The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-29
Captures Mile of Trenches Six
Miles Southeast of Lens.
Blow at Vital Point
of Germans Defense.
CITY OF LENS IS IN RUINS
Canadians Now Occupy Part OF
Coal Metropolis.
Germans Forced To Make New
Strategic Retreat.

London, June 29.-South and
southwest of Oppy today Field Mar
shall Haig struck a sudden ana ire
mendous blow at the German lines
capturing the enemy's forward posi-
tions over a front of 1000 yards and
gaining the whole objective sought
The victory was reported N the
field marshaTs official statement to-
day.
South and southwest of Oppy at
night and early this morning we at
tackled and captured the enemy's for
ward position along a front OF 2,OOo
yards" he asserted. our Whoie op-
jective was gained.
Keeps Enemy Guessing.
South of the Souchez river we con-
tinue to gain ground on a wide front.
We entered Avion, taking further
prisoners and six machine guns.
The sudden stroke at Cppy is an
other example of Haig's plan of keep
tacks in force. There has been very
little fighting around Oppy for weeks.
In the last few days seemingly the
British have concentrated all their
force for the encircling drive around
Lens The Germans probably like
wise have been hurriedly massing re-
serves to defend this coal city.
In this situation the British COM
mander-in-chief apparently picked
one of the vital points in the switch
line which connects Drocourt with the
so-called Siegfried section of the Hin
denburg line for smashing blow.
Joins With Lens Drive.
Oppy is one of the important lines
| in this switch line. 1t is one of the
foundation points for the whole Ger
man line and has been the scene OF
some tremendous fighting early in the
war. The Canadians strove to prog
ress beyond it. The city is about six
operations there may virtually be con-
| sidered a part of the general assault
now being made against the French
| coal metropolis.
Avion was reported by press dis
| patches of yesterday from the front
to have been taken by the Canadians
1t is a suburb of Lens, lying a little
below the Souchc- river. The "con'
tinued gains on a wide front in this
section, mentioned by Field Marshal
Haig, means fast progress for the
British grip around Lens
Fall of Lens at Hand.
| London, June 29.-"How much OF
a strategic retreat" the Germans will
announce after the fall of Lens was
| occupying military stategists today
| the fall of the city being accepted az
a foregone conclusion. 1t was conced
| ed there VIII PROBABLY be some
desperate fighting. prolonged over g
number of days before the Goa
metropolis succumbs to the British
attacks but reports today of further
bites into the Teutons' position!
west and south in the suburbs of the
city indicated steady progress
The belief here is that with Len
gone, Field Marshal Hindenburg will
stage another retreat to prepared pc
sitions' along a line running roughl,
from Zonnebeke us miles north o
Tille) down to in front of Tile; theme
to Carvin and connecting with the ia
nous Drocourt switch line" in from
of Douai, Cambria and st. Quentin
From the Drocourt line south tn
Germans would continue over practi
cally their present front.
Must Vacate $50 Square Miles.
The suggested German withdrawal
to the north, however, would, it wa
estimated, release more than Is
square miles of Belgian and Frencl
territory to the allies. The retrea
would probably be explained away t
the Germans on the excuse that 81
would straighten the German line.
1t should, without doubt, since tn