The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-12-08
REPORT
SLIGHT ADVANCE
Haig's Men Battle Way For
ward Near Bourbon Wood
Against the Teutons.
GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED
French Stop Raids in Champagne Die
trict and on Meuse-American
Filters at Front.

London. Nov. 3O-On the Cambria
battle front British troops made a
slight advance today west of Bourbon
Wood, according to the official state
ment tonight from Field Marshal Haig.
The statement reads:
There was considerable artillery
activity on both sides this morning in
the neighborhOOd of Bourbon Wood
West of the wood we advanced our
line slightly by a successful opera
ton.
Hostile raids attempted early this
morning in the neighborhood Of HoIIe-
beck were repulsed, leaving some
prisoners in our hands The enemy's
artillery has shown somewhat in
creased activity in this sector and also
east and northeast of Ypres during
the day.
French RepUIse Attacks.
After violent preparation the Ger
mans in great strength undertook a
raid north of Carnillet, in the Cham
payne, but were beaten back by the
French troops, who inflicted heavy
losses on them. Two other German
attacks, one near BethencoUrt, on The
left bank of the Meuse, and the other
west of Vaux Les Damloup, on the
right bank, also were repuIsed, while
a French raid on the German lines in
the Argonne west of the Aire was car
ried out successfully and resulted in
the taking of some German prisoners.
Along the entire Italian front the
batteries of the contending armies are
maintaining a violent bombardment,
but no infantry actions of Importance
are reported from this theater of the
world war. The German war office
reports that Italian attempts against
the Austro-German mountain positions
on the west bank of the Brenta and
on the Monte Tomba failed.
U. S. Aviators at Front.
With the American Army in France,
Nov. 3O.-A substantial vanguard OF
the great army of American aviators
which eventually viii operate in
France has arrived near the front
For weeks some of them had been
training actively for battle front ser
vice, cooperating with the maneuYers
OF the American troops rehearsing and
practicing attacks. Army flying fields
have been established in certain Sec
tions and for days American soldiers
IN many parts of France have been
watching American aviators circling
above their heads.
Battle in Village Streets.
British Headquarters in France,
Nov. 2S.-A new assault was made by
the British at Fontaine at dawn af-
ter a comparatively quiet night and
fighting developed Immediately. The
Germans poured a heavy machine gun
fire against the British from the win
| dows and roofs of buildings, and a
large concentration OF enemy machine
guns in La Fol1e wood, southeast of
| Fontaine, also was brought into action
against the attacking troops
This machine gun fire presented the
main difficulty to the advance, for the
Germans in the hamlet were working
from behind walls and other cover,
while it was necessary for the British
| to charge across more or less open
stretches, giving the enemy a good
] chance to sweep their ranks with an
| intense fire.
The battle on the southern edge Of
/ Bourbon village continued last night.
AS a result Of a determined drive
against the German line the British
were enabled to break through at one
point and bring back a party of Eng
/ Iish troops that had been holding out
I in the southern part of the hamlet and
had been isolated for some time.
No Attempt to Hold Position
! No attempt was made to remain in
! the village after this body of men had
been rescued and gotten back through
| the gap in the German line. 1t was
reported this morning that another
/ body of British troops was holding a
position in the northern section Of
the village with Germans all about
them, but this is uncertain
! The enemy delivered a counter at
tack against the northeast corner OF
Bourbon Wood about 10 o'clock last
night, but was repulsed. The British
line this morning is holding firm along
the northern fringe of the wood and
up to the edge of Bourbon village
Outside Of the operations about Fon
taine and Bourbon there was little in
fantry action on the rest Of the front
last night