The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-06
CANADIANS VICTORIOUS.
Carried Their Lines Still Further About
City of Lens.

British headquarters IN France ane
Belgium, Aug. (By the Associated
Press) The Germans at o'clock Sun
day morning launched heavy attack
against Hollebeke and the British post
just north Of the Ypres Combines canal
in an attempt to regain these important
positions which they lost in the opening
day of the battle in Flanders. The lat
est reports concerning the fighting indi-
cate that the British are holding out
strongly against the onslaught.
This attack with the advance of the
Canadians along a thousand yard front
before Lens which took them into the
environs of the town, are the outstand-
ing features of the most recent activity
along the British front
In the operations at Lens Saturday
night the Canadians pushed forward to
a depth of about 200 yards on line be-
tween Lens Grenay railway and the Cite
Du Moulin, directly south, and since have
consolidated their positions. among the
buildings
The deluge of rain which had lasted
since Tuesday evening ceased during the
night, by noon the sun was shining and
the roads and marshy battle-ground be-
gan to dry out rapidly, rendering obser-
walton work and the movement of troops
much easier
The attack on Hollebek and vicinity
was preceded by tremendous artillery
fire from the enemy batteries. The Ger
mans shelled Battlewood and the canal
zone just north of Hollebeke throughout
the night. The British guns replied Wig
orously and at times the duel assumed
intensity of drum fire 1t shook the
country for miles about and sent great
waves of deafening thunder rolling far
back of the British lines.
The British coup which resulted in the |
further tightening of the lines about the
mining center and industrial town of |
Lens was carried out with only slight |
opposition from the enemy. The Cana
dians advanced in parties toward their
objectives among the houses on the out
skirts of the town. Some resistance was
encountered from machine guns con
cealed in buildings, but the Canadians
advanced steadily until they had ac-
quired the entire line sought. Here they
installed themselves in buildings and eel
lars and set up machine guns. No coun-
ter-attacks followed and the Canadians
continued their consultations until YES
terday morning, when they had linked
up the whole line with barbed wire and
were prepared to meet any enemy ad-
vance.
The German artillery was active along ,
most of the front Saturday night she'll ,
ing the forward areas newly occupied bv
the allied troops. There was also con.
shelling of the back areas with ,
gas shells, Wytschaete and the section ,
south of Messines especially being select
ed for this work Of hate. N
The British continued to make prog. !
ress on the left flank and pushed their
posts forward to the east side of the
Steenbeek river along a front of approx.
msteiy mile. The ground in this sec
tion has been among the most hotly con-
tested places in the zone Of the new Of
fensive.
North Of Bixchoote the French too
made further progress under heavy fire
from the enemy guns. which have been I
pounding the French positions steadily :,
since the first day Of the push. In
The lifting Of the clouds brought out /,
srge numbers of German airpIsnes Il
which were very active Saturday night A
q low attitudes over the British lines. n
Special religious services on the ocra. n
iicn Of the beginning Of the fourth year b