New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02
Big Bombardment Opens
Way for Advance on
Chemin-des-Dames
Trenches Filled With
Gray-Clad Bodies
British Announce They
Have Taken 1867 Pris-
oners Since July 81

LONDON, Sent. 1.-One Of the most
savage small battles Of the war was
fought and won by the French on the
eastern end of the Chemin-des-Dsmes
last night. Petain's forces struck just
20 the northwest Of Hurtebise farm.
where there has been so much bitter
sighting, and "at a single bound as
Paris officially expresses it, swsrmed
through The enemy dolences over a
front Of nearly a mile and to depth
Of 500 yards. Throughout the night
and this morning four German counter
thrusts were flung back, while the
French advanced their line by annexing
another 200 yards of hostile trench.
Both Berlin, which admits "initial
French successes" and Paris speak OF
the desperation Of the fighting. The
capture OF prisoners was smsll-only
about lSO-apparently because there
were few Germans left TO take. The
attack was preceded by short but eN-
tremely. violent gust Of artillery fire,
and Paris declares that as many Of the
enemy were killed by the preliminary
bOmbardmeut as IN the assault itself.
Gray-clad bodies were found heaped
throughout the conquered trenches.
Raid in Champagne
Following the pause necessitated by
the recent heavy storm. the effects Of
which are still holding up the British
offensive IN the low-lying Flanders
sector, this engagement gains siGnifi-
canoe both from the location of the
battlefield and additional activity
shown By the French nearby. Berlin
reports that the French also attacked
the Mintcrberg, as the Germans call
the small mountain north Of Craonne,
and Paris mentions a raid in force
near Corbeny, northwest of Rheims, in
which a dozen prisoners were brought
back for the information they might
give on German defence formations.
Resides this, there was French thrust
IH the Champagne, near the Butte de
Mesnil, 10 the east of Rheims, in
which more prisoners were taken.
When the Germans attempted a sur
prise attack IN the same region the
poi!.s captured the officer commanding
the advance and most Of his men.
1t was expected that Petain, after
the water-soaked terrain had dried out,
would strike again on the Nerdun
front. where the artillery is still vio-
lrn-ly active. especially north OF Dead
Nan Hill and Hill GO4 Instead, the
signs point TO still another offensive
cast and west of Rheims. The French
now mold excellent points Of departure
for a double drive on the two sides of
Rheims. The region around Hurtebise
and C~aOnne, where the German front
Is deeply donted, is one Of these points
and the advance lines in the Cham
payne SUPPLY the other. One Of the
results 10 be accomplished would be
the expulsion of the Germans from
For. Rrim0nt. the guns of which com
rIaad Rheims. II the drive should de.
yClop as staggering success. the Ger
mans might he even forced out Of Laon.
At any rate, the Crown Prince has def
uitely failed along the Chemin-des-
DANES, and Petain is now in process of
Wrestling away the initiative.
General Haig reports tonight that
since the morning Of July 81 the Brit
ISL armies in France have taken 1857
German prisoners, of whom 234 were
officers. together with thirty-eight
guns. six of them heavy pieces; 200
machine guns and seventy-three trench
mO-tars.
New Npres Battle Expected
Though most Of the Ypres salient is
still a quaCmire. not drying as quickly
as tie rolling country of Northern
France, there are signs that fighting is
about to be renewed on a large scale
For two hours last night the weather
cleared and it was possible to take air
observations to guide the battery fire,
which has become powerful along the
dunes Of the coast, on both sides of
lpres, and from La Bassee southwark
through Artois.
An unusually successful raid was
carried out by the British this morn
ing just east Of Wytsehaetc in Elan
ders, where the enemy trenches were
entered and his dugouts bombed. The
British brought their machine guns
along, and as the German garrison
broke and fed across the open they
were followed by a destructive hail Of
bullets from their own defences.
Berlin reports a German enterprise
along the eastern extremity of the
French line, near the Rhine Mouse
Canal, To- which the French are said 10
have lost heavily in killed and
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