The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-08-22
GERMAN LINES AROUND
LENS PIERCED BY THE
CANADIAN OFFENSIVE
TeutOns Sacrifice Thousands of Men
in COunter-Attacks Which Prove
Futile.
BATTLE OPENED AT DAWN
Both Sides Had Prepared for Often
sive and Double Attach Sur
prised Each.

British Front in France and Bel
gium, Aug. 21.-(By the Associated
Press) THE fierce battle which be-
gan at dawn today on the outskirts of
the city of Lens continued throughout
the day at close quarters and late this
evening there was no d;minution in
the intensity of the struggle between
the attacking Canadians and the Ger
mans.
The Canadians this morning fought
their way forward with bombs and
bayonets and occupied important enc
my defenses north, northwest and
southwest of the heart of the city,
and since then the Germans have been
sending in wave after wave of infan.
try in desperate counter attacks.
The Canadians have held their gains
and the Germans have suffered very
heavy casualties, as they must have
expected from the nature of their
couqnter-thrusts in which no thought
is given to the cost in life
Double Offensive.
The striking feature of the battle
lies in the tact that the Germans
also had massed trops for counter
attack at dawn against the newly
acquired Canadian positions in the
northwest environs of Lens end had
actually started their advance when
they were surprised by encountering
the onrushing Canadians in No Mans
Land. Both offensives had begun at
the same hour, but heavy mist ap-
parcntly made the Germans unaware
of the Canadians preparations until
the Canadians were upon them with
the bayonets.
Brief but bitter fighting occurred in
No Mans Land. The German officers
tried to rally their men, but the enemy
infantry gradually fell back to their
trenches. The Canadians rushed for.
ward and leaping on the parapets.
hurled masses of bombs down among
great numbers of troops which had
been collected for the attack. The
Germans tried to flee through the COM
munication trenches but the Cana
dlans jumped among them with bay
onets and bombs, killing many.
Considerable Advance.
The Canadians took up new posts
to depth of several hundred yards.
which they are holding against bitter
counter attacks.
On the southwest the Canadians
were equally successful after very
heavy fighting, in which the British
artillery was brougt into play.
The most strenuous fighting late in
the day was proceeding in the center
Of the line west Of Lens and on y
little front near the left of the north
west positions, but the whole time was
a seething caldron.
The Canadians have achieved their
immediate objects by drawing their
lines still closer about the heart Of
the city and their goal unless the
German counter-attacks succeed.
BY today's attack the Canadians
have gained possession of many rail.
way embankmcnts and collcry siding
which afford excellent positions for
Ni'H'i oItlSlNt or UclCnSINU ODprl-
tons.
The Canadians assault cxtcnlc1
northwest of the cnvirons OF the city
to positions in the southwest suburbs
and as the Germans were already ad.
vancing to attack the new Canadians
dcfenscs tn" fighting quickly assumed
the character of one of the moSt
sanguinary conflicts which the battle
SCARED thcatcr has seen.
a circular line around which the
opposing forces now are fighting is
drawn close about the city proper,
while the Germans had fortified them
selves in concrete cellars and dug
outs.
No estimate of casualties or pris.
oners is yet possible, but captured
Germans were beginning to arrive
back OF both fronts at an early hour