Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-06-12
CRAP H|C TALE
Of MESS|NES
BY WITNESS
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

=.
Associated Press) Comparative
quiet reigned today along the front
of the latest British attack, which
wrested the Messines ridge from the
Germans Thursday. The noise of the
guns was quite appalling, out other
wise the day was one of almost COM
plete inaction. Tonight is also quiet
and the British have thoroughly con-
solldated their gains and are able to
defend them against any counter at
tack the temporarily bewildered Ger
mans may commence.
Prisoners kept coming in today in
Increasing hundreds. Dazed by nearly
u week of most terrifying gun fire,
and half famished as result of the
starvation barrage' the British had
kept on their lines of communication
and supply, these men upon reaching
the cool, grassy spots within the Brit
ish barbed wire StockadeS prepared
for their anticipated arrival stripped
themselves to the waist, tore off their
heavy trench boots and flung them
selves to the ground, where they seen
We're lost in the heavy sleep of COM
plete exhaustion. For them the war is
over, and their relief at being cut of
it was only too apparent.
The men who had seen most of
their military service on the Russian
front were the most demoraliZed Of
ALL
I'VE had heard much of the condi
lions on the western front" said one
of the captured German officers to
the Associated Press, but we always
thought there was much eXaggeration
about them. We had no realization
what war was
When we came from Russia few
weeks ago, we We're told We We're go
ing against the British, but that we
need not worry, as the English were
not in a position to accomplish any
thing. serious against us in view of
their Offensive at Arras. The artillery
fire we experienced when we first
came to the Messines ridge was more
terrible than anything we had seen or
heard on the eastern front.
Then, a week ago the English
started their intensive bombardment.
1t was terrible to endure. Few of us
ever thought we would get out of it
alive. There was a distinct sense of
relief when the mine was exploded
yesterday morning. We knew then that
an attack was under way and that We
soon should be dead or in position
to surrender Most of us can frankly
say that we preferred the latter
This experience OF ours should end
the war. We have no possible chance
to win Two days ago my division
was made up of three splendid Ger
man regiments. We saw these men
Shrivel up in a hurricane of fire with
which we could not possibly compete.
Now my division exists no more"
This officer had no complaints to
make against the German higher COM
mand and no apparent desire to win
favor with his British captors. He
el,a . l,n 1C.,1 hA hDA
undergone that he was glad to find
at least momentary relief. The expert
ence of his division apparently is
evidence that Germany is not finding
a solution here of her military diff
culties IN the transferring of her old
eastern units to the western front.
The battle of the Messines ridge
will ever stand out as wonderful
trimph for the British artillery. The
deepest significance in the striking
victory lies in the fact that the Ger
mans seemed to know the attack was
coming and had endeavored in every
possible way to defend themselves
against it. But as fast as they brought
up new batteries. the British guns
were upon them British airplanes all,
ways were over the German lines,
watching every move, demonstrating
very plainly with whom rests su-
premacy in the air on this front.
All the prisoners say they had been
warned within the last few days that
the English might attempt an offens
| i've and that the main attack might
come in the Messines sector, with the
hope of nipping off the Wytschaete
sector-all of which, it may be stated
has been accomplished. British raids
just prior to the attack showed that
cover from the British bombardments
as they had every reason to do.
Prisoners say they were ordered IL
| hold the front line at all costs, al
though their commanders/Verbally ad-
mitted that this line would be taken
! by the first assaulting waves. 1t was
! hoped, however, Immediately to eject
| the British with the much talked of
German storming troops and ''stoss-
| truppen'' which had been especially
| formed to knock" the British out Of
any trench element they might enter.
! German troops who but recently
| came into the line said they had seen
many guns moving toward the front.
This worried them considerably, for
| ordinarily German gun transfers are
| made at night and in such Il con-
cealed manner that even the German
| infantry seldom sees them. The Ger
| man prisoners admit That tney were
completely bewildered by the British
| tactics So many practiced barrages
and feint commandments had been di-
rected against them that they had no
| idea when to expect an actual at
tack Their first line and communi-
| cation trenches alike had been ter
| ribly knocked about.
! The British had to level many bits
Of wood and then they sprayed these
woods with drums of boiling, blazing
oil, which burned them away and
made attacking across what would be
considered impregnable natural de-
| lenses quite an easy matter. The com
munication trenches were so badly
damaged that it was impossible for
the Germans to make their way along
them in daylight except on all fours.
Ration parties attempting at night to
come up over the open were badly cut
up by the constant British fire.
| The starvation barrage had been SO
effective that the only Germans who
| the attack We're those who were pro-
vided with what are called iron ra-
tiens-concentrated foods in tins.
| A tremendous amount of concrete
| work was found by the British in
their sweep over the captured posi-
| tions 1t included machine gun en-
placements and big dugouts, some of
which were capable of holding entire
companies The dugouts were crashed
| ~, I, nj