Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-10
German Soldiers No Match
For French and British
in Great New Offensive
By .fSsociIfcd Press

British Front in France and Bel
gium. oct. 9.-The blow struck by
the British and French forces to-day
against a wide section of the Ger
man defense between the Houtholst
forest and Broodseinde has resulted
| in another great success. Over much
of this font the attacking troops
swept forward to a depth of 1900
yards or more, overrunning many
important strongholds of the shat
tered enemy.
/ This afternoon the allies were dig
ming in almost on the outskirts of
| douthuist forest. the British were
beyond Poelcapelle after sanguinary
hand-to-hand fighting, and further
south had gained the Passchendaele
ridge within less than 1000 yards of
| Passchendaele, thereby wrenching
awat almost all that remained to
the Germans of their famous Pass
'cndaele- -Gheluvelt ridge system of
| fortiiications.
| German Losses Heavy
| Again the German losses have
been great and reports from all along
the line indicate that their organiza-
| ton and morale were hit hard.
1t has been another wonderful
| performance on the part of the allies
and the victory has been more re-
markaL;e because of the tremendous
natural difficulties to the advance.
The rain of the last two days had
turned much of the battle ground
into morass, through which the
French and the men of the British
empire Eoundered knee deep. How
they could make their way forward
over such ground, much less fight
over it, is the amazing thing. This
/ fact undoubtedly contributed to the
days triurIph for German prisoners
II L. i
| thought the allies would advance
under such conditions. The appear
ance of the undiscovered allied
| troops coming out of the marshes
before tie German lines apparently
unnerved the enemy. They surren-
dered in large numbers in many
places, or ran away as fast as they
could.
| Big Countcrattack
The Germans attempted one coun-
tertattack of considerable size. This
was astride Ypres- Roulers railway
and was smashed by the British ar
tillery fire.
AS in the battle last Thursday, a
large body of Germans was caught
unawares and virtually wiped out.
An entire German division-the
27th-was brought up during the
night to relieve the division in the
| iln6 DSlWttIl IOGlSipSl1S anu hltS
| Houltholst forest. The men were
transported in motor lorries from
Roulers and arrived at the advanced
positions about o'clock this morn
ing. They were ignorant of the ma
| ture of the country and when caught
in the attack some two hours later
they were bewildered and put up lit
tie resistance.
French Push Ahead
l l. AI r1 Y.nv
| idly, however, reducing numerous
| German pill boxes and redoubts and
had accomplished all they had set
out to do by 10 o'clock This meant
| that they were some 500 yards be-
| vond Mangelaere and almost at the
edge of the Houtholst forest Heavy
casualties were inflicted on the Ger
mans by the preliminary lombard
ment and during the fighting. At an
early hour, the French reported the
capture of several hundred prisoners
and also that their own losses were
light.
Some of the hottest work of the
day occurred in the town of Poel-
capelle. In last Thursdays drive the
/ British had established themselves
in the western half of the village
and vigorous fighting had continued
/ there ever since. At dawn to- day
ruins began in earnest and the Ger
mans were gradually pushed back
TO the eastern outskirts of the town
/ where they took up a position in a
big brewery. This place was well
fortified and every window furnished
an opening for a machine gun. The
battle continued several hours, but
early in the afternoon it was an
nounced that the Germans had been
| forced to evacuate the brewery and
i withdrawn still farther.
4 Couldn't Kill Boy
Il 1t was from this section that n
wounded British soldier came back
to a clearing station this morning
! leading a youthful German prisoner.
| The young German had shot the
Tommy through the arm as the lat
i ter advanced. The German was
about to follow this up with a
bayonet thrust, but Tommy pushed
the steel aside and made his antag-
4 onist a prisoner.
He was so young, l couldn't kill
him." was the Tommy's explana-
/ tion.
FALLS OVER IN STREET
i Charles Collins, of Erie, fell over in
Market Square. yesterday afternoon,
fl,nV, MI cd m a n ha