The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-04
Associated Press Man
 Describes Great Battle
tcontinued from Page One,


 Describes Great Battle
 (Continued from Page OneS battle zone, however. all was changed. The trees were gaunt and ragged and no living thing could grow there among those poisonous blasts even under this first impulse of a new season. The only melodies were the deep tlAoated roars of cannon, the whine of shells and the whistle of bullets.
 Under the soft light of a May moon, the British continued their artillery preparations at intervals during the night, but it was not until the lunar rays had disappeared behind the western horizon that the real bombardment be- gan. In it's intensified form it was of short duration. Then the guns settled into barrage work as the troops stole out from their forward trenches or shal- low shelters hastily dug in the ground during sthe more recent advances. It was still half an hour before dawn and the morning mists gave deeper density to the darkness.
 STIFF FIGHTING FROM FIRST
 There was stiff fighting from the very first and everywhere along the line the Germans offered desperate resistance. Since the battle of Arras began on Easter Monday the Germans have concentrated great numbers of guns opposite the Brit sh, and lately they have been firing with almost reckless extravaganza. Much of the sy oting has been absolute ly blind, sincj he British took all the high ridges, Germans being unable to get more han momentary observa ton with airplanes and balloons.
 This morning the British creeping bar rage fire, which swept like a great trellis work of exploding shells in front of the attacking troops, was met by a furious defensive curtain of fire and for half an hour or more the artillery display was one of the most wonderful seen during the war. At the north of the line the Canadian troops, who occupied Arleux several days ago, pushed forward and took Fresnoy.
 FOUGHT DESPERATELY Arleux and Fresnoy had been swathed about with great defensive 6works and numberless loops of barbed wire. The Fresnoy garrison fought With great bitterness ana IL WAS not until the Canadians had virtually sur rounded the village that the sur vivors. cut off within. surrendered. The number of prisoners taken here was 200 men and seven officers. One of the officers spoke excellent Eng fish and as a Canadian officer was conducting him to the rear he asked to see the positions from which the Germans were driven during tie | e.t., .;,,1. ,ilC vr;1 He marveled at the situation and asked what Canadian division took the particular position he saw. When told it was the same division which cap tured him at Fresnoy today he laughed and said he could not believe it. He could not believe that any division in the Vimy fight would be able to SC on now and shook his head incredI- lously when told that all the divisions were still at their battle strength MORALE or GERMANS BETTER This same officer asserted that the morale of the troops opposite the Brit ish front was better than during the battle of the Somme He said that the German soldiers now see their air planes about They also seem to be getting sorely needed artillery support during the last three weeks. There had been much complaint about the lack of this support and the infantrymen had begun to regard themselves merely as targets for the British artillery. The officer declared that the feeling was all changed now and that the Ger mans believe their artillery equal to any.
 Oddly enough German shells began to pitch about the prisoners collect- ing station with deafening reports so characteristic of the German high ex- plosives and the Germans had to be moved to a safer spot The prisoners taken at Fresnoy were all Prussians Two fresh regiments had come into great German counter attack on Ar >leaux this morning. Needless to say their plans were bit upset by the British attack.
 Good progress was made east of Guemppe, along the Arras-Cambrai road. and British troops. pushing through Cherisy, south of that road. swept several hundred yards beyond their first obiectives There was heavy fighting about Fontaine-les- -Croiselles and Bullecourt in which the Austral- ians took part.
 FIGHTING AT OPPY
 There was also more fighting at Oppy. to which the Germans are sti,l clinging. The wood west of this vii lage is very dense and is fairly briss- ling with machine guns. some of which have been mounted in trees This wood also is one continuous tangle of barbed wire stretched from tree to tree. The Germans are holding desperately to two woods east of Monchy-le-B -Breux. known as the Bois Du Sart and Bois Du Vert, and have connected the two with elaborate trenches.
 Heavy counter attacks were at tempted time and time again during the day and from every section of the battle front come echoes of the never ceasing artillery duel.