Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-22
Canadian Troops Marching
Out to Attack Germans Near
Lens at Dawn Encounter
Enemy in Open Field,
BOMBS AND BAYONETS
ARE WEAPONS USED
Dominion Forces Rush Teu-
tons in Hand to Hand Con-
flict and Follow Them Into
Trenches.


British Front in France and R.l-
gum, Aug, 21,-The fierce battle
which began at dawn today on the
OUTSKIRTS of the city of Lens contin
Ged throughout the day at close duar
ters and late this afternoon there was
no ammunition in the intensity of the
struggle between the attacking Cana
dams and the Germans.
ihe canadians this morning fought
thelr way forward with bombs and
payonets and occupied important enc
my defenses northwest and southwest
OF the heart of the city and since
then the Germans have been sending
In wave after wave of troops In des-
perate counter-a attacks.
The Canadians have held strongly
! ans the +ranssshave suffered very
heavy casualties, as they must have
expected, from the nature of their
counter thrusts, in which no thought
Is given to the cost of life.
The striking feature in the battle
Hes In the fact that the Germans also
had massed troops for a counter-at-
tack at dawn against the newly ac-
CURED Canadian positions in the
northwest environs of Lens and had
actually started their advance when
the on-rushing Canadians 10 No Mans
land Both offenses had begun at the
same hour but a heavy mist hung
over the ground and the Germans
were apparently unaware OF the Ca
madam preparations until the Cana
dams We're upon them with the bay
onet.
Brief but bitter fighting occurred in
No Mans land. The German officers
tried to rally their men against the
Canadians, but the enemy infantry
gradually fell back to the trenches
which they had just left. The Cana
dams followed and leaping on the
parapets hurled masses of bombs down
among great numbers of troops which
had been collected for the attack. The
Germans tried to flee through the
communication trenches but the Ca
nadians jumped among them with
bayonets and bombs killing many.
On the southwest the Canadians
were equally successful after very
heavy fighting in which the British
artillery was brought into play The
most strenuous fighting late in the
day was proceeding in the center OF
the line west of Lens and on little
ftont near the left of the northwest
seething caldron.
The Canadians have achieved their
immediate object, by drawing their
lines still closer about the heart of
the city and their goal unless the
German counter-attacks succeed. BY
today's attack the Canadians have
gained possession of many railway
embankments and colliery sidings
which afford excellent positions for
either offensive or defensive opera
tons.
The Canadian assault extended
from the northwest of the environs
of the city to positions in the south
west suburbs, and as the Germans
We're already advancing to attack the
new Canadian defenses, the fighting
quickly assumed the character of one
of the most sanguinary conflicts which
this battle-scarred theater has seen.
On the northwest the Canadians and
Germans clashed in No Mans land
just as the first streaks of day were
From the start 1t was a
struggle with hand bombs and bay
onets, but the Canadians threw them
selves upon the enemy with such
fierceness that the Germans were
forced to withdraw, battling step by
step until the Canadians had pene-
trated their positions to a depth OF
several hundred yards and taken up
new posts which they were holding
against bitter counter thrusts.
A circular line around which the
forces now are fighting is
drawn close about the city proper,
where the Germans had fortified
themselves in concrete cellars and
dugouts.
No estimates of casualties or pris-
oners is yet available, but captured
Germans We're beginning to arrive
back of the fronts at an early hour,