New Britain herald., 1917-10-05
Worlds Greatest Co
fIict Raging VIII
Ground Heaped Wi
Mutilated Dead |
British Plow Forwa1
OUT OF MOUTH OF
HE'LL AT YPRH

HE'LL AT YPRH
Solid Wall of Shrielxing, Screechf
Breaking shells Plows Throt]
Regiment After Regiment i'll a III
ricane of Death-HeadIess, Lcgle
Ar1nless Men Piled High for Sps
of Miles.
British Front in France and ID
GUM, Thursday, Oct. British ar
yesterday achieved one of the greatX
victories of the war in a great assa
begun at dawn against the Germ
positions east and northeast OF Ypl
Indeed, when the whole story Of Il
battle has been told it may take
place as an unequalled triumph
three years of conflict, for each 81
cessive report from the seething q
dron along this front adds to the
portance Of the success record.
From a point near the Ypres- -Stad
railway on the north to the Yprl
Pres Menin highway on the south,
men of the British empire have surj
forward with an irresistible fOl
which at some places carried them
a depth of $500 yards Nover still m
of the German keystone position1
the Passchendaele-G Gheuvelt rE
system of defenses. On the northN
wing of the advance the British hi
reached Poelcapelle and Gravensta
and have overrun most Of the GraN
stafel ridge, which juts out to
west from the Passchendaele-G Che
welt. South of the Ypres- -Rotl3
railway the troops are reported to4
overlooking the eastern slopes oft
faaAn ridge and in some place to- h
pushed on into the valley below.
Not only have the British wrench
many vital strongholds away, but
have inflicted almost unprecenden1
casualties on the enemy. }
Germans Caught in Mass Fo,1natt
AS the attacking troops went outI
quest of a great adventure over
mist-shrouded slopes, their vast p1
tective artillery barrage caught III
enemy, who, by coincidence, also n
been massin3 for an carly mornl
attack along a wide front extend
from the neighborhood of ZonnebA
to the Polygon wood. Some five
visions of Germans troops were
volved, three of these having b6
pushed up in reserve to support th]
comrades in the front lines when
German attacks should begin.
A solid wall of breaking sh}
plowed through them in hurrioa
of death and they lie in countp
thousands amidst the devastation II
the barrage left in its wake. Part
these ill-fated troops were the farnd
guardsmen in whim the German al
peror had taken such pride in 4
days gone by. But these massed tro3
were not the only ones to suffer,
reports from prisoners all along
line indicate that the Germans II
heavily throughout the territory
volved. 2..
Wars Toll. .si
At many places Germans ran
terror or were captured in large nu4
bers as the British attack De8An.
dav streams Of broken prisoners ma,
heen pouring into the British cages |
the rear. Perhaps half of them we,
wounded. Some were blinded al
some were with shattered limbs, a ri
iful sight even to those hardened
such scenes.
Taking the battle as whole 4
Germans offered weak resistance
the British advance this morning. 81
despite the heavy blow dealt to Il
enemy it was not considered impro|
able that they would make strenuo|
as soon as they cou
reform their shattered forces.
The story of the fighting is that
perfect organization which work!
with clock-like precision. 1t was 81
dusk when the British began Il
steam roller advance, for low-hangis
clouds blanketed the country and ]
light drizzle was falling. For days
intense bonn ba ardment had been NAL
tanned over the German front, but Il
artillery fire which opened us Il
great barrage dropped was anpailip
Guns of all calibres, from eaorni
howitzers to light field guns, Joined
the Internal thunder which shook q
countryside like an earthquake.
Clouds Aglow With Flame.
Solid lines of vivid fire bcleh,
from the earth and from the murl
sky above as the great shells al
,hrapnel burst along the Germs
lines. The ruins of the little har
lets perched on the rides stood o
in ghostly silhouette against Il
flashes, and over the whole scene Il
clouds threw back crimson glo'
On the left of the advance Il
CONTINUED on Tenth Page)