The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-09-27

Continued From Page One.
for this position really began yester-
day when the Germans, ). in an
endeavor to push back the British
flank, launched series of fierce
counter attacks on both sides OF the
Ypres -Menin highway. The lighting
here yesterday was continuous and
sanguinary for the Germans kept
throwing infantry in waves against
the British positions. The defenders
were forced to give way slightly but
with undaunted courage hurled them
selves on the enemy with such .flerce-
ness that they were able to re-es=
tablish themselves before the hour
for the new advance arrived. ..-.
Troops Fatiaued. s-i -.
A lot Of British, troops in this Sec
tor began the new push this morning
under the fatigue OF many hours
Battling against a.. determined foe
they did their work today and did it
we'll. The lighting about Tower
Hamlets was very severe and the
Germans were able to get heavy ma
chine gun fire on the British from
positions to the south. ,.
Along the Menin road the English
made the slight advance called for
under q withering machine gun and
artillery fire. North OF the Ypres-
Menin road the lines Of advance
swung out much further into enemy
territory in order to include the
Polygon wood and other important
positions. 81. -~,.s ss.a =.
:, Australians Little Troubled.
The Australians who. negotiated
most Of the. territory between the
Ypres -Roulers railway and the
Ypres- Menin road appear to have
had comparatively little trouble in
getting through.,with the exception
of a narrow stretch where the Ger
mans held on tenaciously for a time.
They had to fight their way through
a more or less intricate trench sys-
tenn to Polygon wood and encounter
ed a great number Of block houses
which turned a vicious machine gun
and rife fire against them. Among
the troops opposing them were the
Poles. The men made a good start
in getting fover the top and swept
through the eastern portion OF Poly
gon wood. The Germans in redoubts
on the eastern slopes OF this wood
surrendered and within "a short time
the Australians were surging across
the race course on the level below.
Casualties Small.
North of Polygon wood the Aus
tralians covered the ground assigned
to them in two hours and twenty
minutes, the average depth Of their
advance being 1900 yards. The en-
tire Australian operations was ac-
complished with exceedingly small
casualties
Proud Day For English. "
II was a proud day for those Eng
lish troops who forced their way into
the western end OF Zonnebeke viii
lage. Not since the bitter period Of
April, 1915, when the British were
compelled to withdraw from this
place, had an allied soldier entered
it. The wound Of this defeat had
healed largely today. In the sector
north OF Zonnebeke the offensive
proceeded Systematically until the
anal line was rushed.
The Germans were active through
out last night and put down a heavy
barrage FIRE before this mornings att
tack, but 1t did little damage Much
machine gun fire and sniping was
encountered at many places, but for
the most part the Germans did not
make a. determined stand. The block
houses gave little trouble. The Brit.
ish artillery preparations here had
been exceedingly good and the
ground was streWn with enemy dead.
Serious but brief fghting occurred
at a few Of the fortified farms and
near the railway the Germans
delivered an Immediate counter at
tack but this was broken quickly.
Among the prisoners In this sector
were a number Of Prusslans who are
sturdy looking troops.
The prisoners were coming In
along the fine of the offensive but 1t
was impossible 10 estimate the total
further than that several hundred
had been accounted for at an early
hour.