The Washington herald., 1917-10-07

Under Heavy Fire.
This sector has been under an ex-
tremely heavy artillery fire since the
British push started Thursday. and it
seemed certain that the Germans
would not let the last word rest with
the series Of counter attacks they de-
Hyered or attempted to deliver, against
this front Thursday afternoon and
evening.
Today the British were holding
strongly to all positions gained Thurs
day.
Germans Fail to Fight.
Late details confirm earlier reports
that the Germans did not fight well
in most sections. In many places they
ian. The total number OF prisoners
who surrendered is great. On one sec
tor or the Anzac front alone they
amounted TO more than 1000. The
Australians captured seven officers. in
eIudiug a battalion commander. in one
shell hole, and the Anzacs also took
two ether battalion leaders AT
pofr- not far from thu. Ypres-Rcuiers
railway an Australian Officer single
handed, took thirty-one Germans from
a blockhouse.
The scacity of towns in the zone of
Thrrsdays offensive robbed the fight
ing OF those spectacular features at
te,Gant upon hand-tO-hand work
arsonS shattered buildings. Poelca-
pels. was the largest place tackled.
ard il is very small The British ar
iillery had bombarded 1t to pieces be-
fore the infantry arrived, and there
VA little close fghting
In the battle about Poelcapelle, how
ever, there was considerable sharp
work Six enemy battalions in the
front line here all were killed with
r-hc and machine gun fire or made
prisoner. Several small counter at
tacks were attempted by the Germans
in this zone. but they were mostly in
consequential affairs.
Hundreds of German Bodies.
"A trip along the battle front cast
and northeast of Ypres showed hun
dreds of bodies Of German soldiers
among the debris. At many places
shell craters were filled with dead.
Here and there were wounded. some
times under a pile of corpses. which
the British stretcher bearers had not
been able to reach.
Along one section OF the Australian
front Loo bodies were counted. A
little further south there was another
lot Of 100 Some of these had been
prisoners who were making their way
back within the British lines when
they were caught in their own barrage
and killed. One officer OF the Prussian
Guards, who was captured near Poly
Son Wood. said that British shelltire
did terrible havoc among his men.
4 British airplane with an Aus
tralian as its pilot had a remarkable
experience. The pilot and the OBJ
server kept at work despite the clouds
and the rain The Germans fired many
shells at the airplane. but 1t continued
in action. When the pilot was finally
forced to volplane down behind his
own lines, il was found that his ma
chine had been struck so often that
IL was of no further use. Neither the
pilot nor the observer was injured.
The verdun Sector. .
At Verdun the German throne heir
continued his heavy attacks, espe-
cialIy on the right bank of the
Meuse. The official Paris communique
admits that in one of the onslaughts
the Teutons gained a footing in the
French lines near Hill 3A, but adds
that they were promptly elected by
a counter-thrust.
Repeated attacks by the Austrians
on Monte San Gabrielle have been re-
pulsed by the Italians, according to
the Official communication issued
Friday. The Austrian naval base at
Cattsro has been bombed by an Ital-
ian aerial squadron. Hits were OBJ
served on torpedo boats and subma-
rines.