The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-08
BRITISH DAR|NclY CARRY
OUT BIG new OFFENSIVE
Associated PISS Correspond
ent Describes Wars Most
Thrilling Move.
CAPTURE NOTED RIDGE
Gaining of Heights and 5000
CAPTURE NOTED RIDGE
Gaining of Heights and 5000
Prisoners Reward for
Sensational Drive.
CONTINUED From Page One)

ing there was a series Of thunder
storms which extended we'll into the
night. the lightning mingling with the
flashes Of the guns. but the thunder
being virtually unnoticed amid the
din of the cannon. a full moons
struggled continuously to break
through the clouds which scudded
across the velvety night.
On the way to the front were all
the familiar pictures Of the war end
less trains of motor trucks. all We
hicles of horse transport including
old ,imbers and wagons which had
been handed down from civil war days.
the British soldiers marching to battle.
light Of heart and singing songs ia
miliar in every American community.
The steel shrapnel hats are uncommonlv
hot so in last nights humidity most of
the soldiers were tramping along
bareheadcd, loath to don this impede
mcnt until compelled to do SO by prox-
unity to threatening shells.
In the shadow Is an old windmill
which has withstood the storms of q
century and undaunted by three years
of war. witnessed the last phases Of
|, the seven-day preliminary lombard
ment and the final outburst Of the
guns which sent British infantry con-
fidcntly on their way TO new successes
in fighting the greatest military ma
, ton the world has ever known.
Leave illumination to Germans.
The guns were flashing all along the
tcn-milc front at midnight just as
they had been flashing for a week
past.
From the German lines the same
lazy. looping rocket signals were as
ccnding to illuminate the treacherous
bit of ground between the trenches.
known as No Mans Land This
nightly "strafine'' had been going on
so long that the enemy considered It
, entirely normal and took no alarm
Occasionally blue and yellow rockets
would be flung into the air by Ger
mans holding tho front line. The
Germans are always so prodigious in
their use Of illumination that the Brit
! ish never bother about such details In
the trenches. leaving all this very nee
esary but somewhat boring work to
the enemy.
Calm Before Storm.
In these northern European lati-
! tndcs dawn comes at very early
hour. 1t was just half past two when
, the order was given to cease fire To
those who knew. however. this sudden
| and strange silence had the same
meaning as a similar period Of auic-
tude just before the battle of Arras
| broke into flaming fury two months
ago.
One by one the guns became silent
There was the old "gra ndmothcr' how
itzer OF enormous calibre. which KEEP,
breaking the peace at five minute in
tcrvals. the shock Of each succeeding
explosion and the shrek of heavy
shells being emphasized by the silence
which lay over all the surrounding
| country. In this silence could also bc
heard an ominous sound which hither-
to had been completely submerged ir
the roar of the British guns. 1t was
the sptteful swish and spit Of the Ger
man shrap nei breaking above the Brit
ish battery positions
After the big guns had been stillcd
the German gunners, evidently consid
cred they had effectually silenccd al
the opposing batteries. Eor about u
minutes the silence became intensely
| oppressive.
Day was scarcely breaking wher
from the. dimly visible ridge a score OF
fiery volcanoes seemed suddenly Il
spring from the earth. The night hai
been filled with strange noises and still
| stranger sights. but these masses o.
flames. leaping from the ground. hat
| Il meaning all their own. They were
the spectacular outward and visibl.
evidences of more than million
pounds of high explosives which had
been buried in mines below the enc,
my's position for months.
1t has seemed that the battle OF tn,
Somme attained the ultimate intcres
in the close assembly of war weapon $
but this sudden outpouring on Mes
sines ridge was beyond all calculations
Farther back, the deep throate
heavics began to pour out torrents o
high explosive shells on German
trenches and Communications. Will.
still other guns-cnouEh to win an,
ordinary battlc--confincd thcmsclve.
solely to the task of dcluging the Ger.
man lines.
The effect of this counter batter,
| "'S NV appreciated uHll IdtcT III VNt
day when the infantry sent back wor,
that their progress had not been ham
pered by the enemy artillery and tina
their casualties amounted to very little
4 Balloons Take Part.
Great black observation balloons ha,
stolen skyward during the din of tn
newly begun battle. In the wood bacl
of the windmill spring birds. awakcne,
by the deadening clamor. had begun
to sing joyfully. Like so many children
who have come into the consciousness
of being in the air. these birds regard
ed the appalling noise of the battle a
normal condition of life.
The smoke of the giant mines cx
ploded along the battle front meantim
rose in great. curling lumes toward In
sky and was punctuated by red signal
for help from the stricken Germans j
the front and support lines. Seve
was .he air filled with more ,franti
nof tes Ut DANGER. The entire horixo
gldMed with, red balls, of fire sent, u
by the nervous Germans. =az
In view OF the fact that the attac
. had been expected the German com