Arizona republican., 1917-08-19
Germans Attack DesperateIv

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM. Aug. 1S.-Py the Associated Pr"ss)--Late reports re- garding the German counter attack this morning against the Canadian positions northwest of Lens show it was a desperate attempt to regain territory lost by the invaders in the great British assault of Wednesday, German prisoners say word had been passed to them that they must retake Hill 70 at any cost and the fferceness of the German counter attacks since this hill was wrested from them and British positions established in front of it, indicate that this statement is true.
 The Germans yesterday afternoon launched infantry attacks against this northwest section of the Canadian de- fense accompanied by flaming ma chimes and hurricane cf ga sho1'- They were hurled back with cold steel after suffering heavy losses. They again advanced during the evening aSalnst the suburb of St. Emile and at Hugo Wood to the northwest and second time were forced to fall back. rms morning at 30 a heavy action began along the entire north of Lens. the Germans supporting their infantry With concentrated artillery fire. In the fierce hand to hand fighting that ensued the Germans repeatedly hurled themselves against the Canadians but the defenders held like a stone wall and the attackers finally fell back, ex- hausted and their number greatly re- duced. Many bodies lying in front of Canadian trenches indicated how severe had been the German losses.
 The Canadians had been engaged in many sanguinary fights before this. but no battle that has ragged about Lens since the capture of Hill 70 is the most bitter these troops ever experienced Moreover. never had they used the bay onet so much as in this present en- counter. Much of the fighting has beer of a hand to hand nature, in a mass of concreted cellars and deep dugouts rom which the Germans poured streams of machine gun bullets
 Lens and the numerous colliery sub- urbs about it virtually form a. city of cement. Nearly all the buildings nave been destroyed by the Germans and the ruins turned into fortified ma chine gun emplacements. Dugouts were found on Hill 70 extending to depth of twenty-five feet and similar honeycombed underground structures were found in the suburbs through which the Canadians had to battle their way to their present positions.
 The Germans, according to prisoners statements, were dismayed at the loss of Hill 70, which dominates the city of Lens and the territory to the north. The cost of life apparently meant nothing to them in their attempts to regain this important eminence This was evident on the first day of the hattie when an entire division of Prus- sian guards was sent against the Can adians in successive waves until vir- tually the entire division lay dead in front of the defenders machine guns,
 Time and time again they duplicated that ill-fated attack by the guards, but in all their attempts they did not gain foot of ground and have lost still further positions to the Canadians. The German artillery fire in the Lens sector has been incessant since they were pushed back and every available enemy gun is apparently being brought to bear on the British defenses.