The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-21
Entire West Front in ThrOes of
Desperate Battle.
French Hold Ground Gained;
Fighting Continues.
CANADIANS HIT HARD AT LENS
Force German Retreat in
Fierce BayOnet Fighting.
Both Sides Advancing Meet
Midway Between Lines.


New York, Aug. 21.-Germany was
enduring today the mightiest offensive
, blows yet struck by the allies.
On the entire front save the Rus
sian and Macedonian lines, the allies
were on the offensive The great 435
mile western front was a continuous
/ battle line. Italy's hundred miles of
front from the Adriatic to the Alps
was in motion, General Cadorna's
troops were violently attacking every
where. Rome dispatches estimated
. ten thousand dead and wounded, and
ten thousand prisoners the Aus
TRAN casualties up to yesterday.
On the French front along the
Chemin des Danes and north of Yer
dun the German massed forces for
tremendous counter blows. Paris dis
patches characterized them as of the
most violent nature. They indicated
no loss of morale in German ranks
during the merciless pounding in the
British and French offensive. The
French repulsed all efforts to oust
/ them from recently gained positions
/ The French official statement claim
! ed 5,116 unwounded German prison.
ers were taken in. yesterdays great
: and victorious thrust north of Yer
! dun.
| French Repulse Counters.
Paris, Aug. 21--German picked
troops were flung violently but
vainly against four points of the
French fighting line last night. AT
/ three places on the Chemin des Danes
/ special 'stosstruppen" battled desper-
ately to loose the French grip and
around Verdun General Petain's
/ fighters repulsed assaults of the most
violent nature
All French ground was held, the Of
tlcial statement declared today.
AT Cerny plateau the Germans at
! tackled at three points twice" the Of
! fetal report asserted They were
repulsed and flowed back to- their
trenches with heavy losses
German attempts at H1rtebise
! likewise failed.
"On the front north of Verdun the
( Germans carried out an energetic RI
poste blow. There were ceunter-at-
/ tacks of the most violent nature, not
ably at Avocourt and Caurieres woods,
/ which We're all broken up by the fire
( of the French troops We kept all
our gains which we are now organic
ing. The Germans lost heavily.
"Y yesterday over 5000 dnwounded
prisoners and 116 officers were cap
! tured.
! Both Use Air Bombs.
German aviators bombarded the
| French rear, especially a camp of
German prisoners who suffered Sc
/ verely from their bombs
French aviators bombarded sta
tions in Belgium and at Roulers and
| other points. French flyers dropped
bombs over the Verdun region and at
! Brieulles Fleville and the Bantseville
ammunition depot.
AT the last named place ammuni-
ton depot was set afire.
ION August 20 French pilots
! brought down 81 German machines
nearly all of which were utterly de-
stroyed.''
Similar dispatches today laid en-
phasis on the ferocity of the German
counter blows. They were delivered
apparently with every resource of
guns and of men that the German
war chiefs could muster. Specially
picked trained men fought madly to
The battle was continuing turnout the
day.
In Bayonet Battle.
London, Aug. 21.-Canadian troops
around Lens launched another attack
on the western environs of the
French mining city at 4:30 o'clock this
morning, reports the Reuter- CORE
spondent from the British headquar-
terS in France. The attack developed
into one of the most desperate hand
to haPd battles of the war. When the
Cana dams went over the top they saw
masses of gray figures advancing to-
ward them in the thick haze. Both
. sides had planned the attack at the
same moment.
/ Fifteen minutes after the clash
, came the Germans were making their
? last stand on the parapet of their
. trench. They then retreated rapidly
Berlin's Version of Battle.
Berlin. Aug. 21.-The battle before
Nerdun has not yet ended, the Germa n
general headquarters staff announced
today. This morning fresh engage
ments developed at various places The
/ statement adds:
. Our troops and leaders anticipate
a favorable conclusion of the battle. .
In many places colored and white
French troops penetrated the German
offensive zone in which every step for
ward, the German report says ha0 to
be wrested at the cost of sanguinary
' losses. In bitter hand to hand fight
ing and by counter attacks the French
: were driven back almost everywhere.