Evening star., 1917-10-02
FRENCH ALSO FIRM
IN FACE OF ASSAULTS
Fierce Artillery Actions on Aisne
Front-Whole Teuton Line IN
Flanders in Danger.

| BF1tlSn ITOIn mdhluS IhO oSSoF wv -
their advantage in Flanders. Apparent
| ly dreading the effect Of the next Brit
ish stroke, Crown Prince Rupprecht has
been launching attack after attack upon
Field Marshal Haig's troops in their ad-
vanced positions, in an effort to dlsar-
range the British plans.
| Similar tactics were adopted last
| week on the eve of the renewed British
! thrust, heavy counter attacks being de-
livered on the evening of September
| 25. when il became evident to the Ger
| mans that Haig was about ready 10
| launch his drive.
The record shows the effort OF last
week to have been futile. 1t is too early
yet for the effect of the present attempt
| to be developed. The British com
| mander. however. reports that the at
tacks themselves, five in number, were
complete failures. the Germans not
being able to make any appreciable I'M
preston on the British positions along
| the Ypres-Menin road and at the south
eastern edge of Polygon wood, where
the thrusts were delivered, IT, e..
Flanders hanging in the balance, as the
military maps show, small surprise Is
expressed that the German command IS
making such desperate Efforts to balk
for every inch of ground protecting the
jLille-Ostend railway, scant six miles
beyond the present point OF the advanc-
/! ing British wedge.
On their front in northern France the
French are holding themselves in re-
straint at present, permitting the crown
prince to. hammer away at their lines
in attacks which almost invariably are
Two astaealss sshg, che. oeeInans IN thA
Craonne sector on the AIsne front last
night were repulsed. Efforts by. the
GermaAs on two occasions to reeapture
Beaumont region in the verdun front
also were unsuccessful
Germans Completely Fail.
LONDON. october 2-Five attacks by
| the Germans along the Ypres-MeniH
road and at the northeast corner of
Polygon wood have ended in complete
| failure the war Office announces.
| The communication follows:
"At $50 o'clock this morning the
enemy launched a powerful attack on
front of more than a mile against
our new positions north of the Ypres-
Menin road and east of the Polygon
wood. The German infantry. advanc-
ing in three waves, suffered heavy
casualties from our rifle fire and artil-
lerY barrage and were driven back in
disorder. We followed up the retreat
ing enemy and captured few prisoners.
"In the course of the next three hours
the enemy twice renewed his attacks
with strong forces on the same front,
and again were repulsed at all points
except opposite the southeast corner
of the Polygon wood. where he sue
ceeded In occupying two OF our advanc-
ed posts.
THE hostile artillery has shown some
activity today in the neighborhood of
Bullecourt and south and north of
Lens.
During the month Of September we
CAPTURED total of 5,296 German prfs-
oners. including 146 officers. We also
ca ptured during the same month eleven
guns. including three heavy pieces, 81
trench mortars and 377 machine guns"
PARIS October 2.-Heavy artillery
fighting is in progress all along the
Aisne front, especially in the Craonne
pulsed by the French last night. to-
days official statement says. The
statement follows
There was marked activity of the
artillery over the whole Aisne front,
especially in the sector of Craonne.
Brayeen-Laonnoi, the other in the
region of Allies, were without result.
I'm the region northwest of Rheims
our artillery dispersed enemy concen-
trationS.
'On the right bank of the Meuse
(yerdun 'front.' the artillery fighting
was very intense during the night from
Samogneaux as far IS Bezonvaux. The
Germans made two efforts to recapture
our trenches in the Beaumont sector.
Our fire checked them each time, in
ficting appreciable losses.
.'Eyervwhere else the night was
calm"
Report of Last Night.
The text of the statement of last night
reads:
ION the A:sne front there were quite
spirited artillery actions in the sectors
of Iaffaux and Allies, and in the region
between the Ziette and the Aisne. North
of Braye-en -Laonnois one of our de-
tachments. composed of an officer and
twelve men, carried out a surprise at
tack on an enemy trench and brought
back without having suffered any
losses. thirteen prisoners.
Stubborn Engagement
On the right of the Meuse. after a
violent bombardment. the Germans de-
1ivered an attack between the Bois lie
Chaume and Bezonvaux. A stubborn en-
eaeement ensued in our advanced eie-
ments. which the enemy had succeeded In
entering, and ended to our advantage
Our line was completely. re-established
and we took about fifteen prisoners.
Belgian communication-'On Septem-
her al and October l the regions around
Ramscappelle, Costcapelle. Rouge Dame,
LOO and Knocke have been exposed to
the enemy fire; many of our advanced
nosts have been violently bombarded. We
renlied on DXmude and Clercken and
a against numerous German organizations
Gnr artillery has bombarded enemy COM
,,,unications and cantonments in reprisaI
for numerous bombs thrown at different
nojnts on our rear zone.
aThe aviators have been very active |
a,,r,ne the course of the last two DAYS. |
living out numerous missions of rec
onnaissance. chase and protection in the
fomeht, and also bombardments near
Poodevelde in reprisal for those OF the |
enemy against our cantonments.'
r.ortion OF the fighting ground at Polygon
wood, on the Flanders front. to a depth of
ZOO meters, was captured by German
troops from the British yesterday. army |
-<nr~ ov,vounraS1 foHav The Cafn. l