The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-06-09

appalling nut otherwlsc the DAY was ono
Of almost complete inaction Last night
also was without action The British
have thoroughly consolidated their
gains and are able TO defend them
against any counter attacks the tempo
rarlly bcwildercd Germans may COM
mence,
Glad to Be Prisoners
Prisoners kept coming in today in in
creaslng hundreds Dazed By nearly a
week Of terrifying bombardmcnt and
half iamished as a result Of the star
vation barrage" the British had kept on
their lines OF communication and supply
these men upon reaching the cool
grassy spots within the British barbcd
wire stockadeS erected for their anticl.
pa,ed arrival stripped themselves to
IN waist. tore off their heavy trench
boots and flung themselves on the
ground where they soon were lost in
the heavy sleep Of complete exhaustion.
For them the war is over and their re-
lief at being out OF il was, only too ap-
parent.
The men who had seen most Of their
military service on the Russian front
were the most demoralIed Of all
Didn't Know What War Was.
I'VE had heard much Of the condi-
,ionS on the western front" said one
OF the captured German officers to the
Associated Press, but we always
thought there was much exaggeration
about them We had no realization what
war was
When we came from Russia a few
weeks ago We were told we were going
against the British but that We need not
worry as the English were not in a
position to accomplish anything serious
against us in view OF their offensive at
Arras Their artillery Iire We expert
enccd when we frs, came to the Mes
sineS ridge was more terrible than any
thing we had seen or heard on the cas-
tern front.
Then a week ago the English
started their intensive bombardment
II was terrible 10 endure Few OF Us
ever thought we would get out OF II
alive. There was a distinct sense OF
relief when the mine was exploded
yesterday morning We knew ther
that an attack was under way and thai
we soon should be dead or in a posi-.
ton TO surrender Most OF us car
frankly say that we preferred tht
latter
No Chance to Win.
This experience oi ours should enc
the war. We have no possible chance
10 win Two davS ago my division
was made up Of three splendid German
regiments We saw these men shrive
up in a hurricane Of fire with which
We could not possibly compete Nov
my division exists no more
This officer had no complaints I,
make against the German higher com
mand and no apparent desire TO vii
favor from his British captors. H'
was so shaken by the ordeal he hat
undergone that he seemed TO find a
least momen,arv relief in expressing
in excellent English the thought
which were uppermoSt in his mind
The experience OF his division appar
entity is evidence that Germany is no
finding a solution OF her military diff
culteS by the transferring OF her ole
eastern units to the western front
Triumph for Artillery.
The battle OF the MeSsneS ridg
Twill ever stand out as wonderful
triumph for the British artillery. Tn
deepest significance in the striking
victory lies in the fact that the Ger
mans seemed 10 know the attack wa
coming and had cndeavored in ever,
possible way TO defend themselve
against il. But as fast as they brough
up new batteries, the British gun
were upon them. British airplaneS al
ways were over the German line
watching every move and demon
s,ra,ing very plainly with whom rest
supremacy in the air on this front.
All the prisoners say they had bee
warned within the last few DAYS tha
the English might a,tcmp, an oiienSiy
and that the main attack might com
in the MesSincS sector with the hope q
nppmg off the WySchae,e Sectot-a
OF which. il may be stated. has bee
accomplished The German troops j
the line had been ordered 10 he on IN
alert every moment day and night h,
British raids lust prior to the attac
showed that the German sentries a
ways sought cover from the BritiS
bombardmen,S
Counted on "Stosstruppen"
Prisoners say they were ordered ,
hold the front line at all costs a
though their commanders verbally az
miued that this line would be take
by the first aSsauting waves 1, va
hoped however Immediately TO ele,
the British with the much talked ,
German storming troops and "stos'
,tuppen" which had been especial
formed 10 knock" the British out
any trench element they nigh, enter.
NJ German troops who have recent
came into the lines said they had Sc,
many guns moving toward the iror
This worried them considerably, e
ordinarily German gun transfers Al
made al night and IN such conceal,
manner that even the German iniai
7 Try seldom sees them The Germs
prisoners adult that they were con
pletely bewildered by the British Ia
tics. So many practice batrapcS al
feint bombardmen,s had been direct,
apains, them that they had no id