New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Roaring of Artillery lndi-
Gates Blow Withheld for
Week Is About to Fall
Fliers Open Offensive
Thirty-one German Machines
Brought Down-Only Three
Allied PLANES Lost

London, July 2s.-Every sign from
the northern part of the West front
indicates that Field Marshal Haig's
impending blow in Flanders, withheld
during the week because Of poor at
mospheric conditions, is about to fall
The British batteries from the coast
to the River Lys are roaring at drum
fire, and the German guns are answer
ing them to the extent of their capac-
ity. And, after a period of inactivity,
the air fighting has suddenly risen TO
q sustained engagement.
Between o'clock and nightfal. yes
terday there was series Of aeroplane
combats in which thirty-one German
machines were accounted for, frteen OF
them crashing to earth, at the cost Of
three British planes. The British Off
cial statement tonight says: THE
fighting was intense. The day proved
a markedly successful one for our air
men," Haig's fliers were on the often
sive everywhere, and not only succeed
ed in taking a large number of photo
graphs, but carried out bombing expe-
ditions far into the enemy territory and
in some cases sailed over forty miles
back Of the German front at daringly
low attitudes. Berlin says that thirteen
French and British planes were
brought down yesterday.
There were no infantry actions on
the front held by the British, aside
from the monotonous tale OF trench
raids. The British penetrated the hos
tile lines at Armentieres, took 2l7 prs
oners in a thrust near Ypres, and re-
pelled German attack at Oosttaverne,
southeast Of Ypres. The sustained ar
tilley duel In Flanders. the greatest
thus far developed In the entire war.
has become the outstanding feature OF
this front.
General Haig reports that the en-
emy's bombardment at Armentieres and
Nieuport, the two extremes of the sec
tor, is extremely heavy and that the
hostile cannonade near Ypres is pro-
nounced. The Berlin day bulletin says
that along the entire front the British
guns continued to roar with undimin-
ished intensity and that early this
morning the shelling rose again to a
very intense drum fire" Drum fire Is
almost invariably the preliminary to a
major offensive. The air activity OF
the last two days also points to the
same conclusion.
Renewed attempts by the Crown
Prince last night to wrest additional
territory from the French on the
Chemin -des- Danes failed disastrously
over a fve-mile front. The at
tacks were delivered between Braye-
en-Laonnois and Hurtebise farm, and at
1 ing the French lines. Petain's artil-
lery barrage and the machine guns Of
his polus cost the enemy heavy losses,
with no compensating success.
Berlin fails TO mention these engage
ments, but asserts that two French
counter attacks to regain the recent
losses south Of ALLIES were frustrated
/ with heavy sacrifice In the assaulting
/ columns.
Further operations on General Pc
tain's front are also suggested by the
vigorous artillery duel along the
Chemin-d des- Danes and on both banks
Of the River Meuse, north of Verdun
1t appears more clearly with the pas
sage of time that the Crown Prince
in the fighting south of Laon has
suffered an exhaustive defeat. anC
since the comparative failure Of his
crowning effort on Wednesday the
fighting has not again attained the
same violence. The attacks last night
were heavy thrusts all along the line
but entire divisions in successive
waves were not employed.
The STUDENT Of the war Of '"The Man
chester Guardian" analyzing the sit
ution In the west, says:
British Behind In Air
"The causes Of the lack Of strategi
success this year would seem to be
first, the failure Of General Neville
offensive; second, the greater difficult
Of employing the tactics Of the Somm
against the new and comparatively un
explored German defences, in whicl
the main tactical idea is concealmen
over a country artihcially devastated
and third, the insufficient development
of our air service. The last cause /
exceedingly important, for 1t has an OBJ
vious bearing on our difficulties agains
the Hindenburg line. II one had e
select single cause Of our failure a
more important than any other,
would say it was the failure to realiz
the revolutionary importance Of III
air.
"For a nation which insisted on
two-to-one standard Of supremacy /,
surface craft to be content with any
thing less than two-to-one supremac.
/ l.. l. Ix1 -.