The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-09-27
COUNTER ATTACKS
i ARE BEATEN OFF
BRITISH HOLD EVERY INCH OF
i,,,,s ADVANCED POSITIONS.
GERMAN LOSSES ARE HEAVY
One Hundred and Fifty-Two Thous
and Men Have Been Put Out of
Commission by the French
During the Year. .#..-


counter attacks at dusk last night pen
etrated Field Marshal Haig's newly
won positions on the Ypres.Menine
Road to the east of st. Julien the Brit
ish commander in-chief announced in
his official report from the British war
front today.
The German gains were short lived
however Haig reported.
British troops made local attacks
Immediately following the counter at.
lacks OF the enemy and success in
BUSTING them, from the positions which
they wrested from the British.
'%,'.VS Every Inch is Recovered.
Today Field Marshal Haig reported
that every inch of the newly won posi-.
tiUns were. held intact.
The fighting in this section Of the
fort was described as the fiercest of
its CHARACTER. Picked German troops
made desperat assaults on the Brit
in despite the powerful and continued
range of the British shells and gun
ire.
East of s.. julien" Haig reported,
powerful German troops made corn.
ter attacks and succeeded in pnnotrat-
ing the, newly wen positions which
We occupied. We counter attacked and
succeeded. in driving them out"
Eight Square Miles Resained.
At all other points where the Ger.
mans made fierce assaults on the new
ly won positions of the British met
with failure the report stated.
In the earlier part of the night after
The enemy had failed with their coun.
ter attacks around the towers they
made desperate. counter attacks with
!, storm troops around the Ypres, Men
In road. Heavy and fierce casualties
on the enemy was the result.
ITO the east of Landmarcke third
hostile attack was repulsed by our ar
t.llery fire" Haig reported.
The net result of the second great
British offensive to date is that they
have reclaimed about eight square
miles of territory, took three hundred
prisoners and have caused the enemy
unusual heavy casualties and inflicted
heavy losses upon them by their artil-
lery which is expected to affect the
German morale.
The fighting of the last two days
of the Germans has been made by
special picked German storm troops.
General Haig has advertised his at.
tacks through weeks preparation
for the artillery firing. The Germans
responded to his invitation by consoli.
dating strong forces of picked storm
troops at this point. ->.
Many of these picked troops were
the ones which were placed in the
front lines and penetrated the British
lines and were ousted out, while the
remainder were the ones who made
the desperate assault on the British
last night, i....s ..-.
- al German Losses Heavy. .'-
With the French armies in the
Field, Sept. %. (By Henry Woods,
United Press Correspondent - The
German government has lost at least
one hundred and forty-two thousand
five hundred men in just three great
military. operations by the French in
q single year, according to the best
If statistics which are available and
made public to the United Press this
afternoon. ...... ..-...
These figures show: "a.
In Flanders between Merchen and
Hollebeke during the six weeks fol
lowing July IS, the Germans engaged
thirty Ave 2 divisions, approximately
five hundred and twenty-five thousand
men and withdrew twenty-five divis-
ions,--four hundred and seven thous.
and men because of the losses.
1t is the custom of the German staff
to withdraw a division when their
losses have been from two thousand
to three thousand men.
Details of the Losses.
% Figuring The losses of the twenty
seven divisions at two thousand FIVE
hundred men the total German casu-
alties for this campaign would be six.
ty seven thousand Ave hundred men.
In the same period along the Somme
a year ago the Germans engaged about
thirty-four divisions approximately
FIVE hundred and two thousand men
and withdrew twenty-five divisions,
three hundred and thirty thousand
men.
The total losses were probably fifty
a - ~. ~..ca..I ...ow & -