The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-06-11
Frightful Havoc Results
From Fires Started by
New PrOjectiles.
TUNNEL PATHS CROSSED
Germans Had Also Prepared
for Blowing Up Hill-Cap-
tives Total 1000.
Special Gable Despdfch TO THE Sun from the
London Times.
ny PERRY ROBINSON.


by PERRY ROBINSON.
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE,
June 10.-Since the battle south OF
Ypres our army knows It Is better than
the Germans, even in the mechanics Of
the game. II is not too much to say that
in mere technical perfection nothing that
the Germans ever have done in an Of
fensive way was other than amateurish
compared to this last attack OF ours.
We did not use a gas attack, but
every other known form of offensive
weapon we did supply. including a new
horror known to the army as ''oil cans"
a use of boiling oil. OF which II Is not
permissible to give a description beyond
saying that It throws to considerable
distances. projectiles which are contain
ers of highly ipfammable stun which
burns on conclusion and scatters con-
fagration over a wide area. We know
from prisoners that they caused terror
and did an immense amount Of HARM
both in actual casualties and in starting
innumerable fires.
Tunnel Paths Cross.
The most destructive of all the mines
we exploded was at the famous Hill 60.
southeast OF Ypres. where 1t seems that
two-thirds OF a company OF Wuerttem-
burgers were entirely wiped out The
few survivors OF the company who fell
into our hands were utterly broken.
The work OF making the mine had been
going on for a long time The tunnel
ling work was done by English and
Welsh miners.
In the course of this operation they
many times had the Germans tunnelling
close to them. and on one occasion
stopped work on their gallery to allow
the Germans. who were tunnelling
diagonally across the same path, to pass
ahead OF them. Another time something
happened to the German workings which
caused a landslide In one Of our cham
bers on top Of one of our charges Of ex-
plosives, which fortunately did not go
Off. Again a similar thing buried two
of our listeners at the end OF their gal
lery aud one OF them was not dug out
for forty hours.
The share which digging plays in such
warfare as this IL enormous The Ger
mans are most industrious diggers them
selves. There was case recently where
they dug. as our airmen learned the
next morning. four mile stretch In a
single night across our positions east Of
Monchy That performance was at least
rivalle6 here by the New Zealanders. who
after the advance. and though they had
been fighting throughout the day. set 20
work and by Thursday evening had dug
a first class six foot trench along the
whole OF their new front and slept that
night at the bottom.
Another notable feat was that OF a
northern battalion, who, starting imme-
diately behind their attach. had In spite
of the German barrage dug a trench six
fac rlaap front nv
nightfall
The Germans officially report that
their losses were slight. We have at all
events more than 1000 prisoners and
we know that three divisions at least
were SO shattered that their remnant ;
had to be Immediately withdrawn. one
/ OF these. the Third Bavarian. established
"A record, for 1t was the relieving division
and came into the line only the night
before the attack. II came in was
smashed UP and was pulled out again all
| In twenty-four hours.
Counter Attacks Fail.
The Germans also explain that their
/ front line was lightly held. 1t ID curious
that out OF the 1000 prisoners we took
front trenches OF the first line. or about
a sixth OF the total force that would
normally be used in defending IT, In
addition. the casualties caused by our
gunhre, mine explosions and the attack
itself were tremendous. 1t il evident
that the front trenches cannot have been
very empty.
/ As to what has happened since the at
tack, the Germans have apparently made
a great counter attack. At one point or
| the northern end OF the battle from,
! tKlein Zillebeke) they succeeded In gain.
4 ing a temporary footing in a single pos,
and were then promptly expelled. Else.
! where they made no progress Over
most OF the front. indeed, the infantry
! were unaware that an attack was benis
! attempted. They never saw the. Ger.
mans and knew only what they could
gather from the storm OF our artillery
which broke the German formations be
fore they came in sight Of the men in the
| trenches.
AS to the losses on both sides, our
! total casualties of all sorts in the Who'll.
AFFAIR will not exceed 10000. Consider.
ing the number of prisoners we hav,
/ taken, 1t Is impossible to believe thai
the German casualties OF all kinds ar,
less than 10000