American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-08-03

A vast British force, augmented BY
French troops, at dawn Tuesday
launched against the army of Crown
Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, between
Dixmude on the north and Gapaard,
near Warneton, on the south, a ter
rifle offensive, which, according TO
early reports, had carried the Onrush-
ing allies well beyond the shell-shat-
tered front-line trenches of the Ger
mans throughout this approximately
twenty-mile front, and in many places
had reached the third-line defenses.
Both the French and British had
achieved all the first objectives and
the artillery was moving forward
schedule precision and the whole sit
uation was satisfactory in every par
ticular.
In numerous places the entente al
lies encountered strong resistance and
counter-attacks from the desperate
Teutons.
Between Dixmude and Boesinghe
the attacking forces are reported to
have secured the two first lines Of the
German trenches, after having fought
over the most difficult terrain imagln-
able, due to marshes and inundated
areas with which this section is block
ed.
The German front line about the
Ypres salient, which had been held
unouestioned by the enemy since the
early days OF the war, offered little
resistance today to the British ad-
vance. but beyond these trenches the
Germans made firm stand in an en-
deavor to stem the onslaught.
Offensive Achieves Object.
The epoch-making offensive has,
with few exceptions, accomplished all
that had been planned for the first
dav of the battle, which, in its early
stages, gives promise of being the
greatest conflict of the war.
Roughly speaking the British pene-
trated positions held by Crown Prince
Rupprecht of Bavaria between Boes-
inghe and Warneton and, at the time
of the filing of this dispatch, were IN
possession of the first three lines OF
= the German trenches at most points
throughout this front
] Reports received from the French
troops which are attacking over the
- difficult territory between Dixmude
and a point near Boesinghe, say that
= they have forced their way across TINS
marshstudded and partly inundated
= region and captured the first two lines
of German trenches.
10 The casualties of the entente allies
have been surprisingly light and th'
; morale of the men continues at the
highest pitch. The contact betweeI
: the British and French armies ha'
been constant and excellent
Trenches Torn to Bits.
: The German front line trenches
which had been torn to pieces by tn
y preliminary bombardment, offere
little resistance, but once the allle
J. forces had penetrated beyond ther
they met with fierce resistance a
Z many points. Directly east of Zille
beke and again a little to the mort
L the British were temporarily held u
by heavy machine gun fire, but on
N lv for a short space of time. for tn
troops charged through the rain
N lead and forced the Germans trol
their positions in hand-to-hand fgh
IN ing.
German offensive was undertake
IN as the result of detailed testimon
concerning internal conditions of ii
Russian army, which had been place
i'm the hands of the German chief
staff Field Marshal Won Hindenbur
it appears. had promised EmperC
William that in two months he Wou
nut Russia out of action.