The sun., 1917-08-02
1t Is Believed Battle in
Flanders Will Last
Several Weeks.
5000 PRISONERS SO FAR
Additional Ground in Ypres
Sector Is Won, but st.
Julien Is Lost.
RAIN HALTS OPERATIONS
Enemy Counter Attacks at
Several Points With Little
Success.
RAIN HALTS OPERATIONS


LONDON, Aug. 1.-Great satisfaction
is expressed here over the results of the
beginning OF the new British offensive
in Flanders. The correspondent of THE
Sun was assured this evening by a high
British military authority that the Eng
lish and French positions at the end Of
the first twenty-four hours of fighting
are far better than had been expected
and that the Entente's losses are only a
fraction of the number that had been
calculated before the attack, while rough
estimates of the German casualties were
highly gratifying. The toll OF prisoners.
according to late reports tonight. had
risen to more than 5000. and they are
still being brought in.
Even more gratifying are reports COM
ing from Holland which declare that the
Germans are moving their headquarters
further east, which bears out earlier
stories that the Kaiser's GeneralA feared
their lines might be broken and tho
forces IN Belgium isolated.
That the battle of Flanders will last
several weeks at least is well understood
7
material on a scale hitherto unknown.
TT is generally conceded" sayb the au-
thor!ty referred to. that on the result
of this offensive will depend the question
whether II is feasible or not to drive the
Germans by force of arms from the oc-
cupied territory and also the wider ques-
ton of the value of a frontal offensive
! as a general strategic principle"
Gains in Ypres Sector.
Perhaps the most encouraging feature
| of the new offensive is that the British
and French both attained all their objec-
I tives and held them despite unutterable
weather conditions. Both Of the allied
| armies made some additional gains to-
| day in the Ypres sector.
| Torrential rains and heavy mists in
tho early part OF the day made opera
! tions on a large scale impossible. The
multitude OF shell craters along the front,
which became filled with water, made
almost continuous lake. British air
men started out in force, but they could
not see the ground. nor could they see
each other in the air, and they had to
return.
! When the weather cleared n bit in the
afternoon, however, the Germans lost
no time is beginning heavy counter at
,acks. particularly Mt the highly impor-
close to Warneton, on the Belgian from
tier, and at points near the Hpres-Co-
| mines Canal and further north on the
railway from Hpres to Roulers.
In the fighting near Warneton the
Germans succeeded in taking some OF
The sections won by the British yester-
day, but were unable to hold the ground
against a strong British counter attack
which was undertaken at once.
ST. Julien Village Lost.
Near Ypres the village OF St Julien,
taken yesterday by the British, was at
tackled by n powerful German force and
after the most stubborn fighting re-
mained in German hands The village
Of Westhoeb was another point OF Ger
man attack at nightfall the British were
still holding the western outskirts Of the
place.
The German success I'm these attacks
was due to the low visibility owing to
the rain. During large part OF the day
the visibility was less than 1000 yards.
The prospect is that tomorrow will be
clear and further operations OF impor-
tanCc may be looked for Had the
weather. been clear to-day the Germans
would never have had the opportunity To
mass for counter attacks. The allied
alrmen, including a number Of American
aViAtors continue to hold the supremacy
overhead. Their work will improve as
the battle progresses.
j To-days statement from Paris shows
decided French success and indicates
that the French are taking the offensive.