The Sentinel=record., 1917-06-09
MEN FROM THE RUSSIAN
 FRONT WERE DEMORAllzED
German TelIs His Captors That He Realized Now That Germany Has No Chance To Win-Started Into the Battle With Three Divisions, Which Were Wiped Out, .E
lBy Staff Correspondent of tho AS.
 sOCiated PressJ

| By Staff Correspondent of tho A5' 1 sOciated PressJ
 British Headquarters in France.
 June 8, via London Comparative
 peace reigned today along the front
 of the latest British attack which
 wrested the Messines ridge from the Germans Thursday. The noise of the
 guns was appalling. but otherwise the | day was one of almost complete in
 action Tonight also is without action | The British have consolidated their | gains and are able tO defend them against any counter attack the tenn
 porarily bewildered Germans may ] lCommence.
 Prisoners kept coming in today in increasing hundreds Dazed by near | ly week of terrifying bombardment and half famished as a result of the
 starvation barrage' the British had
 kept on their lines of communication ! The men who had seen most of their
 military service on the Russian front
 were the most demoralized of all.
 We had heard much of conditions
 of the western front, said one of the captured German officers 10 the As sociated Press, "but we always thought there was much exageeration
 about them We had nl realization | what war was.
 When we came from Russia 2 few
 weeks ago we were told We were po- | ing against the British, but that we need not worry as the English were net in a position 10 accomplish any thing serious against Us in view of their offensive at Arras The artil- lery fire we experienced when we first came to the Messines ridge was
 more terrible than anything we had seen or heard on the eastern front.
 "Then a week ago the English start
 ed their intensive bombardment l.
 was terrible to endure Few of us | ever thought We would get out of 1t alive. There was distinct sense of relief when the mine was exploded Iyesterday morning. We knew then ] that an attack was under way and I
 position to surrender Most of us can frankly say that me preferred the latter
 1 This experience of ours should end
 he war We have no possible chance
 to win, Two days ago my division
 was made up Of three splendid Ger man regiments We saw these men shriyel up in a hurroane of fire with which We could not possibly compete. Now my division exists no more"
 Tins officer had no complaints to
 make against the German higher com
 mand and no apparent desire 10 win favor from his British captors He was so shaken by the ordeal he had 1 undergone that he seemed to find al | least momeutary relief in expressing
 in excellent English the thoughts ] which were uppermost in his mind. l The experience of his division appar- entity Is evidence that Germany is not finding solution of her military diff
 faculties by the transferring of her old eastern uuits to the western front. ne HdAIe ol but MISS v tS RluSt will ever stand out as wonderful tri- umIh for the British artillery. The
 deepest significance in the strong
 victory lies in the facl that the Ger mans seemed to know the attack was coming and had endeavored ip every possible way Do defend themselves against it. But as fast as they brought Iup new batteries .he British guns were | upon them British airplanes always
 were over the eGrman lines watching
 every move and demonstrating very
 plainly with whom rests supremacy .u
 the air on this front
 An the prisoners say Ehey had been
 warned within the last few days that the English night attempt an offensive and hat the main attack might come
 iu the Messines sector with the hope Of nipping off the Wytschatete sector
 al of which, t may be stated has lbeen accomplished The German troops