The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-04
VICTORY
CROWNS
BRITISH!
THRU GERMAN
Line ON FRONT
$1,000 YARDS
Penetrate to Depth of $500
Yards in Belgium Battle.
Carry Ahead Drive To Cut On
Submarine Bases.
DECIMATE $4,000 GERMANS
Three German Divisions Are
Caught in British Barrage.
Thousands Prisoners Already
Are Reported Captured.
MANY VILLAGES ARE TAKEN
StrOnghOlds Formerly Contest
ed. Now Far in the Rear.
Charge Preceded by Most In
tense Shell Fire of War.
Three German Divisions Are
Caught in British Barrage.
Thousands Prisoners Already
Are Reported Captured.
MANY VILLAGES ARE TAKEN
StrOnghOlds Formerly Contest
ed Now Far in the Rear.
Charge Preceded by Most In
tense Shell Fire of War.

London, oct. An their offensive
in the Ypres sector today the British
gained all their objectives on a front
of 16, 900 yards and to a depth of
1900 yards. Gen. Frederick B. Maur-
ice, chief director of military opera
tions at the war office, announced to-
day.
General Maurice's statement indi-
Gates todays drive is perhaps the
greatest of all the offensive blows yet
aimed at the German lines.
Sixteen thousand yards would mean
a battle front of more than nine miles.
A penetration of $500 yards would
mean more than mile gain into the
German-held territory by the British
forces.
Broolseinde is about half mile
beyond Zonnebeke, almost in the CEN
ter of the great Ypres sector. 1t lies
slightly below the Ypres- Roulers rail-
road, along which Haig has by his
last three offensive blows been steadily
advancing toward the main German
lines of communications on the Bel
gian coast.
Presumably, the nine mile front
runs almost along the line of where
Langemarck to the Confines canal
around Hollebeke.
Battle Lasted All Day.
With the British Armies in the
Field, oct. 4.-British forces have ad
vanced more than a mile deep into
the German lines in what looked to-
day to be one of the wars greatest
battles.
Prisoners already taken reach into
four figures.
Several villages have already been
taken.
The drive was still on this after
noon.
Haig struck his blow early this
morning, the climax to a whirlwind OF
artillery that for days has beat re
lentlessly, increasingly on the German
positions.
On Unprecedented Scale.
In all respects the blow impresse.
one as among the biggest, if not thc
biggest, of all the battles of the great
est of all wars.
Fighting is on an unprecedentet
scale magnitude of men, guns ant
territory.
At Zonnebeke front the enemy di
visions "a German division ordinarily
contains 1000 men) We're ordered L
attack and retake ground they lost il
the first staggering impact of tn,
British blow,
The Germans-the whole three di
visions-were caught in the British
barrage. The terrific fire lteralI,
churned the poor devils into a blood,
loblolly.
Advance All Along Front.
The British already have pene
trated well beyond the hamlet o
Broadseinde. in which lie the cross
roads formed by the highways be
tween Zonnebeke and MOorsled anC
Passchendaele and Beclaire.
Further to the south, Cameron Co
vert, where there had been mucl
hard fighting. was left well in tn,
rear TOday's battle was along strong
holds which comprised the crucial,
important system of German defense
along the Passchendaele-Ghe G GheluveI
ridge.
The northern wing of the onrushinj
British troops was battling forwar,
this morning within short distanc
of PoelcappeIe. 1t had a footing ol
the famous Gravenstafet ridge. whicl
iuts out from the Passchendaele ridg
to the west, and had crushed thru tn
Zonnebeke-B -Broadseinde ridge, whicl
is an integral part of the Passchen
daele-Gheluvelt chain.
Berlin Account Brief
Berlin, oct 4.-The official an
nouncement made at army headquar
ters today says that with the launch
ing of strong British attacks in tn
Ypres Bend, the battle of Flander
again has developed.
First Report of Battle.
London. Oct. 4.-Formation of
special ministry to return measur
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