The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-07-31
U-Boat Bases ON Coast Be-
IIeved Object Of New 0ffen-
Slve, Declared tho Greatest
Of the Year.
FRENCH FORCES TAKE PART
All First 0bjectives and Many
Prisoners Are Captured In
Drive Near lys,
A,,oeiat,d Presa War oummary.

HssuCteWV EIvuo WSI OuuaSsASsys
One OF the big moves Of the war ~
psrently Is under way 10 Flanders,
where the right flank Of the GermAa
front 10 anchored upon the sand duNeA
and flat fields that skirt the North Sea
coast The unprecedentediy terrific hes.
tie OF big guns that has been raging los
days past, has been succeeded By 4
charge Of infantry and the comblpe4
British and French force - swssIln0
forward over he, stronsly iortif91
Teutonic lines. Nst
Nay Turn German Flask.
Early reports OF the engagement -
not indicate exactly its scope. II seesns
significant. however that French forces
have combined with British for an %.
sault on this front where on attempt 70
break through 20 turn the German flank
has been expected for some time. ~
A keen desire on the part of the co.
tente command TO get At the Csrmsa
submarine bases which line the shore
of Belgium, also has been IN evideaeo
and this purpose would be ACCOM-
plished by any sweeping victqyy
achieved on the Flanders front. Tho
attack Of the two allied armiss q
marked on the southern boundary q
its field by the river Lys, about thirty
miles from the coast. "A wide iroaC
is the official British expression de-
scrbing iu scope, which obviously doee
not make il clear how far toward the
coast the thrust extends
The operation gives every, evi(sneo
OF being ma or one, however and u
is clear that II was successful h 10
initial stages, the war office account
declaring that the first obiectives were
attained on the entire front attacked;
that Satisfactory progress" was eca-
,inuing at all points. Many prisouefe
already have been taken,
The launching OF the drive wss sess.,s
ingly a surprise on the Germans, who
only Yesterday were boastine that ~
intensity of their reply to the britlen
bombardment had caused the bSItioo
gunncrs to lessen the violence Of Their
| fire. II comes, moreover, after ~
failure OF the tremendous efforts ~
German crown prince has been puttlqS
forth to break the French front Ia ~
Aisne region. The French reseevq
force evidently IL great enodgh ~
only to Withstand such . powestuI
hammering successfully but 70 alieV
Of co operation with the BYitish ~ ,
stroke al another portion Of the liaA
In addition, General Petain last night
made a successful attack on his own
account on the Aisne front. carrying
German positions 100 yards wide on
the Chemin des Danes. La Royere and
west Of Epine de Chevregny, break
ing a German counter attack and cap
turing more than l60 prisoners.
Drum Fire Greatest IN History.
The intensity Of the artillery drum
fire with which the entente allies had
been demolishing the teuton trenches
preparatory to today's assault has oeen
described by the German genera start
| as the greatest in the history OF war
fare, even surprising the terrific IRE
maintained at the beginning OF the
Somme and Arras offensives 4.
Military observers have attributes
two obiec,iyes for the entente offensive
the capture Of the Belsian'North Sea
coast which has been used by the Ger
mans as bases for their submarines
and to assist the hard pressed Russians
ON the Galician front.
Tn, battlefront north Of the river ~
stretches from Warneton on tne
Franco. Belgian border to the North
Sea coast, The distance between tho(l
two points being abou, thirty miles. w
Included in this battle area Is the ~:
nous Wy,schaete- Messiues from NJ
| ,he British On June J after explp(
many million pounds Of hiUh g.
siyes under the German lineA o
on q uine-mile front and eav
high ridge, several town.
guns and more thaa -