Valdez daily prospector., 1917-10-03
FIERCE FIGHTING
\ IN FLANDERS
Germans and Hungarians make Vic.
lent Attack on British Lines
Which are Repulsed

LONDON, Oct. 3.-German and
Hungarian force along the Ypres
front in West Flanders made violent
attacks upon the British positions
last night, but were repulsed with
sanguinary losses. Fighting has been
unusually violent in the vicinity of
Ypres and Dixmude, the most NOM
entus infantry action of the European
war being now in full swing. The first
phase of the great battle, which was
fought last week, resulted in vic
tory for the allied forces. and shook
the German hold upon the Belgian
coast from Zeebruggee to Antwerp.
Today's action follows the most
terrific bombardment of the war, The
artillery roars necessarily and for
weeks the terrific detonations of the
big guns have resounded from Yer
dun to the Champagne.
Aerial activity has kept pace with
the fighting on the ground, and for a
time every aeroplane in possession
of both armies was in the sky. There
were many spectacular contests be-
tween the airmen, in which the al
lies seemed to have the best of it..
Lieut.. Vossee, one Of the most fam
ou of Germany's aviators lost his life
in one of these short duels. The roar
of the fighting can be heard over a
hundred miles.
An appalling feature of today's bat
tie is the spread of the artillery fire
from the Flanders front to Verdun,
where the super guns of the French
and Germans served by monstrous
figures clad in armor and breathing
flame from tank and emplacement
seem to rend the very heavens, Their
great shells are rumbling thru the
air with noise like that of a heavy
laden train crossing railway trestle,
and bursting with a roar that shakes
the earth.
Shortly after dawn this morning
the British and French drum fire
which reached ear-splitting intensity.
paused with dramatic suddenness for
a few moments that seemed like
hours. This maneuver was taken to
give the Germans chance to replace
their killed and wounded in the bat
tered trenches with fresh men, and
hell broke loose again. An hour or so
after dawn the sun shown In the sky
as red as blood, resembling an eclipse.
The British forces received a COM
mand to advance. Every German po-
sition that had come under the with
ering fire fell with but little resist
ance, there being none but corpses
and manned and wounded to guard
them. Great bodies of men cut of
from retreat by the fire behind them
and unable to advance were taken
prisoners as we'll as great quantities
of munitions, guns, trench mortars
and supplies of every kind.
Military experts regard the battle
of yesterday and today as the great
est in the history of the world wars.
If the British succeed in turning the
German flank along the northern end
of the western line the kaiser's hold
upon Zeebruggee and Flanders will
be broken. The movement SO far has
been crowned with unexpected sue
cess.
At Verdun the contest between the
French and German troops has reach
ed a stage of frightful ferocity, but
beyond comment upon this feature,
no gains are claimed by either side.
Alarmed by the success of the great
allied drive, the Germans are rush
ing forces to Galicia and Bukowina
to meet the pressure on the Bulgar-
ian and Austrian front on the lower
plateau of Bainziia In Galicia and
Bukowina. The Russian forces are
working up the Dniester river to ef-
felt a juncture with the allied forces
and may turn the flank Of the Teuton-
ic forces.
Alogn the northern half of the bat