Arizona republican., 1917-08-18
Curtain of Descending Steel
 Protected AdvaMclMg Allies
 M Fighting om Lems Salient
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Aug. 17-German troops last night made a determined attempt to recover a small section of ground taken by the Canadians yesterday af- ternoon northeast of Lens, but three successive counter attacks were driven off with heavy losses to the enemy.
 The first counter attack on the Ca nadian center, made in the early eve ming, was an absolute failure About g o'clock the Germans again Surged forward and succeeded in pushing back a few advanced posts, but the Canadians subsequently, moved forward and reoccupled the positions. Again the Germans came back, but they were repulsed and appeared to be satisfied to let matters remain as they were for the time being.
 On the north of the salient the Ger mans put down a heavy barrage last night and gave indications of a coun- ter attack, but the British artillery re- piled with such a quick and effective barrage that no infantry action fo.- lowed.
 The same thing happened east ant southeast of Monchy early this morn ing.
 The West Hook and Frezenberg ridge sections, which had seen sucl hard fighting, were heavily shelled by the Germans throughout the night The British and French were proceed ing satisfactorily with the consolida ton of their new positions all along the front.
 Evidence continues to multiply iron both the prisoners and British off cers Of the wonderful efficacy of tho British barrage fire yesterday morn ing on the north end of the British line, where the advance was so sue cessful.
 | The correspondent visited the cas- ualty clearing station for the Lange. marck region and talked with a Brit ish artillery observation officer whC was wounded in the fighting neal Langemarck He said:
 "I have seen much modern artil CT! work, but, frankly, 1 never dreamed there could be such perfection achieved in a barrage fire as We accomplished 1 Thursday morning. l was stationed il an advance post where l could set what our gunners could not see.
 At the jumping off hour, which wa! 4:45 o'clock, the British batteries drop Dtu d DGItdSe III lIOiIl Ol OuI lllldHli. for the advance. It was as thougl solid curtain of steel had been drop ped before our men. It moved for ward with the mechanical precision O clock work. All our guns broke ou
 with such hurricane of fire that was stunned with the effect. | T tried to say something to a com
 panion standing beside me, but coult not make him hear my loudest shouts so deafening was the thunder iron the breaking shells. The barrag' moved forward with such accurac, that our infantry was able to keel quite close to it without danger, fo 1 there was no wavering of the barrag, line. Straight on over Langemarcl : and the surrounding region passed tn
 barrage, with the infantry trailing. l was not more than thirty minutes iron , the start before we were in the towl 1 itse f. It was then our gun fire finall. rested on German positions far to tn rear, and there they continued to ham
 mer away while the fighting went ol about Langemarck.
 ] The Germans undoubtedly were eX
 pecting our attack, for their counte |. barrage was dropped back of ou
 lines almost as soon as our advanc
 began.
 The German counter battery worl
 was nil. but on the other hand ou , batteries were doing excellent execu i tion against the enemy guns, whicl was indicated by the diminution 0 1 their firing as the battle progressed : As early as o'clock 1 saw one bi German gun being hastily remove /, from the height north Of Langemarcl
 and rushed to position further bacl
 l know ether guns were pulled bac to emplacements in the rear.
 | "No worse ground for an advanc could have been encountered. Tn Steenbeke river was in flood and tn
 whole region was waterlogged fror
 recent rains. Our infantry was wal l lowing in mud al the time and had
 not been for the efficacy of our artil lery fire. the men would have had hard time with the enemy.
 AS it was our troops had deStroye most of the concrete machine gun re
 doubts, which represent the main de lenses in this section, but there sti remained many underground fortifica tions which had to be fought throug 1 and siIenced with bombs or left be hind with the Germans still in them
 There was typical example of thi at a point southwest of Langemarc (Continued on Page Two)