock the battle began in earnest.
"At that hour the Germans attacked
our line from the Ypres-Poelcappelle
road to within a short distance of the
Menin high road, it being evidently
their intention while engaging us
closely on the whole of this sector
to break our front in the vicinity of
the Ypres-Roulers railway, to the
north and to the south of which their
strongest and most determined as
saults were delivered.
Under this pressure our front was
penetrated at some points around
Frenzenberg and at 4:3O o'clock in the
afternoon we made a counter attack
between the Zonnebeke road and the
railway in order to recover the lost
ground. Our offensive was conducted
most gallantly, but was checked be-
fore long by the fire of machine guns.
Meanwhile the enemy launched an
other attack through the woods south
of Menin road and at the same time
threatened our left to the north of
Ypres with fresh masses. Most des-
perate fighting ensued the German in
fantry coming on again and again and
gradually forcing our troops back,
though only for short distance, in
spite of repeated counter attacks.
During the night the fighting con-
tinued to rage with ever-increasing
fury. 1t is impossible to say at exact
ly what hour our line was broken at
different points, bue it is certain that
at one time the enemy's infantry
poured through along the Poelcappelle
road and even got as far at Wieltje,
at p. m.
"There was also considerable gap
in our front about Frenbenberg, where
hostile detachments had penetrated.
At both points counter attacks were
organized without delay.
To the east of the salient the Ger.
mans first were driven back to Ere.
zenberg, but there they made a firm
stand and under pressure of fresh re-
Inducements we fell back again to-
wards Verlorenhoek.
Northeast of the salient a counter
attack carried out by us about / a.
M, was more successful. Our troops
swept the enemy out of Wieltje at
the bayonet's point leaving the village
strewn with German dead, and pushing
on, regained most of the ground to the
north of that point.
"And so the fight surged to and fro
throughout the night. All around the
scene of conflict the sky was lit up by
the flashes of the guns and the light
of blazing villages and farms, while
against this back ground Of smoke and
flame, looking out in the murkey light
over the crumbling ruins of the old
town, rose the battered wreck of the
cathedral tower and the spires of Cloth
hall.
"When Sunday dawned there came
short respite and the firing for time
died down. The comparative lull en-
abled us to reorganize and consolidate
our position on the line we had taken
up and to obtain some rest after the
fatigue and strain of the fight. It
did not last long, however, and in the
afternoon the climax of the battle was
reached, for under the intense artillery
firing the Germans launched no less
than five separate assaults against the
east of the salient.
ITO the north and northeast, their
attacks were not at first pressed so
hard as on the south Of the Menin
road, where the fighting was especial
ly fierce. In the latter direction the
masses of infantry were hurled with
absolute desperation and were beaten
off with corresponding slaughter.
"At one point, north of the town,
800 OF the enemy advanced from the
wood and it is affirmed by those pres
ent that not single man of them
escaped.
"On the eastern face, at 6:3O D. M,
an endeavor was made to storm the
grounds of the Chateau Hooge, little
north of the Menin road, but the force
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