Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-09
BRITISH HAMMER
AHEAD NEAR LENS
Penetrate Enemy Lines One
Half Mile on Front of Two.
Germans Badly Cut Up.
FRENCH HALT THE ENEMY

Gen. Haig's evident purpose to give no
rest to the Germans before tho British
front In Belgium and northern France
had a new exemplincation last night.
His troops struck at the German posi-
tions around Lens. On a two-mile front
south Of the Souchez river the enemy
lines were penetrated to depth Of moro
than half a mile, and successful opera
tions were carried on farther north as
far as La Bassee
The field of this attack lies from Is
to 20 miles south of that Of the big
drive made by the British in Belgium
on Thursday, which resulted In the cap
ture Of the commanding Wytschaete.
Messines ridge and the elimination OF
one of the most annoying sahente IN
the entire line on the western front.
| Somewhat widely separated. as are
the two fields of attack. they bear re-
lation to each other of constituting
points from which the great manufac-
turing district Of northern France. CEN
tering in Lille. may be subjected 10 al
ternating pressure.
Already the Arras battle. of which
this latest development is a continua-
ton. has made serious inroads on the
major defenses of this region. Tho lali
Of Lens the great coal city Just oeiore
the British lines at this point has long
been conceded to be only matter OF
time.
Another Blow Impending.
Tho movement reported today appar-
emily means that this is near at hand,
and that another great blow is about
ready to be struck toward clearing the
Germans from their long-held and much
priced French possessions in this area
The success of the British In the Lens
operations may well have been due IN
part to the necessity the Germans had
been under of making heavy concentra-
tions against the British on the Belgian
front. 1t was during the progress OF
desperate German counteN attack on
the ground won by the British forces
in the Wytscha etc -Messines sector that
Cen Haig made his attacks In the more
southerly area
Despite the power Of the German coun-
ter effort 1t failed Of any success. The
British holding fast to all the ground
they won in Thursdays great push.
On the front held by the Frenchfthere
also was hard fighting during the night.
The Germans attacked again at several
points along the Observation-Disclosures. in
the Aisne area, from Filain to east OF
Cerny At one point northeast OF Cerny
they made four successive attacks. They
failed to gain anything and suffered
heavy losses in all these thrustU.
British Official Report.
LONDON. June 9. 2:45 p.m.-rhe Of
fcial statement follows:
8.Af o'tfccR yekefeAySs ll6s aSklt,
heavy artillery preparation the enemy
launched powerful counter attack
front south of Ypres. from st. Yves to
the north of the Ypres-Comines canal.
a distance Of about six miles. The at
tack was delivered with large forces.
composed of fresh divisions brought UP
from the enemy's reserves. and was
pressed with great determination. I'm
der the destructive fire Of our artillery
and machine guns 1t was completely
repulsed at all points.
THE fighting was particularly fierce
east of Messines and also In the neigh
borhood Of Klein Zillebeke, north of the
canal. BY midnight the enemy's at
tacks had broken down with great loss
all along the line. Our troops retained
possession Of the whole ground cap
tured by US since the commencement
Of the battle.
Gain South Of souchez.
Operations were carried out by US
with complete success last night far
| ther south on wide front from the
south of Lens to La Basse. South of
the Souchez river our troops entered
the German positions on a front of over
two miles and penetrated to depth OF
more than half a mile. Heavy casual
ties were inflicted on the enemy. and
more than seventy prisoners and a
number of machine guns were captured
by us. Our own casualties were light.
The enemy's trenches were also en-
tered successfully north Of the Souchez
river. southeast Of Loos and southwest
Of La Basse. Large numbers of Ger
mans were killed and great damage
was done the enemy's defenses. A fur
ther forty-four prisoners. including
three officers. and several machine
guns were taken by US.
The sector of the Hindenburg line
still held by the enemy west of Bulle-
court was raided by our troops last
night. and number OF the hostile gar
rison were killed or taken prisoners"
French Check Germans.
PARIS. June 9. noon-Germans made
four fruitless attacks on French posi-
tions along the Chemin- des- Danes last
night. according to an official state
ment issued by the French war office
today. The attacks were delivered in
quick succession northeast of Cerny.
The official announcement follows:
In the region north Of st. Quentin
the batteries were very active in the
night Along the Chamin-des-Dames
the Germans renewed their efforts at
several points from our positions south
OF Filain as far as the region east of
Cerny. While the artillery fighting
was pelng continued with violence in
this whole sector four successive at
tacks were made on a trench north
east Of Cerny. The attacking troops
were dispersed by our fire. Two sur
prise attacks north Of Groidmont farm
also were repulsed. The enemy sus-
tanned appreciable losses without OBJ
tanning the least results.
Southeast Of Corbeny, south of
Courcy and in the Chevaliers wood
enemy detachments which attempted
i to approach our lines were repulsed
easily. We took prisoners. including an
officer