The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-31
Advance Along Wide Front
North of River Lys.
Haig Reports First Objective
Taken All Along Line.
FOLLOWS WEEK SHELL FIRE
Indescribable Fury, Armentieres
to Belgian Coast.
Infantry Went Over at $3.50
A. M.-Many Prisoners.
Bulletin.

Bulletin.
British Front in France, July 81
(By the Associated Press -Three
lines of German trenches in Flanders
have been captured by the Brt1sf
forces. Most of the points stormed
were between BOeSinghe and Warne-
ton.
With the British Armies in the
Field, July 31.-Field Marshal Haig
sent the Crown Prince Rupprechts
German forces Keeling backward to-
day from the force of an unparalleled
blow struck north of the River I VS..
French troops. cooperating with
the British. crossed the Ypres-Lllle
canal and swarmed over the enemy's
first and second lines. Meanwhile
British Tommies struck savagely and
successfully, driving the foe back.
The British forces captured La
Basseville in the first dash.
All counter attacks were rel ulsed
here as we'll as elsewhere
This afternoon the victorious troops
were consolidating their new gains.
The entente allies have established
complete air, superiority.
The entente military officials say
the morale of the Germans here is not
up to the old standard.
Particularly brilliant work was ae-
Complished on the stretch of approx
mately ten miles between Dixmude
and Boesinghe, where two lines of
German trenches were taken after
fighting over tremendously difficult
ground.
Advices from the front indicate a
strong concentration of fresh German
troops and heavy artillery facing the
attacking forces, but the morale of
the Germans is reported not up to the
cid mark
Open Attack at $3.50 A. NJ.
London, July 31.-British troops in
conjunction with the French forces
on their left attacked the German
positions along az wide front north of
the River Lys at $3.50 o'clock this
morning.
The allied troops, according to
British official statement, have cap
tured their first detectives on the
whole front and are reported to be
points.
A considerable number of prisoners
already have been captured by the
French and British
New Drive Success.
The text of the British statement
announcing that an offensive hal been
launched by the British and French
against the German positions north of
the River Lys. in Flanders, says:
I'm conjunction with the French
troops operating on our left we at
tackled at $3.50 o'clock this morning
Lys.
The allied troops have captured
their first detectives on the whole
front attacked, and are reported to
be making satisfactory progress at all
points.
considerable numbers of prisoners
already have been captured"
Could Hear Cannons in London.
Concerning the big battle started
today on the Flanders front, Field
Marshal Haig's first sentence Ct the
daily report declared, succinctly:
Fighting has started in Flanders"
For a week now there has been an
artillery bombardment of almost in
escribable fury raging on the British
front. around Arnentieres to the Bel
gan coast. Front dispatches have de-
scribed 1t as the most superlatively
concentrated fire of the whole war
Some of the detonations of this drum
fire have been plainly heard In Lon
don on nights when the wind blew
from the east.
Press dispatches from William
Philip Simms at the British front last
week described the Germans as put
ng forth every conceivable effort in
their concentrated artillery fire.
On 80 Mile Front
The tremendous heavy gun bonn
bardment which has been in progress
almost continuously in this area for
a week which has been demolishing
the Teuton trenches preparation to
today's assault has been described by
the German general staff as the
greatest in the history of warfare,
even surprising the terrific fire main
tanned at the beginning of the Somme
and Arras offensive. Military OBJ
servers have attributed two detectives
for the entente offensive-the capture
of the Belgian North sea coast which
has been used by the Germans as
bases for their submarines and to as
sist the hard pressed Russians on the
Galician front
The battle front north of the river
Lys stretches from Warneton on the
Franco Belgian border to the North
sea coast, the distance between those
two points being about 80 miles. In
cluded in this battle area is the IA
nous Wytscha -Messines line from
where the British on June z, after
exploding 100000 pounds of high
explosives under the German lines at
tackled on a nine-mile front and cap
tured the high ridge, several towns,
Al heavy guns and more than 1000
prisoners.