The state herald., 1917-06-15
BROKE GERMAN line
Details Of Important Allied VIC
tory Before Ypres.
OLD SCORE is WIPED OUT
Capture Of MessInes Ridges Peculiarly
Gratifying, a. Il Was the Scene
Of Former British Defeat
Defenses Shattered.

With the British Armies In France,
June lin one of the most elaborately
planned and daringly executed ma
neuvers of the war Sir Douglas Haig's
forces have dealt mighty blow
against the German line In Belgium.
and been rewarded with notable gains
In terrain and the capture of more
than 5000 prisoners and numerous
guns of various caliber. In addition
they inflicted heavy casualties on the
Germans.
The Germans. though apparently
aware that the blow was coming md
seemingly prepared to meet 1t, were
driven from their nearly three years
hold on Messines ridge, opposite poor
old" Ypres. Ypres in sense was
avenged today, for Messines ridge has
been the vantage point from which the
Germans have poured torrents of shells
into the stricken city. The British also
wiped of IN old score against the Ger
mans, for they held the ridge in Octo-
ber, 1914. and with very thin forces,
and virtually no artillery. fought blood
lily but vainly to hold 1t when the Prus-
sian troops massed their modern and
overpowering weapons of war against
It.
Prisoners taken declared that the
bombardment of vimy ridge was
child's play compared with the gunfire
turned upon Messines ridge.
Triumph for Artillery.
This fire reached Its climax Just
ms dawn was grnying the eastern skies
and while the full moon was still sus-
pended high In the heavens.
The attack was accompanied by all
the arts and deviltries Of latter-day
war. The enemy guns md gun crews
had been bathed for days In gns shells
sent over by the long-range British
guns.
The night was filled with red In
cendIary flames. Shells that spurted
lead In streams crashed In appalling
numbers about the heads of the de-
Tending soldiers. High-explosive and
shrnpnel fire was carried out with such
rnpidlty that the earth writhed under
tne IOrce OF tne attack.
Mines that had taken two years to
dig and MI with an overwhelming ex-
plosive broke into nm avalanche Of
flaming destruction In the half light of
dawn. This was indeed an Ypres day
of retaliation and victory for the
vicious suffcrings OF two years and
eight months.
cunners Strip to Waist.
II was day Of intense heat. and the
gunners worked stripped to the waist.
The attack went forward with clock
like regularity.
The British casualties were slight.
Three out OF four of the casualties
were reported to be walking cases. who
would return TO duty In few days.
The attack began nt dawn. and the
setting was rs picturesque as can well
be imaginable. The day before had
been hot and sultry. Toward evening
there was series Of thunder storms
which extended well into the night. the
lightning mlnging with the flashes Of
the guns, hut the thunder being virtu-
ally unnotlced amid the din OF the can
non. A full moon struggled continu-
ously TO break through the heavy
clouds which scudded across the vel
vety night sky.
Sing on Way to Fight
On the way to the front were NIL the
familiar pictures Of the wnr-cndless
trains Of motor trucks: all varieties
Of horse transport. the British sol.
dlers marching to battle light Of heart
and singing songs familiar In every
American community.
In the shadow OF mn old windmill
which has withstood the storms OF II
century and been undauntcd by nearly
three years Of war. the correspondent
witnessed the Inst phases OF the seven
day preliminary bombardmcnt md the
final outburst Of the guns which sent
the British Infantry confidently on
their way 10 new successes In lighting
the greatest military nation the world
has ever known.
From the German line the same
lazy. looping rocket signals were ns-
ccnding 20 illuminate the trcncherous
bit Of ground between the trenches
known MS No Mans Land. This night.
ly "strniiing' had been going on 50
long that the enemy considered II en-.
tircly normal and took no nlnrm. oc-
ca.sionnlly blue and yellow rockets
would he flung Into the mir by Germans
holding the front line.
One by one the guns became silent.
There wns the old ''grnndmothcr"
howitzcr Of enormous cnllbcr. which
kept breaking the peace Mt hvc.min.
ute Intervals the shock Of cnch sue
cccdIng explosion and the shrek OF
the heavy shells being emphasized by
the silence which iny over NIL tho sur
rounding country.
Like Volcanoes In Eruption.
Day was scnrccly breaking when
from the dimiy visible ridge score
Of fiery volcanoes seemed suddenly to
spring from The earth. The night hnd