Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-23

front involved. This is striking con-
trast to the Flanders region, which
has been an inferno Of artillery fro
for weeks.
The Germans have attempted ve.y
few counter attacks thus far and all
of them have been smashed. The
latest counter thrust reported was
made last night near Demicourt and
this was dealt with promptly,
INFANTRY REScUEs TANKS.
The Germans. who ut the first at
tack yesterday retreated or surrender
ed in dismay, were fighting desperate
~ today to regain hold on their rear
positions. A particularly hard hand to
hand engagement occurred this morn
ing at Flesquieres, when the infantry,
accompanied by tanks, stormed this
place and drove the Germans from it.
The fighting about F1esquieres be-
gan last night, but 1t was not until
about o'clockftoday that the British
made an organized assault on the
town. The tanks went ahead and were
engaged Immediately by seven heavy
German guns, which began to fire at
them point blank at short range 1t
was a critical moment, for while the
tanks will Withstand heavy fire, they
cannot be expected to stand up long
under big shells hurled from guns only
. short distance away.
GERMAN GUNS CAPTURED.
The British infantry which swarmed
through behind the tanks saw the pre-
dicament Of their iron friends and de-
liberately charged the enemy artillery
with rifles and hand grenades All the
guns were captured and their crews
were killed.
A similar incident occurred at
Premy Chappelle, northwest of Marco
ing. where three guns were stormed
and their crews annihilated. Some Of
the most spectacular work of this ma
,ture fell to the cavalry. The mounted
troops got into Marcoing and Mas
nieres last night and in the latter town
engaged in a sanguinary battle with
German infantry. An enemy battery
there was giving trouble and squad
of horsemen charged the position.
shooting or sabering the entire gun
crew. Another battery at Rumilly
was taken in similar fashion.
RiBEcOURT IN RUINS.
cavalry, tanks and infantry working
together. British forces at the latest
reports have carried their line in this
section northward to the Bapaume-
Cambria road.
The Germans ran from Ribecourt
with the British close at their heels.
This town is mass of ruins partly
on account Of shell fire and partly
from lack of repairs. rhe German
dugouts were left intact.
The occupation of Marcoing and
Masnieres was great stroke for the
British, as it gave them much needed
crossings for the Escaull river and
canal, which formed natural barrier
to the advance from this direction.
Cavalry, infantry and tanks were
poured Immediately across these pas
cages and proceeded to work north
ward.
PERsHING WATCHES CAVALRY.
Military necessity precluded the
mention Of cavalry in the first dis
patches regarding the present often
sive, but it may now be said that the
mounted men went into action at 1880
o'clock yesterday morning after tho
tanks had opened the way through the
barbed wire. This was one of the fea-
lures Of the battle in which General
Pershing appeared to take deep inter-
est while he was at the front yester.
day.
It has been a wonderful two days
for the horsemen, who had been rele-
gated to the rear areas of the western
front, with a few exceptions, since
early in the war Thousands of them
have been operating over a wide area
beyond the Hindenburg line.