The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-01

the British were temporarily nclu HisS
by a heavy machine gun fire. but only
temporarily. for the troops charged
through the rain of lead and forced the
Germans from their positions. then
hand to hand fighting followed.
Bayonets Gain Ground.
Again at ii rcdoubt which was
strongly held In the German line and
defended by concrete Notifications. the
British were brought to a stand by
machine Eunfirc. But they charged
with bayonets and dislodged the Ger
mans.
Spectacular Attack.
One of the most striking andsSpe<s@
| tacular events of the days fight
occurred at the so-callcd Menin tult.
mel a great underground fortification
| constructed by the Germans on the
| Mcnn road opposite Hodge. The Brit
| ish preliminary bomhardment had
forced the Germans to hold the trench
| line thinly here and the British division
which was to attack ut dawn lay out
alf night in shell holes within % yards
of the German line waiting for the
signal to advance. When the time ar
rived tor the charge and the British
4
rage on the German second trench. l.
| was seen that the Germans were flee
ing.
CHARGE Through Own Barrage.
| The British. seeing their prey es-
| Gaping, charged directly through their
own barragc. fortunately without heavy
casualties. The Menin tunnel. which
was expected to-be occupied by sew
eral hundred Germans was found to he
held only by IL, the rest having re-
| treated
It was only at the second line that
the British met resistance. and here.
after sharp hand-to- hand fighting.
they forced the Germans again to
withdraw.
Many Prisoners Boys.
| No check has yet been made on the
number of German prisoners but they
are flowing in a steady stream back
Of the British lines Many are mere
boys.
Tanks Big Factor.
The tanks again played prominent
part In the opening or the battle and
reports from the British front say that
their work has been most satisfactory.
Large numbers of them were ernploye.
and In many cases pursued their de
structive and uncheckable way 70
distance far within the German lin
Further information obtained fro
German prisoners concerning the e'
fccts of the British prcliminary bolt
hardmcnt indicate that the cfEects
this unparalleled expenditure Of am
munition were disastrous In the ex
l t,n, 1.otl lea xlns - = A. n.
morale of tho German troops. Within
the past few days six Ravarian divi-
sions wero>withdrawn from the line
and replaced by fresh troops because
they were SO thoroughly dcmoralixesI
by the inferno Of fire which they had
undergone.
Ground complstsly Osvastated.
Photographs taken by aviators hack
lof the German lines show that there
was scarcely a square yard of terri
tory along their front which was mol
devastated by the high explosives. II
Is SMALL wonder. then. that the Ger
mans were holding their front line
thinly and were swept back when fl
nally the time arrived for tho allied
infantry to do It's work.
Preparing for Counter Attack.
Although the latest reports are MA
the Germans are launching a heRv.
counter attack against allied limos 4
the point where the British and Ffencl
forces meet. statements from the frQn
say that tho morale Of the allies
splendid while that Of the Germans
far below their normal.
a majority Of the captured pQel1l