The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1917-08-17
CANADIANS CAPTURE
DOMINATING POSITION
ENGAGED GERMANS IN
DESPERATE BATTLE.
With Slight Casualties DOmin-
ions Soldiers Smash German
Line Along Two Mile Front.

British Front in France and Bel
gium, Aug. 15.-(By the Associated
Press. AFTER the brilliant advance
this morning in which the Canadians
captured hill 20, and then swept on
northwest of Lens, the attackers
were in close grips with the Ger
mans in the western part of Lens
late today.
The attack began at 4:25 o'clock,
Just as the first gray streaks of
dawn were appearing. All night tne
British big guns had been pcuring
steady stream of high explosive
shells into the German positions,
great detonations overlapping one
another like the rapid crack of ma
chine gun fire and swelling into
mighty volume of thunder that
shook the earth and stunned the
senses. Then, a short time before
the hour Of offensive had arrived the
batteries abruptly ceased and
strange, almost oppressive stiffness,
fraught with the portending cata-
clysm which must follow, crept over
the country which until then had
been an inferno of death. 1t had
been raining and gray clouds still
hung low over the trenches where
crouched the Canadian infantrymen
waiting eagerly for the arrival of the
moment which would summon them
to attack
Terrible Spectacle.
Suddenly, ten minutes before the
time set for the attack, every Brit
ish gun within range broke out with
n hurricane of shelling and solid
lines of crimson lightning belched
from the German trenches as the ex-
plosives broke about them. To this
lurid picture was added the unfor-
getable spectacle of the burning oil
which the British threw on the
enemy lines. Great clouds Of pink
ish colored smoke rolled across
country from the flaming liquid and
the murky sky threw back myrid
colors from the conflagration be-
low.
The moment of attack arrived, and
as the British guns dropped their
protecting barrage in front of the
Canadian trenches, the clouds parted
and the yellow moon appeared. In
the light Of this beacon the Cana
hn
began their methodical advance be-
hind their barrage fire.
Without a Flaw.
The British Barage was without
flaw. Behind it the Canadians
mounted Hill 70 and swept along
the rest Of the line. On the crest of
the hill, where so much blood had
been spilled before, heavy fighting
might have been expected, for the
position was well manned with ma
chine guns. The resistance here,
however, was not strong and it was
not until the dwellings in the out
skirts of the suburbs were reached
that vigorous fighting occurred. The
ground over which the infantry ad-
vanced was honey-combed with
British holes and the barbed wire
defenses had been levelled so that
they gave little trouble.
The first serious resistance from
the Germans was met at a point
where the enemy was entrenched
strongly connected cellars and here
sanguinary fighting occurred The
place is a sample OF other suburbs
about Lens.
Lens before the war had a popula-
tion of 10000 but it is now a mass
of ruins.
Underground Defenses.
Following their usual tactics the
Germans had carried out systematic
destruction of the houses and had
constructed strong underground de-
fenses. The whole city is undermin-
ed with tunnels and dugouts which
have been reinforced with concrete.
1t was in such difficult surround
ings as this that the Canadians are
battling today.
The capture of Hill 10, is another
triumph for the British lighting or
ganization. Wounded Canadians re-
turning from the heart of the battle
today were loud in their praise of
the perfection achieved in prepara..