New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-08
Earth Rocks To and Fro os
Giant Guns Open
Battle
Every Device Of
Warfare in Use
Menace of Messines Ridge
Ended by Greatest
Blow Of War
Iron star cou,.aoad,a, Of Tho Associated

Iron star Correspondent o' Tho Associated
With the British Armies in France,
June 7 (via London, June 8, 1910 a.
1.-THE British armies struck to-day
on a new front and won a victory which
supplements the successes at Arras
during the past two months.
The Germans, though apparently
aware that the blow was coming and
seemingly prepared to meet it, were
driven from their nearly three years
hold on Messines Ridge, opposite Ipres,
the last remnant Of an important Bel
eian town, which, with the help of the
French and British in turn, has held
out against all the masscd attacks the
Germans could fling against 1t, including
the first great surprise Of poison gas
rs means Of supposed civilized war
fare.
Ypres. in sense, was avenged to-
day, for Messines Ridge has been
the vantage point from which the Ger
mans have poured torrents of shells
into the stricken city. The British also
wiped of an old score against the Ger
mans, for they held the ridge in Octo-
Der, 1914. and with very thin forces
and practically no artillery fought
bloodily, but vainly, TO hold 1t when
the Prussian troops massed their mod
ern and overpowering weapons OF war
against it.
To-day's attack lacked many of the
elements of surprise which accom-
panied the battle of Arras and the sue
cessful storming of Vimy Ridge. There
has been no doubt for three weeks past
as to the intentions of the British.
The Germans knew that big push was
to be made against Messines, and they
had plenty Of time TO prepare for the
defence of that place. Prisoners taken
to-day, however. declared that the bonn
bardment of Vimy was child's play
compared with the gunfire turned upon
Msssines Ridge.
All the Devitries of War
To-day's attack was accompanied by
all the arts and deviltries of latter-day
war. The enemy guns and gun crews
had been bathed for days in gas shells
sent over by the long range British
guns. The night was filled with red
incendiary flame. Shells that spurted
molten metal in surging streams Of
golden rain crashed in appalling num-
bers about the heads of the defending
soldiers. High explosive and shrapnel
fire was carried out with such rapdity
that the very earth writhed under the
force of the attack.
Mines that had taken two years to
dig and fiji with an overwhelming eX-
plOsive broke into an avalanche s. - &.
ing destruction in the half light of
dawn. This was indeed an Ypres day
of retaliation and victory for the
vicious sufferings of two years and
eight months.
Hill 90, of evil renown, always the
nearest menace to Ypres, went up with
other strong points under the impulse
of hundreds and hundreds of tons of
a secret explosive compound. The min
ing plans had been so great and so
carefully made that the British knew
that. even if they did not affect the
strategy of the situation, they would
at least materially change geography.
However, both strateeically and geo
graphically the assaults were VIC
torious.
Counter Attack Failed
There has been good fighting
throughout the day, although the ar
tillery success had made the infantry
assaults comparatively easy. Late to-
day the Germans were reported mass
ing in two thanking positions, apparent
" for a heavy counter attack. The
British. meantime, had brought their
guns far forward on the ridge and
were prepared.
1t was day of intense heat, and the
gunners worked stripped to the waist.
The attack went forward with clocklike
regularity.
The British casualties were slight.