New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-14
Unofficial Report Tells of
Terrific Bombardment
in Belgium
Rheims Again Shelled
c.,nan Storming Units Fail
- Retake Lines on Chemin-
des-Dames

LONDON. Aug. l3.-Events Of i'm
...rce on the West front seem 70 be
.,,,oaehing both in Flanders and IN
-. region north Of the Aisne River
.., .bs reticence OF the Official bulle-
..-. to-day is pronounced. General
LIS statement merely says that
-. is nothing Of special Importance
-.,or. but q frontier correspondent
: the Amsterdam Telegram" wires
.s.4 atsrrifco artillery fighting began
-,s,s-5av evening in Belgium, between
-,-ss and the Channel, and throughout
.1.5ay showed no signs Of diminishing.
The British War Office tonight says
ne hostile guns were buster near Nleu-
ar. and south Of the Scarpe.
Tho bor1bardment along the Chemin-
s...psmes. in the Champagne and on
- hanks Of the Meuse River above
v.rsun also reached pitch Of unusual
;-.spsity to-day. The battered city OF
phs;7s came in for more shelling from
,,s German batteries to the north
which dropped $50 projectiles on the
own most Of them incendiary, killing
s,ur civilians and wounding two.
Both last night and this morning
..orming units Of the Crown Princes
arnv tried to wrest from the French
the trenches south of Allies, on the
Chsmin-des Danes, which Petain S
Anime troops reconquered Saturday.
The enemy assaults broke down under
the accurate French barrage and the
5.fsnders were able TO extend their
gains considerably on the east.
The German day communique mere
~ declares the Flanders cannonsde
reached considerable Intensity and
the complementary bulletin tonight
ssvs: "In Flanders and near Nerdun
tbsre we're lively artillery duels.' But
tbsre is reason 70 believe that the
sytrsordinarv bombardment reported
rDoHciaUv from the Flanders front
and officially from Paris originated on
ths German side of the tghtlng zone
and foretells heavy reactions by the
enemy. and probably attempts 70 re-
duce the salient which General Halg
has driven out from Ypres between
PHksn and Hollebeke. Enemy as
ssslts in the Belgian sand dunes are
also expected.
Correspondents on the Artois front
declare that there was considerable &C
,ivity in the Lens area last night, the
Ce-man gunners exhibiting every sign
of nervousness and throwing heavy
curtain OF FIRE on the back approaches
70 he city nea- Vimy and TO the norm
and northwest. They evidently expect
Canadian infantry attacks az ~almos'
srv time from the strong positions m
The western suburbs Of the coal city
which the British forces now hold.
Activity in the air was greater tnan
usual Yesterday, and many combats IN
the sky took place. with the German
a,srs particularly aggressive. Members
~ the ROYAL Flying Corps brought
down nine German planes and drove
down eight others out Of control Seven
Of the British machines are missing.
French fisrs demolished two German
machines and q captive balloon and
badly damaged three others. Berlin
reports that fourteen Allied planes
we're shot down con the Continent
The French repulsed enemy surprise
attacks in the Caurieres Wood. near
lertun. and az Bezanzaux. and Berlin
declares that strong French assaults
On the western end OF the Chemin-des-
Danes came 20 nothing.