New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-02
tBy The Associated Press1

BRUSH 'FRONT.' IN rance anu OSib Ni"'
Aug. 1.-Generally speaking, the sit
uaton early to-day was unchanged
along the British front. Several Ger
man counter attacks were repulsed in
the course Of the night and the heavy
artillery duel continued, but the move
ment of big guns has been rendered
most difficult by the rain.
The Gqman artillery to-day actively
shelled the trenches which were wrested
from the Germans yesterday in No
Mans Land about the salient, and the
British guns continued to pour
steady stream of shrapnel and high ex-
plosives into the positions 20 which
the enemy had retired.
The air squadrons on both sides
were rendered helpless by the storm
to assist in the direction Of artillery
fire.
The section of the defences on the
Warneton- Gapaard road which was TAX
en- by the British in the first rush was
the scene of heavy fighting during the
night and the Germans succeeded In re-
taking it. The British, however, de-
| livered a strong ccunter attack and
again drove the enemy out after SAN
culinary fighting.
Just TO the north of the Ypres-
Confines Canal the Germans also
launched a counter attack, but were
/ hurled back by the defending troops.
Thousands of Prisoners Taken
German prisoners continue to arrive
in large numbers. and while it has not
yet been possible for the military to
make a count it is known that they
run well into the thousands.
The reconquered territory about the
/ Ypres salient has yielded its details
/ of the awful effect of the British ar
! tillery fire. The German bodies lay
| thick in many places, and in instances
| too numerous TO escape comment, fully
/ ACQUIRED soldiers were found turned
away from the direction of the British
I attack. indicating that they were re-
| firing when struck down. Large num-
/ bers of the dead were mere youths
who looked as though they might re-
| Gently have come from the school room,
/ for they were slight of build and phys
/ ically unified TO bear the strain OF
/ war.
| Most expressive was the comment on
/ the bombardment made by a German
/ officer, who was found badly wounded
/ in shell hole. where he had crawled
/ for refuge. Addressing British Of
! fcer in excellent English, and with q
/ quiet smile, he said:
! Good morning. You see you have
played the devil with our defences.
Your guns have been doing some good
shooting"
Germans Killed by Own Guns
Many German infantrymen fell VIC
tins to their own artillery at the out
break of the Entente attack, for the OBJ
/ servers had lost their view Of the tar
gets and in a confused, frenzied at
| tempt TO stem the onslaught the Ger
man gurners unwittingly dropped shells
among their own men. Again stories
are heard of German batteries being
withdrawn without the knowledge OF
| the infantry, leaving the latter to face
attacks without the protection Of their
artillery.
Welsh troops yesterday added a
new star TO their crown, for IL fell
TO one of their regiments TO sd
minister q crushing defeat on the
Sd Battalion of Infantry Guards,
which was Emperor Williams crack
body Of troops. The terrain in this new
battle zone presented tremendous diffi-
culties for the attacking armies. Be-
tween Dixmude and the point whore
the Ypres1Comines Canal crosses the
lines on the lower part of the Ypres
salient two great forces had been i'm
beddcd for three years, and this por-
ton of the line has come TO be looked
upon as impregnable for either side.
The present battle between Dixmude
and Lizerne was in "No Mans Land,
within whose borders lay marshes and
morasses, which in winter months are
imp,7 sable. This formidable natural
barrier was rendered still stronger by
the inundation of large areas by the
release Of waters from the canals. The
Germans and Allies alike, seeking bits
of dry land for a footing, swung 80 far
apart in some places that the distance
between the lines was nearly three
miles.
Front Wilderness
Below this section opposing lines fol-
lowed either bank Of the User Canal
and then went on the lpres salient
face to face. but with the Germans
holding the domir ating high land about
the salient. The Dixmude- Lizerne sec.
ton of the front is wilderness OF
partlv inundated and deserted farms
dotted with pools Of brackish water and
cut into strange shapes by drainage
bitches. There are but few remaining
civilian habitations in this mo Mans
Land" Crumbling cottage walls and
an occasional roofless church rose
} above the fats. 9,
Neither side feared a surprise attack
or a trench raid Since Duke Al
brecbt's Wurtemberg troops were
swallowed up in the food let loose by
onening up the sluice gates in Octo'
her 1914. the enemy had not tried tc
cross the marshes nor had they tried &c
Get over the User since the Belgians
in the spring of 1915, after sangulnarS
fphting, flung them back across th'
bridgehead at Lizerne.
The Ypres salient itself furnished as
nasty a problem as could be presented
20 an attacking army. The country
bs,e /, saucer shaped and the Germans
had held the lip Of this saucer. a :,
the lower lying land within this dlsf
had been dominated by the enemy whC
could pour a stream OF smell ana ma
chine gun Are into the troops and sup
NV columns advancing across 5he
salient.
II Bridges Built Over User
The situation was rendered still more
diFicult by the presence within the
L. WAfaTWlNF