Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-08
North Dakota's Greatest
Classified Section ss.
Historic Field Of Ypres Again Runs
With Blood as British And French
Wreak Terrible Vengeance on Enemy

From q STAFF Correspondent in
France Of the Associated Press With
the British Armies. June Z. via Lon
don, June 3, 2:10 q. m.-The British
Armies struck today on . new front
IND won q victory which supplements
the successes at Arras during the last
two months. The Germans, though
apparently aware that the blow was
coming and seemingly prepared to
~ three years hold on Messines
Ridge, opposite Poor old" Ypres. the
last remnant Of an important Belgian
town. which with the help OF the
French and British in turn, has held
out against all the massed attacks the
Germans could Ming against it. in
Guiding the first great surprise Of
poison gas as q means Of supposed
civilized warfare.
Ypres Avenged.
Ypres in q sense was avenged to-
day. for Messines Ridge has been the
vantage point from which the Ger
mans have poured torrents Of shells
into The stricken city. The British
the Germans. for they held the ridge
in October. 1914. and with very thin
forces and virtually no artillery
fought bloodily but vainly. to hold It
when the Prussian troops massed'
their modern and overpowering
weapons OF war against It.
Plans Evident.
Today's attack lacked many Of the
elenents OF surprise which accompan-
led the battle Of Arras and the sue
cessful storminE Of Vimy Ridge.
There has been no doubt for three
weeks past as to the intentions Of
the British. The Germans knew that
q big push was to be made against
Massines and they had plenty Of time
to prepare for the defense Of that
or. declared that the bombardment
of Vimy was child's play compared
With the gun fire turned upon Mes
sines ridge.
This FIRE reached it's climax 1ust a.
dawn was grazing the eastern skies
and while the full moon was still sus-
pended high in the heavens. Today's
successes. won along about q ten
mile front from Observatory Ridge.
WOOD. just north Of Armentieres.
proved another triumph for British
artillery supremacy.
Belgians Assist.
AZ the fighting was wholly on Bel
0 ooAS "0W0N0A, IA0 o0lSl6H ACs
tllery stationed some distance north
OF the actual line Of attack, lent aid
with q violent bombardment Of the
German positions within range Of its
varied calibred weapons.
Today's attack was accompanied by
all the arts and deviltrtes Of latter
day war. The enemy guns ana gun
crews had been bathed for days in
gas shells sent over by the long range
British guns. The night u filled
with red incendiary flames. Shells
that spilled molten lead in streams
crashed in appalling numbers about
the heads Of the defending soldiers.
High explosive and shrapnel fire was
carried out with such rapidly that
the earth writhed under the force of
the attack,
Two Yeax1 Work.
Mines that had taken two years to
dig and I'LL with an overwhelming ex-
plosive broke into an avalanche Of
naming destruction in the half light
OF dawn. This was indeed a Ypres
day Of retaliation and victory for the
vicious su1ertngs Of two years and
eight months.
All the corps and divisions employ
cd reported tonight that their objec-
tiyes had been reached and maintain
Assaults Simple.
There has been good fighting
throughout the day, although the ar
dllery success had made the infantry
assaults comparatively easy.
Late tonight the Germans were re-
ported massing in two f1anking posi-
lions apparently for heavy counter
attacks. The British meantime, how