New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-10
Haig's Troops Com
plete Capture of Poel-
capelle-1,OOO Pris-
oners Are T aiken
French Cross
Flooded Rivers
Aviators, in 60-Mile
Gale, Assail Both the
Artillery and Infan-
try of Germans


LONDON. Oct. 9-The British and
French armies in Flanders advanced
side by side this morning in a re-
newal of the great offensive east and
northeast Of Ypres and by nighttall
had achieved victory second only in
Importance TO the sweeping success OF
last Thursday. On a combined front
of ten miles the German lines were
driven back everywhere for distance
of from half a mile 20 two miles, and
more than a thousand prisoners were
taken by the British alone.
The British completed the capture OF
Poelcapelle, advanced two miles be.
yond it, and struck forward on the
Passchendaele Ridge 70 within one
thousand yards Of the village of that
name.
The French crossed the flooded
Broenbeek and Jansb beck rivers, stormed
the villages of 81. Jean de Mangelaere
and Veldhoek and bit deep into the
southern rim OF the powerfully forti-
fed Houtholst Forest, gaining a mile
and a quarter on a front of abou, two
miles.
East OF Brosdseinde Haig's troops
pushed down the slopes of the Holle-
beke Ridge and battled with the enemy
On the lowlands, drawing their line
: so far around 10 .he north that A
large German force was surrounded
IN Daisy Wood and practically cut 70
pieces in it's savage attempts 10 break
through the British ring.
The Berlin War Office again claims
the repulse OF the British attack az
nearly every point. saying that the
gains OF the Allied forces we're limited
70 the stretch OF territory between
Drabank and Poelcapelle. on the north
ern part OF the front, overlooking en-
tirel y the large gains claimed BY Haig
north OF Poelcapelled and on the
Passchendaele ridge.
Ayiators in Sixty-Mile Gale
Clrcling over the field of battle. en-.
gaging both the enemy's air forces and
the infantry and artillery below them.
scores OF British aviators rode sixty.
mile gale
In many ways Haig's new drive was
the most spectacular Of any Of the
recent actions on the Flanders front.
Although the sun broke through the
miSts IN the midst Of the battle. a fur
Gus storm was raging when the Tom
MES and poilus went over the TOP a,
$3.50 o'clock, and the soldiers were
forced 10 plunge through sea of mud
and shell crsters choked with icy water.
The first few hours of fighting
brought both the British and the
French important successes. The Ger
mans apparently had Lot had time
enough 70 recover from the demoraliz-
ing effects of the last thrust. and a.
nearly every point were brushed aside
without offering any efectual resist
aHce. The much touted "pillbox" sys-
TEN OF defence utterly collapsed when
faced with the impetuous assault OF
the French and British troops. Group
after group Of these concrete block
houses, bristling with machine guns,
fell helpless into the hands of the at
tackers.
Attack Was Unexpected
A dispatch from Reuters correspond
ent at British Headquarters IN France
says the Germans held their front
much more heavily than in recent bat
ties, which suggests 10 the correspond
ent a return TO their earlier defensive
tactics, depending rather upon man
power than upon concrete.
THE Germans were taken by sur.
prise says the spondent. "Prs.
oners frankly confess the probability
Of 4
such ground was not thought Of. How
little it was expected was shown by the
fact that two German divisions which
had TO bear the brunt of the onslaugh,
only completed taking over the line az 3
O'Clock this morning and were wholly
unfamiliar with their surroundings.
The prisoners include men from.
still another division from the Russian
Double Purpose in Drive
The new drive las a double purpose.
u aimed az the extension Of the Brit
ash lines over the Passcnendaele Ridge
which dominates the Flanders plains.
and the railroads connecting Lille and
Menin with the German submarine
bases at Ostend and Zeebrugge, and j.,
was also an attempt to flank the enc
mys positions in the strongly en-
llOAkuO4sN FOREST ana 70
bring the French line north Of Ypres
more nearly on a level with the ad-
vsnced British front.
Both movements had the effect %
making the Passchendaele position un-
tenable for the Germans by Aanking
il or the northwest and south. In the
regicn of Broodsende, Haig's efforts
were directed toward the capture OF
further ground along the important
Ypres-Menin road. Success rewarded
his efforts here also, the British lines
being advanced a considerable dis.
,ancc on the flank OF Becelaere and
Ghcluvelt, neither OF which places has
Haig attempted to take by frontal as
sault
British Have Most OF Ridge
Tne British line lies tonight only
about four miles from Roulers. and
the German communication lines -
the north, and less than a mile fror1
the town of Staden. on the fpres'