The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-09-28
Twenty Thousand and Twenty
Miles, Respectively, Taken
i'm Western Theatre.
BATTLESHIPS KEEP BUSY
Artillery Blazes Way for Infantry
Advance-Bcrlin Admits
RcycrSeS.

wounded men taken prisoners and
twenty miles of trenches in the west.
Souchez has been stormed and
captured, and an advance is reported
north OF Arras. The assaults began
Saturday morning, and at last ac-
counts battles were raging furiously.
A German official statement for
warded from Berlin admits German
reverses.
While the allies were advancing
into German entertainments British
battleships were battering away at
German positions between Zeebrugge
and Nieuport.
For several weeks there had been
An almost incessant bombardment
with big guns, increasing late last
week in intensity, particularly in the
sectors where infantry attacks took
place. This prepared the way for
the general assault.
BIG GAINS BY FRENCH.
The French, who have the most
important gain to their credit, made
their chief onset around Perthes,
Beausejour and Suippes, in Cham
pagne, where in December they made
a considerable gain. This attack.
backed by tremendous artillery fire
gave them possession Of more terri
tory than they had retaken from the
Germans since the latter dug them
IaN ~f hn
Marne.
According to the French, the Ger
mans were driven out of their
trenches over a front of fifteen miles,
varying in depth from two thirds Of a
mile to two and half miles. The
French in this engagement captured
twelve thousand prisoners
The Importance Of this gain lies in
the fact that every yard of ground
taken in this region weakens the Ger
man position around Verdon, from
which the Germans might be COM
PEELED to retire should the French
make further advance.
The French have regained trench
es east of the Labyrinth" in the
Arras district, which was the scene
of much heavy fighting earlier in the
year. There the Germans had built
what they considered almost impreg-
nable Notifications.
FIVE MIIiES OF TRENCHES
TAKEN.
This attack was made in co-opera-
tion wit hthe British, who attacked
on either side of La Bassee canal.
The attack south of the canal was,
Field Marshal Sir John French re-
ports. complete success. Trenches
five miles in width and about four
thousand yards in depth were taken
at this point.
This push forward gives the Brit
ish possession of the road from Lens
Germons for moving troops and sup
plies north and south and threatens
to out-hank the German troops which
hold the town of Lens.
Hill No 20, -one of the positions
taken on the rad, is less than a mile
directly north of Lens, while
Hulluch. which also fell into the
hands of the British, is at the end
of the road near La Bassee. 1t is
only twelve miles fyom Hullock to
Lille, the capital OF Northern
France.
North of the canal the British, al
though they fought all day yesterday
were unable TO hold the ground gain
ed and had to fall back to the trench
es which they had LEFT in the morn
ing. The attack. however, accom-
plished one purpose, as, according to
Field Marshal French, German re-
serves were sent to check this move,
thus giving the British south of the
canal an opportunity to consolidate
their new positions unmolested
ALONG MENIN ROAD.
A somewhat similar manoeuvre
took place north and south OF the
Aenin road, east OF Ypres, and the
results were the same North of the
road the British we're unable to hold
the ground taken, but to the south
they gained about 500 yards Of Ger
man trenches and consolidated the
ground won.
So far as is reported the British
took seventeen hundred prisoners
with eight guns and several machine
guns.
Some Of the fiercest fighting OF the
campaign Is in progress on the Rus-