Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-22

great stiffness reigned over the battle
front and IL seemed impossible that
within n short time the line would be
n seething caldron At $40 o'clock
a long line OF tanks, distributed over
n wide front, started forward at the
same time the British infantry on
either side of the land monitors made
threats at the German line. Within
n few seconds the entire enemy front
for a distance of many miles was
flaming with variegated signals which
called frantlcally for help from the
German gunners In the rear. Red,
green. white, and blue lights shot up
In every direction and the rockets
showered a myriad OF stars down thru
the gloom. like a mammoth display
OF fireworks.
Germans Dismaycd.
The dismay Of the Germans was
blaZed across the sky as clearly in
this unforgettable whirlwind of pyro-
technics as tho their higher command
mad announced 1t officially. Their
guns came into action, first one then
half dozen, then scores, but their
fire was weak They were not pre-
pared for such an eventuality or
would have shown 1t in their artillery
work.
The British drive covers a part Of
the field OF last years offensive on
the Somme and the section of the
Arras battle front south OF Arras. The
British center in this thrust is nearly
opposite Cambria. the important Ger
man base and railway center, from
which the British line on the Ba-
paume- Cambria road was about nine
miles distant as II had stood for sew
eral months past. The main force of
the push just launched is apparently
aimed at Cambria. along this road.
Supposed to BE Imprcgnable.
What is known as the Hindenburg
line was established by the German
command last spring when the IA
nous strategic retreat" on the
Somme front was carried out. 1t was
a supposedly impregnable barrier.
which had been in careful prepara-
tion. The British and French, how
ever. showed in the Arras battle last
spring and in the French drive on the
Aisne front that the line was by no
means a bar to their progress, and
serious inroads were made upon 1t In
various attacks on both these fronts.
No definite break, however suffi-
cient to permit the penetration of
large force, which could debouch for
large field operations, had ever been
effected.
The British movement in its phases
gives the appearance of being the
most ambitious that has been under
taken by them on the western front
since the creation of their new armies
gave them the power to strike effect
i've blows. The attack came almost
without warning, the only Fremont
tory symptoms being a series of some-
what elaborate trench raids.
Even the rather extensive opera
tions in this sector reported last night
by the British war office gave hardly
hint that push In any such force
or over such a wide extent of front
was In prospect.
There has been little speculation
over the possibility of British attack
In force on the western front this fall
in any area other than that of Flan-
ders. 1t has been apparent, however
that German attention was largely
centered on the Italian front Admit
tedly numbers of German troops had
been sent to the Italian front, but the
assumption has been that these had
been largely drawn from the Russian
front.