Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-12
HAIG'S FORCES ONCE
MORE PROGRESS IN
BULLEcOURT DRIVE
English Ar1nored Motor cars
and Gas Attacks Worry
Germans.
FRENCH ARE BUSY
WITH ARTILLERY
German Expert says Tanks
Are One of Wars Most
Amazing Weapons.
(By Associated Press.)

Telling blows were struck by tne
British at the Hindenburg line last
night and early today.
Near Bullecourt, where the main
Hindenburg line has been pierced, a
further successful thrust was made oy
General Haigs troops. This was
dsspite ee the, the desperate @ Efforts which j.
have been made during the past few
days to compel the British to relax
vital spot.
Further north, beyond the scarpe
and along the Arras-Cambrai road,
ground also was gained. The purpose
Of the attack was completely attained,
the London Official statement declares
The German concentration OF men
and guns here has evidently not been
pressing ahead, when he was ready
toward the Drocourt- Queant switch
in the Hindenburg line, protecting
Douai one Of the chief nerve centers
of the German front in northern
France.
Several hundred prisoners were
taken by the British in the operations,
which the ofncial report characterizes
as Every successful"
On the Aisne and Champagne
fronts. the French are keeping up
destructive artillery fire and marrying
the Germans by outpost attacks. Less
energy is being displayed by the Ger
man artillery along the line held by
the French. the only exception being
gun aghting in the neighborhood OF
Avocourt wood is reported.
Nothing spectacular has occurred IN
connection with the British campaign
In Mesopotamia since early this
month, but an official statement issued
in London today reports an import
ant clearing operation by the British
The Turks have now been driven out
Of virtually all the lowlands north OF
Bagdad, falling back to the Jebel
Hamrin range, 50 to 80 miles from
that city. s,5 =, ,slt.c,r.t,--
"Tanks' Amase Germans.
| Copenhagen, via London), May II.
British armored motor cars and gas
grenades evidently are giving consid-
erable trouble and causes for worry
to the Germans on the western battle
front, Notwithstanding tho sighting
references to them in the official re-
ports. Lieutenant General Won Ar
denne, the new military expert Of the
Berlin Tageblatt. attributes the sue
cess Of the British In their opening
drive at Arras on April 9 largely to
gas Shells which layed such q curtain
Of gas before the German artillery
that the gunners were hampered sore
ly in their work. He claims. on the
other hand, that the French suffered
equally from the German artillery gas
defense along the Aisne week later.
Baron Won Ardene says the British
tanks is probably the most amazing
weapon which modern land warfare
has produced. He admits they have
caused the Germans heavy losses,
particularly by their Ranking fire
though they are by no means invul-
nerable to the German artillery.
The baron asserts that the line Of
villages along which the Anglo-Ger-
man struggle is now raging lies In ad-
vance OF the main Hindenburg line.
and that consequently the eventual
loss of these villages. including Bull
lecourt could not be deemed deci
sive event. This admission indicates
that the Germans are recokning on
the loss Of Avion, Oppy. Roeux and
other towns.
AS to the French battle front,
Baron Won Ardenne says that the
struggles along the Chemin-des-
Danes in other wars would he called
battles, on account of the number Of
men engaged, but i'll the present in
stance. they are merely skirmishes
preliminary to a gigantic engagement
which is really coming.