Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-04-20
BRITISH FORCES
ENTER LENS
Big French Guns Are Smelling
81. Quentin,
BELGIANS ARE IN DiXNUDE
General Haig's Men Deliver Another
Smashing Glow at Teuton Lines and
Push Ahead.

Push Ahead.
The British and French on the
line in northern France and the
Belgians under tirs direction OF
King Albert, continue to push ahead
and are inlicting severe losses on the
Germans as Tie latter retreat, yard Dy
yard, from the positions on the front
from north OF Lens to southeast OF ST.
Quentin and in the region Of La Fere.
British patrols entered Lens, accord
ing to a despatch received from the
correspondent at Lloyd's news with
the British army in France.
Fifteen hundred German dead were
left in front Of the British positions
after the unsuccessful attack delivered
by strong German forces along a six
mile front, On the Bapaum5-Cambral
road, according to the official report
from Field Marshal lIaig.
The British gained further ground
in their advance upon st. Quentin.
The French also continue their smash
ing blows directed a. st. Quentin, and
the big guns are dropping an unceas-
ing shower Of high explosive shells
on that fortified position and the r.
gion roundabout.
This information was contained Ill
an official 1t ttoment which also renor,'
ed that on the FLINDERS end Of the
farhung bate line the Belgian troops
penetrated DiXEGnde as far as the
second German lines, which tAey found
rnCccupicd. This advance. the Sttte,
ment adds, followed a heavy artillery
duel.
The I.lcy."s correspondent in de.
scribing the condition about Lens.
says:
Though tie enemy is sill in his
machine gun rcdoubts in some places
these are only rear guards. for the
main body h9s retreat"d.
lens and LEVIN had been stacked
with guns and it was certain that at
least $50 were in the network Of mines
and pi,heads
"From the prisoners we know that
wild scenes took place in Lens, fran
tic efforts being made to get away
runs and stores and defend the line
CT retreat b. blowing up roads.
ORDERS were given TO destroy the
mines by firing charges into the pits
and by 1oOdng the mine galleries."
Ofrial reports from both the French
and British headquarters at the battle
prcHt point out the increasing resist
anca Of the Germans and the heavy
losses being inflicted on them in the
hand-to-hand encounters and by the
big guns.
French runs are c0nt:nning to pcu1
n heavy fire on the German lines in
tho vicinity CT s.. O"eI'in. Recon
naiesanreS have rcvo2'o that the Ger
mans are strong in force in this re
cion. says tho Official statement, which
also rnDorts continuation Of the VIC
lent artillery duels in the Champagne
and the breaking NJ Of two German
attempts upon the French lines in the
vicinity Of Cauricros wood and Cham
hrattes. north o. For1un.
Within the last three days more
than twenty German airplanes have
been brought down by French airmen
or by defensive gunfre, and numer'
Gus raids have been made BY French
air sCuadrons.
British troops have captured the
German Gefenses east of LEVIN, from
Riaumont wood to the eastern corner
Of Cite St. Pierre, AMI are pushing on
in the direction Of Lens, says the
British official statement.
\ heavy attack Ivy the Germans on n
six-miIe fronnr or b-th sides of the
Papaume-C Cambria roal was q failure
The Germans gained a fOcthOld at
only one point, at Lagnicourt, AMI
were driven cut there with, heavy
losses by a counter attack.