Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-02

here given readers Of the star-s1le-
tIn at first hand In letter from Clair
Churchill, son, OF Mn. Minnie ~.
Churchill, principal % WalalHa seheoi.
Her son 10 q lieutenant with the
Canadian contingent. and the letter
10 one Of the finest bits Of war DE-
Scrlption that has come to Honolulu.
II 10 40 follows:
At, the Front, April IA, 1917:
Dear Mother:
Just received letters from you and
l. L's from San Antonio, Texas.
cannot understand your not hearing
from me lately. as / have written very
freuuently-possibly the censor has
been at work, although am always
careful not TO give any valuable inior'
nation away. -, ~ o. - 49,,
( Before this reached you, you will
have read Of the battle OF Arras and
the capture OF the centralstTongest
position vimy Ridge by the Canadians,
accompanied no doubt by the usual
newspaper flattery. etc. -
Well, am Just behind the lines at
vfmy Ridge, writing this and II was
O waIk-over all the way, and our cas-
ualties on the whole have been re
markedly light.
Greatest Spectacle Of War
The final artillery bombardmen:
during the hour before dawn on Mon
day a. m. was the greatest spectacle
the war has yet produced. From a
ridge that commands the vast plateau,
this side Of Vimy, as far as one could
see. the sky was split and torn by
countless tongues OF flame wAlc ov,sr
the enemy trenches to the north and
east horizons, the bursting shells MADE
the whole amphitheater resemble
some huge blacksmith's forge, when
the bellows are roaring full blast. The
noise was stunning, appalling. AT 3
a. m. the whole thing ceased with
startling suddenness. German pris'
oners told us later that at this juno.
ture they were all standing to- in
their trenches, expecting our infantry
70 come over and when nothing hap.
pened, their officers ordered them to
their dug-outs again.
Then the Charge !
Sharp at g. q. m. the whole cannon.
aiding opened again. all along the line
with triple intensity, growing ever
more intense until $50, when II reach
cd q crescendo Of unprecedented fury.
At $3.50, ten minutes later, It lifted to
the enemy rear trenches and redoubts
and our men leaped over the parapets
on a front Of twelve miles, and in ten
minutes had secured the enemy front
line system Of trenches. .,s
Thousands Of Germans Surrender
So closely did they follow our own
barrage that Fritz had not, time TO getl
ont OF his shattered dug-outs. They
were pulled out by hundreds. Cowed,
numb with fear and nerve rackeds they
surrendered in thousands, without a
fight It all. II 10 estimated that prao'
ticaliy q whole battalion Of them took
refuge IN o tunnel, and refused 8 tol
come out and surrender when called
uuon "a 40 20. The trnnel and Itxlesa
were thereupOn blown ap togethefs
Our. fellows went through Fritz on
{ the double, and In two hours, ell Vlmy
Ridge was IN our hnnds. while stehdy
streams Of Bosche prisoners followed
to the rear, amid tbs ehafi and Tan.
! daRe Of our appointing trhIp1. g
From the rest Of the ridge, Q greet
sight met our eyes. Below us and
stretching away TO the east and north
east a. far az the eye could see, rclied
green and fertile country, almost IN.
marked by the rayages OF wal, anq
through copse, village and plain, little
groups Of scurrying Fritzies could be
made out, going as II the devil were
upon their heels. The men roafed
with laughter and the machine gun.
ners and Shippers were In their glory.
The enamy was unable % move with.
out being seen by rs. To the north.
east. the smoke and activity Of tho
mines nc Lens could be seen and the
trains running into It. while direct
east towards Douai, the naval high.
ways were lined with transport bear
ing food and supplies for the enemy
III the front line, but which had been
unable to get past our artillery lire,
directed on the main roads. ssi
British Fire Deadly .- .EtF.
Many prisoners we took had had
nothing to eat for two days. Dnrins
this time, the enemy artillery was. on
the whole, strangely inactive. We
learned later that the minute one Of
their batteries opened up, 1t was Inn
mediately delnged with shells from
our "heavies" and put out Of action.
From the ridge, we looked directly
down into the town Of vimy, nest
OF German machine gun empiaee
ments. Here, on Tuesday. we watched
him assemble troops Tor o counter
attack. He was permitted to gather
together q considerable number 0t
men. when our guns were given the
location TO the inch, and opened MP
In five minutes not o man could be-
seen In Yin1y, while the troops could
be seen fleeing in all directions-noths
ing but o disorgRnised mass.
Today, Saturday, yimy town is In
our hands, Lens is in flame, and the
enemy is falling back all along the
line. He has been dealt . blow which
he did not count on, and the key to-
his hold on the whole western front
--Yimy Ridge and the Arras breast.
Works--has been wrested from him.
: Offensive Took Germans BY Surprise
Prisoners told rs they expected our
Z.