American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-06-12

One of the biggest battles of the war
was fought the closing days of last
week near the Arras front. resulting
in the capture of front Of eleven
miles on the Messines ridge. by the
British the taking Of several thou
sands of prisoners and a large num-
Der of heavy field pieces. Monday the
British extended their lines a mile
The captured ground has been consoli-
dated. and so effective was the blow
that only feeble counter attacks have
been made.
The attack as preceded by a weeks
preparation by big guns which filled
the German trenches for long stretches
TO such an extent that they could be
travelled only on hands and knees. Just
preceding the attack mines were eX
ploded underneath the German
trenches along the entire front, a mil
lion pounds of high explosive being
set off. So overwhelmed and de-
moralized were the German troops that
their resistance was feeble. The bonn
bardment had been so fierce that food
supplies could not be taken TO the de-
tenders of the trenches and many OF
them were in a famishing condition.
A German officer in high command
taken among the prisoners, admitted
the superiority of the British in big
guns and air equipment. and said the
capture OF the ridge. which was among
the most strongly fortified Of the Ger
man trenches and regarded as i'm
pregnable, should convince the Ger
mans that they had no chance of win
ming.
The manner in which the British
flying corps dominated the air during
the battle of Messines ridge on Thurs
day and completely smothered the Ger
man aviation service for the time be-
ing is one of the most thrilling and
remarkable stories of the entire war
Hundreds of British planes were
we'll behind the German lines when the
battle broke into its fury at dawn.
They had stolen over during the dark
er intervals Of the brief night when
the moon was hidden by storm clouds.
Other hundreds went aloft with the
first faint streaks of coming day and,
guided by the flashes of the guns, flew
into the thick of the fighting.
During the night British machines
ammunition dumps and troops coming
up on the march Others lowered
above German airdromes and circled
low among airplane sheds and fired
hundreds of rounds from machine guns
into them and prevented the enemy
machines from coming out. Late in
the day whi.es the lighting was most
intense. British airmen dropped about
three tons of bombs on the German
flying grounds as a further deterrent,
which proved highly effective.
In addition 10 shutting the German
airmen out of any early participation
in the battle. the British airplanes were
in a large degree responsible for the
fact that the Germans could not launch
counter-attack of appreciable
strength until forty hours after the
battle for the ridge began and every
bit of ground desired by the British
in this particular operation had been
taken and secured.
Far back OF the German lines the
British planes searched out troops in
every hamlet. town and village. In
several places they saw them gather
ing or marching in the main streets,
whereupon they flew down low at
times and opened a fire which scat
tered the Germans in all directions.
All pilots report that their accurate
fire had a most demoralizing effect
upon the hostile troops. Conveys and