The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1917-08-24
|NFL|CT HEAVY LOSSES
upon THE GERMANS
TEUTONS SACRIFICE THOU
SANDS OF MEN.
Both Sides Had Prepared for
Offensive and Double At
tack Surprised Each.

Sluh, aug. Al.-NbS lue ASSoCIdt-
ed Press. )-The fierce battle which
began at dawn today on the outskirts
Of the city of Lens continued
throughout the day at close quarters
and late this evening there was no
diminution in the intensity of the
struggle between the attacking Ca
nadians and the Germans.
The Canadians this morning
fought their way forward with
bombs and bayonets and occupied
important enemy defenses north,
northwest and southwest of the
heart of the city, and since then the
Germans have been sending in wave
after wave of infantry in deperate
counter attacks.
The Canadians have held their
gains and the Germans have suffered
very heavy casualties, as they must
have expected from the nature of
their counter thrusts in which no
thought is given to the cost in life
Double Offensive.
The striking feature of the battle
lies in the fact that the Germans
also had massed troops for a counter
attack at dawn against the newly
acquired Canadian positions in the
northwest environs OF Lens and had
actually started their advance when
they were surprised by encountering
the onrushing Canadians in No Mans
Land. Both offensives had begun at
the same hour, but heavy mist ap-
parently made the Germans una
ware of the Canadians preparations
until the Canadians were upon them
with the bayonets.
Brief but bitter fighting occurred
in No Mans Land The German of
ficers tried to rally their men, but
the enemy infantry gradually fell
back to their trenches. The Cana
dians rushed forward and leaping
on the parapets, hurled masses OF
bombs down among great numbers
OF troops which had been collected
for the attack. The Germans tried
to flee through the communicable
trenches but the Canadians jumped
among them with bayonets and
bombs, killing many.
Considerable Advance.
The Canadians took up new posts
to a depth of several hundred yards.
which they are holding against bit
ter counter attacks.
On the southwest the Canadians
were equally successful after very
heavy fighting, in which the British
artillery was brought into play
The most strenuous fighting late
in the day was proceeding in the
center of the line west or Lens and
on a little front near the left of the
northwest positions. but the whole
line was a seething caldron.
Immediate Objects Achieved.
The Canadians have achieved their
immediate objects by drawing their
lines still closer about the heart of
the city and their goal unless the
German counter attacks succeed.
BY today's attack the Canadians
have gained possession of many rail
way embankments and coliery siding
which afford excellent positions for
either offensive or defensive opera.
tions.
The Canadians assault extended
northward uiuisssrarama h hassununp
northwest of the environs of the city
to positions in the southwest SUI
burbs and as the Germans were al
ready advancing to attack the new
Canadians defenses the fghtins
quickly assumed the character OF one
OF the most ,sanguinary conflicts
which the battle-scared theatre has
seen.
A circular line around which the
opposing forces now are fighting is
drawn close about the city proper.
where the Germans had fortified
themselves in concrete cellars and
dugouts.
No estimate of casualties or pris-
oners Is yet possible. but captured
Germans were beginning to arrive
back of both fronts at an early hour.