The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-04-15
Scene OF VICTORY
HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS GAVE
IMPETUS 70 GERMAN re
TlREMENT.
Perfection Of Artillery Fire Following
Long Practice is Producing Amaz-
ing 9esuts-lnfantry Being Protect
ed at Every Step by Big Guns.

From Staff Correspondent of The
Associated Press with the British Arm
les in France, Via London, April IA
Heacy high explosive shells were pour
ing into Lens late today, and undoubt-
edly were giving impetus to the Ger
man plans to fall back from that cen
tral mining city, which has been in
the hands Of the Germans since the
autumn of 1914, together with the min
eral wealth represented in the sur
rounding districts Fires in Lens seen
for the first time yesterday after
noon, were smOuldering today. There
apparently was no general conflagra-
! ton Time and time again, explosions
could be seen within the city
Lens stretches over several miles,
however, and in far distant parts Of
/ the city smoke could be observed
pouring from all the chimneys, as if
the industrial activities of the Ger
mans in the French factories were
progressing as usual British patrols
were this afternon pressing toward
! the city from all directions.
Locking From Vimy Ridge.
From the northern slopes Of Nimy
Ridge, recently captured from the
| Germans, II was possible through the
brilliantly clear atmosphere to see the
spires and chimneys Of Dou1i, still a
German stronghold Nearer Lens
seemed to lie almost at The very foot
of the ridge with its suburb Levin,
sprawIing well into the new British
lines Lens presents a striking con.
trast TO the usual gray-white towns Of
northern France II appears in the
distance as one great splotch Of red -
red walls, red roofs red chimneys
out Of which loom the gray walls and
gray towers OF the cathedral
Mine towers dot the surrounding
country almost as thickly as oil der
ricks in the Petroleum districts Of
America Great Stag heaps rise here
and there like so many Egyptian pyra-
mids In and around these red build
ings and Stag heaps shells exploded
throughout the afternoon throwing
dense clouds of brick dust which
caught up by the April storm wind
spread a pinkish yellow pail over the
lower sections OF the city.
Bombardment.
Above Lens occasional shrapnel
shells broke. With the usual British
white puff balls were mingled densely
black puffs, the latter being the Ger
man SO shrapnel recently captured
and turned against the Germans. Sew
eral times previous during the wal
German light field pieces have beer
turned against them, but this was the
first time the heavier calibres were
! lOosed
Some of the points surrounding
Lens, already occupied by the British
were thorns In the side OF these sam,
soldiers during the famous battles o
the Loos salient. 1t was impossibl,
then to blow the Germans out of theil
strong positions, but now this i
changed The difference between tn,
bombardment with which the offensiy,
began last Monday and that will
which the British inaugurated the bat
ties of the Somme last July, was S,
great that it is difficult to realize the!
I came from the same army.
5 At the time set for the Somme BON
J bardment to begin, some Of the British
artillery officers were seeing larg
B. shells fired from their guns for tn
| first time. When the battle OF ARA
; began, the British officers and gul
4 crews handled the weapons like yeteI
j ans Behind them lay six or sevei
months Of constant training not onl
in the schools but actually in the tel
with the German positions as practic
I targets
/. Perfection OF Artillery.