Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-08-02
ALLIES CAPTURE \.
3 LINES Of FOE'Si
TRENCHES IN WEST
British and French Make Joint
Attack on Germans.
TEN TOWNS ARE CAPTURED
More Than $500 Prisoners Taken in
Gigantic Assault on Twenty-Mile
Front-Teutons Suffer Heavy
Losses

London, Aug. 1.-British and French
troops attacked on a 20-mile front, fol-
lowing the most terrific artillery fire
ever reported, and captured the first
three lines of German trenches be-
tween the River Lys and Boesinghe
Ten villages and more than $500 pris-
Oners were taken. Losses on the allied
side were reported to be very light,
while the German losses were de-
scribed as extremely heavy. Late re-
ports said the Germans had begun
cOunter-attack at the point where the
French and British forces join.
British Front IN Frdnce and Belgi-
um, Aug. With a few exceptions
the entente allies accomplished all
they had planned for the first day Of
this battle in Flanders. Three lines Of
trenches have been captured. The
casualties of the French and British
were surprisingly light. The German
front line about the Ypres salient
which had been held unQuestioned by
the enemy since the early days of the
war offered little resistance to the
British advance, but beyond these
trenches the Germans made a firm
stand In an endeav0r to stem the on
slaught
Heavy Losses for Germans.
The Germans made a heavy counter
attack at La Bassee, recaptured by the
British in an attempt to regain the
position, but the British flung them off
and began consolidating the ground
won. Many srisoners already are find
ing their way back of the allied lines.
These men report that the unprece-,
'dented artillery preparations which
prefaced the entente allied attack
worked havoc In the German lines and
undoubtedly caused q heavy loss Of
life. The German front line trenches
were entirely smashed to pieces and
the wire entanglements before them
were torn away.
The French who attacked on the
difficult territory between Dixmude
and point near Boesinghe, forced
their way across the marsh and cap
tured the first two German lines. Six
Bavarian divisions were withdrawn
and replaced as they were demoralized
by the inferno of fire. At one point
the British charged through their own
barrage fire to prevent the escape Of
fleeing Germans.
Attack on Twenty-MlIe Front.
Most of the points captured are be-
tween BOesinghe and WarneOn.' The
British gains cover a 20-mile front OF
attack. The British and French troops
went into battle under cover Of what
perhaps was the greatest barrage fire
seen IN the war. The entente artillery
is moving forward and the whole situa-
felon IS satisfactory In every particular
Between Dixmude and Boesinghe
the attackers reported they had So
cured the two first lines Of trenches
after having fought over the most diff
'cult terrain imaginable.
The British again have captured the
town of La Bassee, which they recent
ily relinQuished to the Germans.
The British and French forces are
facing large concentration of Ger
Yman artillery and fresh troops which
Ihave been rushed up.
The entente allies have established
complete air superiority.
Entente military officials say the
morale of the Germans here is not up
TO the old standard.
The offensive launched early by Gen.
Sir Douglas Haig, the British COM
mander, In conjunction with General
Petain, the commander of the French
forces, against the German lines on
the Belgian front, is the elimination
of the tremendous heavy gun lombard
ment which has been in progress al
most continuously in this area for a
week.
The battle front north Of the river
Iys stretches from Warneton on to
Franco-Belgian border TO the North
sea coast, the distance between those
two points being about thirty miles.
Included in this battle area is the
famous Observation-Disclosures front,
where the British on June 7, after ex-
ploding 100000 pounds of high ex-
pIOSives under the German lines, at
tackled on a nine-mile front and cap
tured the high ridge, several towns, At
heavy guns and more than 1000 pris-
oners.
French Gain on Alsne Front.
Paris, Aug. 1.-French forces made
a successful attack against the Ger
man positions along 1,50O-yard froat
at La Royere and west Of Epine. de
Chevregny on the Aisne front, says the
French official statement issued this
afternoon. A German counter-attack
was crushed.
Berlin Tells OF Battle.
Berlin, Aug. 1.-Strong attacks by
the entente allies have commenced
along a wide front from the User to
the Lys, In Flanders, says the official
statement issued by the German gen.
eral staff. The infantry battle In
Flanders, the statement adds, has thus
opened.
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