Evening star., 1917-09-21
GERMANS SUFFER .
UNUSUAL LOSSES ,
ONFLANDERSL|NE
British Success on Eight Mile
Front Complete Newly Won
Positions Consolidated. 4,
COUNTER ATTACKS
OF TEUTONS futile
Advancing Waves of Kaiser's Troops
Destroyed-Battle Extreme
ly Bitter.

Today found the British in Flanders
holding all the valuable ground they
gained in their attack of yesterday when
they surged forward on an eight-mile
front on both sides Of the Ypres-Menin
road, penetrating the German lines more
than a mile in places and capturing
prisoners in excess of 1000.
All the reports emphasize the COM
troops achieved. They hold veldhoek.
and numerous strategicaily
important farms and wooded tracts
which had been heavily fortified by the
Germans. but which were captured in
the resistless British sweep.
Late yesterday the Germans began
to counter-attack. but every thrust was
effectively dealt with by the British
guns. which wiped out the advancing
lines of German infantry. The heavy
casualties sustained in these fruitless
attacks evidently impelled the German
command to order their cessation and
the British were able to consolidate
their new won ground.
British Success Complete.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. September 21.-Field Mar.
shal Haig in later reports regarding the
British offensive on the Belgian front
to the east Of Ypres. yesterday whom
the British troops pushed through the
German lines for a distance OF more
than a mile, says that the completeness
of the British success is confirmed by
detailed accounts of the battle. The
British war Office, after the receipt OF
Field Marshal Haig's report today, u.
sued this bulletin:
More detailed accounts Of yesterdays
battle confirm the completeness Of our
success. During the evening local at
tacks delivered by us in the neighborhood
OF Tower Hamlets and northeast Df
Langemarck cleared up a number Of
strong points and completed the capture
OF our objectipes In these localities. Il
is now established that in the many coun-
ter attacks delivered by considerable
forces of the enemy during the after
noon and evening his casualties were un.
usually great.
Germans Destroyed.
1.-The clear light Of the latter part Of
the day enabled our troops to obtain
warning OF impending attacks. and In
every case the advancing lines OF Ger
man infantry were destroyed by the
fire from our rifles and ma
chine guns and artillery. The obstinAcy
with which the enemy constantly repeat
ed his attacks only added to his losses
without recovering for him any OF the
hausted by his previous efforts the enemy
made no counter attacks during the
night and our troops were able to consoli-
date the positions undisturbed.
"Our own losses in the battle are light
"In the course of the night small hostile
attacks were driven of west Of Havrfn-
court and west of Lens.
Official Story Of Battle.
The text of the report from Field
Marshal Haig last night follows:
"Our attack this morning east OF
YpreS was made a front OF about
eight miles between the Ypres-Comines
railway and the Ypres-Staden railway.
Great success attended our troops. ana
positions of considerable military i'm
portance have been won. Heavy caSu.
alties were inflicted on the enemy.
The assembling of the regiments de-
tailed for the attack was carried out
without incident, although rain fell
steadily during the night. Our first OBJ
jectives, captured at an early hour. in
cluded a number of concrete strong
points and fortified FARMS for the pos
session of which heavy fighting had
taken place during previous attacks.
Advance to Final objectives.
North country regiments carried
the Inverness copse: Australian troops
stormed Glencorse wood and Nonne-
boshen; Scottish and South African
brigades took Potsdam, Vampire and
Rorey farms: West Lancashire terri
ial ga ia hA
strong point known as Gallipoli. Our
troops then advanced to assault their
final detectives
.'Gn our right, English county troops
-,,.tc''ed the line of their final objectives
4f',r sharp fighting in the woods north
Df the Ypres-Comines canal and in the
leighborhood of Tower Hamlets. In the
enter North Country and Australian
oattalions penetrated the German posi-
ions TO a depth of over a mile. and
,aptured the whole of their obiectives,
including Hamlet. Veldhook and the
western portion of Polygon wood.
Carry Second Line. :.
Further north, Zevenkote was cap
ured, and London and Highland terri
orials carried the second line of farms.
including Rose farm. Quebec farm and
Eurst farm, on the line of their final
,bjectives-
.'During the morning the weather
AXE a more active part in the battle
Indicating the position of our troops
md reporting hostile concentrations to
,ur artillery. In this way number OF
erman counter attacks We're broken up.
While others were repulsed by the rife
md machine-gun fire of our artillery.
No accurate estimate of the number
f prisoners captured can yet be given,
ut they are known to exceed 1000 We
lso captured a few guns.
Work of the Aviators.
An official communication regarding
he work Of the aviators on the British
ront issued last night reads:
..'rhe enemy aircraft Wednesday
ook advantage of the exceptionally
trone west wind to make repeated
ttacks upon our artillery, the ma.
hines turning east at once when ape
coached by our scouts. Nevertheless
artillery work was done
,itb our airplane observations and
,any photographs were taken.
Parties of hostile troops and trans
ort were engaged by machine-gun
re during the day and over one and
half tons of bombs were dropped on
arious targets. Another ton of bombs
ere dropped during the night on the
nemy billets and hutments in spite OF .
,ost unfavorable weather.
..Six German machines were broughts