Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-11
British Forge Way 5
Miles East of. ArraS
Continued from Page One

| Continued from Page Ono
| garded as either a continuation of or a
| switch to the northern part of the Hinden-
| burg line
Roughly. the British line runs at this
moment east Of the Vimy ridge down the
east sides of Gavrelle and Fampoux and
| into Monchy.
The prisoners now total more than II 900
| and the captured guns more than 100. The
| troops operating Immediately behind Arras
alone took fifty guns, including several
| heavy howitzers.
Most of the villages captured were re-
duced to ruin almost as complete as the
villages on the Somme. Theius Is noneX-
istent. There is now no more of Feuchy
than of Guillemont.
British forces are now less than ten miles
from the railroad center of Douai, which
the Germans had fortified to the strength
of an inland Gibraltar. 1t will soon be
under the fire of British guns.
Correspondents at the front state that
already the British have won their greatest
victory of the war. The capture of Vimy
ridge. a feat of the Canadians, ranks as
one of the biggest exploits of the British
army and opened up great military pos
sibilities
All through the night there were heavy
artillery duels along the entire front from
Lens to the Aisne River. Under this fire
their new positions, some of which were
from five to six miles in advance of the
positions they held last Sunday. The ad-
vance had it's best results along the Scarpe
River, east of Arras In that sector the
British are rapidly approaching the Sensee
River, which the Germans probably will
try to hold in force.
Ever since the big push began the weather
has been bitterly cold and there have been
driving gusts Of snow. In spite OF these
handicaps the British airmen have been
busy all along the battle front.
1t was possible today to understand.
In a way, why the British losses In the
great spring offensive to date have been
far less than the minimum anticipated.
British artillery in it's concentrated fury
Of discharge literally turned the ground
the Germans held into muck. 1t was
the same story over again that was first
told when the Germans started their re-
tillery had made their positions horror,
shambles. sea of hummocky earth pock-
marked by craters.
German prisoners today led back behind
the lines declared the British fire was SO
cyclonic that many of their officers fled
for their lives at the first titanic outburst.
The terrific hell of shell-fire had a per-
ceptible effect on the morale of the Ger
mans.
"As fighters they are finished" remarked
one British officer today who had been
hghting constantly for two days. picked
men faced us, but we were better men than
they. The picked Germans ran both ways
from the middle when the assault began
Some ducked toward u.s. holding up their
hands. They were hungry, tired and nerve-
shattered by their experience. Some showed
US the black bread that constituted their
ration and complained 1t was all they had
to eat.
"Others declared they were hungry and
tired Of war; More than one declared the
Kaiser was finished; others cursed their
Emperor. And all OF them were very we'll
satisfied to remain as prisoners and escape
the hell of British fire."
Tho British curtains Of hre, perfectly
placed, blasted away communicating
trenches and frequently cut of large bod
les OF Germans without food and without
ammunition. One British ofiicer related
today that his brigade had taken 1000
prisoners. One of his company command
ers, which took complete German battery
Of field guns--or rather, what was left of
II after the British hre-said the battery
commander had told him his guns hadn't
been fred for the last six days because
he could get no ammunition.
So irresistible was the British sweep, so
tremendously strong it's punch" that the
Germans were at many places literally
swept on their feet At one part of the line
today saw q German field gun In action
but served by British Tommies and It's Ger
man ammunition fred against the Boches.
The gun and q plentiful supply of am.
rnunition had been abandoned. In irst-class
condition. by Germans swept away by the
dash Of the British advance,