Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1917-06-15
BIG BRITISH DRIVE
CAPTURE FIVE TOWNS IN At
TACK ON NiNE-MILE FRONT
IN BELGIUM.
5,4OO PRISONERS ARE TAKEN
Million Tons of Explosives Used in AS
sault Against Observation-Disclosures
Ridge Cause Panic Among
Germans.

London, June S.-The British on
Beginning their attack on a nine-mile
front between MeSsineS ond Wyts-
chaete, at an early hour they captured
all their first detectives, taking a large
number of prisoners, and then contin-
ued to press the advantage thus
gained.
The British in their attack used
probably 20 per cent more guns, espe-
cially those of heavy caliber, than they
employed in the battle of Arras.
Panic Spreads Among Germans.
More than 100000 pounds of high
explosives was blown up under the
German forward positions. This, the
most gigantic mining operation in the
history of war, spread panic among
the Germans.
British Consolidate Positions.
The British forces in Belgium
have consolidated their gains and
successfully warded off German coun-
ter-attacks in the region of Cost
to the British official communication.
More than 6,4O0 prisoners, among them
1872 officers, have already been count
ed The British losses in the attack
In Belgium were light, according to the
official announcement.
No estimate of the number OF guns
captured in the British drive Is yet
possible, although it is known several
German batteries were. taken virtually
intact. Prisoners say that scores OF
German guns were destroyed during
the British bombardment.
All Captured Ground Is Held.
The night passed quietly on the front
of the new attack, all the captured ter
ritory being held.
The German losses in their counter
attacks. were terrible. The full depth
of the British attack was 5000 yards.
Three counter-attacks by the Germans,
which were not delivered in great
force, were broken up.
1t had seemed that the battle of the
Somme attained the ultimate in the as
sembling of war weapons, but the sud
den outpouring on Messines ridge was
beyond all calculation. The lighter
field guns far forward set up a perfect
curtain fire, under which the assault
ing troops trudged confidently to their
allotted goals. Farther back the deep
throated heavies began to pour out
torrents of high-explosive shells on the
German trenches and communications,
while still other guns-enOugh to win
any ordinary battle--cOnfined them
selves to the task of deluging German
guns and gunnerS in baths of~gaS, fired
in shells of every conceivable caliber.
The smoke of the giant mines ex-
.ploded along the battle front mean
while rose in great. curling plumeS
toward the sky and was punctuated by
red signals for help from the stricken
Germans in the front and support
lines. Never was the air filled with
more frantic notices of danger. The
entire horizon glowed with red balls
of fire sent up by the nervous Ger
mans.
Under this appalling fire trudged
forward on the ten-mile front General
Plumer's army. At many places the
men found German troops utterly
dazed by the mine explosion and the
ordeal of the artillery fire.
Tell of Tremendous Explosions.
All the special correspondents at the
front, in their descriptions of the Mes
sines battle, make feature of the tre-
mendous explosion of mines which pre-
ceded the British advance. "The earth
opened and the German line disap-
peared," is one terse description.
Every writer likens the effect on the
surrounding terrain to an earthquake.
One says that the hill on which he
stood shook like jelly. Another, who
says the explosive used was aminol,
writes:
1--WE saw what might have been the
doors open in front of a number of
colossal blast furnaces. They appeared
In pairs, in threes, and successive sim
giles and with each blast the earth
shook and shivered beneath our feet"
'It is worse than an earthquake" said
someone who had known one of the
worst earthquakes.
Thousand Guns Open Fire.
'aThunderclOuds of smoke rose In
solid form to immense heights from
Hill go, from Wytschaete wood, and
from other places and, while our eyes
were full of the spectacle, thousand
guns opened fire. The air shook as the
earth shook and where earth and air
met incredible explosions seemed to
rend the world until we appeared part
of some cosmic revolution.
"We saw familiar landscapes, al
ready plowed and narrowed by the
war, vanish or assume grotesque
shapes. Hill go went up in fine dust"