New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-28
French Seize
Four Villages
In Ypres Drive
Capture German Positions
on Front of Two and
Half Miles

LONDON, Oct 27.-French troops to-
day won a brilliant victory in the pro-
tracted battle before Ypres. 1t was
officially announced in Paris tonight
shat German positions cut by the
Ypres-Dixmuda road had been taken on
front of two and a half miles TO "A
depth of one and a quarter miles.
Four villages, great number OF fortl-
fed farmhouses and 100 prisoners are
thus far in the hands Of Petain's men.
According TO British announcement the
number of prisoners taken by the AL
lies on this front since yesterday IS
LOO.
Going over the top at dawn the
troops, who yesterday waded in water
up TO their shoulders and spent the
night on the muddy ground, again
heroically pressed forward through the
morasses of the little Jassbeek River
and its tributaries.
The region was studded with numer-
Gus concrete blockhouses bristling with
machine guns, while every stone farm
house had been turned into fortress.
In addition, large number of German
guns stationed northwest of Houtholst
Forest poured a heavy fire on Mere ken
and Kippe, two Of the villages taken
by the advancing poilus.
Resides these two hamlets the French
captured the ruins Of Aschhoop, YER
brandesmis and Kloostcrmolen.
The ferceness of the fighting I'M
doubtedly accounts for the small num-
Der of prisoners.
Meanwhile the British on the left o.
the French, who had encountered such
heavy resistance in yesterdays ad-
vance, improved their captured post
tons on Passchendaele Ridge. Here
Canadian troops are closing in an
Passchendaele village, having advanced
/ 200 yards since yesterday morning.
Eighteen more German machine guns
were taken.
An unofficial dispatch from the Brit
ish front says that hard fighting Is
going on for Polderhoek Chateau. On
the Ypres front, which the British took
and then were forced TO give up. The
Berlin official statement calls yester-
days battle a great German victory,
declaring the French and British suf-
fered great losses without adequate ie-
turn. 1t represents both the French
and British gains in territory as CT
minor importance.
On the scene of the French Aisre
victory, operations continue on linn
tied scale. The French report the &C.
cupation Of Froidmont Farm and an
advance before Chevrigny Spur. The
Germans attacked east Of the Mouse,
north of Chaume Wood and in Apre-
mont Forest, but were beaten back by
the French fire.
Roth British naval and military avi-
ators have carried out new raids on
German hangers in Belgium The sea-
men bombed Varssenaere airdrome and
the Thourout railway junction. The
army fiers attacked four airdromes,
dropping forty-fve heavy bombs.
Stormy conditions hampered the men
of both services. and in the strong
wind one of the army fiers disap-
peared. according to an official state
ment. German air raiders killed thirty
civilians in Dunkirk.
Two British airplanes on Friday flew
down the main street of a town no
higher than the housetops and fred
into masses of Germans, says an Of
fetal statement issued tonight.
Despite rain throughout most of the
day, the British aviators fired 10000
rounds from their machine guns at a
low altitude on enemy troops mending
wire entanglements, columns OF wagons
and motor trucks and infantry sta
toned in shell holes or on the march.
Three German machines were brought
down in aerial duels at low attitudes,
while a fourth descended out of con-
troll. Two British machines failed to
return.