Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-08-02
Decisive Battle In Progress With Millions of Men to Back
Greatest Smash Yet Planned to End
the Great War.
FRENCH ARE VICTORIOUS IN PERFECT TEAMWORK
American Army Officers Believe Thrust Is at Enemy's
Most Vulnerable Point, with U-BOat Bases Of -
Belgian Coast In Hazard

| An epoch-making defensive launch.
ed by the British and French against
the German lines between the River
| Lys and Boesinghe at daybreak Tues.
day. with few exceptions accom-.
plished all that had been planned for
the first day of this battle, which in
its early stages gives promise of being
the greatests conflict Of the war.
| The British penetrated positions
held by Crown Prince Rupprecht of
Bavaria between Boesinghe and War
neton, and at the time of the filing OF
this dispatch were in possession OF
the first three lines of the German
trenches at most points throughout
this front.
! Reports received from the French
troops which are attacking over the
difficult territory between Dixmude
and point near Boesinghe, say that
they have forced their way across
this marsh-studded and partly inun-
dated region and captured the first
two lines of German trenches.
The casualties of the entente allies
have been surprisingly light and the
morale of the men continues at the
highest pitch. The contact between
British and French armies has been
constant and excellent.
The German front line trenches,
which had been torn to pieces by the
preliminary bombardment offered lit
tie resistance, but once the allied
forces had penetrated beyond them
they met with fierce resistance at tina
ny points.
| Alta redoubt which was strongly held
in the German line and defended by
concrete Notifications, the British
were brought to stand by machine
gun fire. But they charged with bay
onets and dislodged the Germans.
One of the most striking and spec
tacular events of the days fighting
occurred at the so-called Menin tun-
incl, great underground fertilization
CONSTRUCTED by the Germans on the
Menin road opposite HODGE. The
British preliminary bombardment had
forced the Germans to hold the first
lime thinly here and the British divi-
sion which was to attack at dawn lay
out all night in shell holes within
twenty-five yards of the German line,
waiting for the signal to advance.
When the time arrived for the charge
and the British gunners had dropped
a protecting barrane on the German
front trench ahead of the British
troops, il was seen that the Germans
had taken TO their heels and were
fleeing. The British, seeing theil
Iprey escaping, went mad and charged
directly through their own barrage
fortunately without heavy casualties
The Menin tunnel, which was expect
ed to be occupied by several hundred
Germans, was found to be held BY
only forty-one, the rest having re
treated.
II was only at the second line tina
the British met resistance, and here
after sharp hand-to-hand fighting
they forced the Germans again tc
withdraw. No check has yet beer
made on the number of German pris.
oners captured but they are flowing
in steady stream back of the British
lines.
MANY PRISONERS MERE EOYS.
Many Of those captured at the Men
in tunnel and other points are mere
boys.
The tanks again played prominent
part in the opening of the battle and
reports from all sections Of the Brit
ish front say their work was most
successful Large numbers Of these
monsters were employed and in many
cases pursued their destructive and
unchecked way tooa distance far
within the German lines.
Further inior'ns1ion oblains,i ssm