Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-24
LEAD HURRICANE
DRIVES OFF ENEMY
Prussian Guard Is Unable to
Stand Before Fearful De-
fense of the French.
SHOCK UNITS HURLED BACK
From Their Position Above,
Birdmen Directed Gunfire
of the Artillerymen.

GRAND HEADQUARTERS OF
THE FRENCH ARMY IN FRANCE.
July 23.--The watchword OF the
French troops at Verdun-"they shall
not pass"-has applied equally to tnv
Champagne and the French today
showed the crown princes army that
the Chemin des Danes was closed
road to 1t. Sunday the Germans
made. in great force, their fortieth at
tempt since the French captured
Craonne May 4. to get possession of
the famous road. This effort, one OF
their biggest offensive movements
since Nerdun. failed.
Four o'clock was striking when n
terrific bombardment opened along
the front from just west of Cerny to
Berry-au-Bac with shells, great ana
small, and gas projectiles.
Prussian Guard There.
At o'clock the German infantry
started from their trenches. The
great concentration advanced between
Hurtebise and Cascmentes plateau ana
between Casementes and California
plateau, where II was evidently hoped
to rush Craonne. The correspondent
was posted where he could observe
the entire battle along the crest,
which stood out in the clear atmos-
phere. but rolling along it and over
1t We're dense clouds of black. brown,
grey and white smoke from ten
thousands of shells. II was known
that the Prussian guards and several
other divisions faced the French po
sitions and other fresh troops -ger-
hurrying across the Ailette valley
from the north. French guns did not
remain long mute, but answered shot
for shot and when German reinforce
~ ~ hA a
hurricane Of proicctiles directly on
them. causing heavy losses.
Rifle and machine gunfire began.
trench mortars hurled -torpedoes and
rifle grenadiers opened "A barriage fire
as soon as the Germans began to leave
their jump!ng-off parallels.
German shock units, as usual, led
the way, followed by waves OF ordi-
nary infantry who were to occupy and
organize any ground captured. In the
sector from Hurtebise TO Classmates
plateau the attacking forces soon
melted to a thin line under the with
ering fire of the French which met
them and those still able retreated
hurriedly to their own lines. which
meanwhile came under an inferno of
French shells that must have made
the German trenches untenable.
In the same period from Classmates
to California plateau other German
troops were suffering heavily under
similar conditions. But several times
here they gained small portions of the
French front altho nowhere did they
reach the crest itself.
Where their line bent momentarily
the French troops organized immedi-
ate counterattacks and reconquered
nearly pNpryf hing tom ri tnI L.
from them.
Enemy DisObcycd Orders.
A French captain who fell wounded
carly In the day and was captured
by the Germans was later reached by
his own men when the Germans were
forced back He affirmed that Ger
man soldiers among whom he lay de-
clared that several waves of German
troops when ordered to go over the
top refused to venture into the ter
rifle fire which swept away every
thing in the open.
Aviators were busy thruout the day
and sometimes the sky was almost
covered with the smoke from the
shrapnel bursting around them. II
was bad day for an infantry attack
because the clearness OF the air made
every movement. even In the narrow
communication trenches. visible to the
airmen and the observers In kite
balloons.
The gain OF n few hundred yards
of French line trench, which is all
that remains in German hands. ap-
pears small contemplation for the
fiercest fighting in the forty attacks
of the last ten weeks. during which
estimates place German
losses near the Chemin- dcs- danes
alone in six figures. When the cor
left the field late in the
evening the fighting still continued.