The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-05
Smash in Belgium One OF
Greatest Victories of War.
Countless Thousands of Ger
man Dead on Battlefield.
TURN OF FATE FAVORS BRITISH
TeutOns Moving To Attack Are
Caught in Hurricane of Shells.
Staggered by Blow, Germans
Unable To Counter Attack.
lBv the Associated PICS. }

British soldiers now are entrenched
on the crest of most of the high
ground in the famous Ypres salient as
a result of a tremendous blow given
the Germans yesterday on an eight
mile front east and northeast of Ypres.
Driven frc the high ground the Ger
mans now will be forced to go up hill
against the British while the British
artillery throws shell after shell upon
the German defenses and lines of com
munication.
Field Marshal Haig's latest stroke
surprised his adversaries as they were
about to renew their attacks against
him. The British barrage moved the
massed Germans down and those that
remained were annihilated IN the
rush of British troops. At no point
along the attacking front was the Ger
man resistance very great, altho the
British had difficulty in overcoming
the concrete redoubts bristling with
machine guns.
Six Towns Captured.
The villages of Reutel. Noorden-
hoek, Polderhoek, Molenaarelsthoek,
Broodseinde and Gravenstafel were
captured in their entirety and the
greater part of Poelcapelle was taken.
by the capture of Broodseinde the
British established themselves all over
the crest of the ridge five miles east
of Ypres. From here they can bonn
bard the RouIers-Menin railroad, the
principal German line of communica-
Liu,' il the Ypres sector.
In addition to the loss of positions
of great Importance the Germans sus-
tanned very heavy casualties as a re-
suit of the British barrage. More
than 1000 German prisoners were
taken, half of them being wounded.
tRsaN
the Crown Prince Rupprecht attempt
ed only a few counter attacks. These
were easily broken up.
New Crisis in Russia.
The situation in Russia again has
become acute and Premier Kerensky
has thrown down the gauntlet to the
democratic congress. Contrary to the
demands of the congress he has
promised that he will today announce
a new coalition ministry. This will
include members of the powerful
democratic party to which the con-
gress has been bitterly opposed.
Story of Great Battle.
British Front in France and Bel
gium. Oct t. (By the Associated
. Press. british arms today achieved
one of the greatest victories of the war
in a tremendous assault began at
dawn against the German positions
east and northeast of Ypres. Indeed,
when the whole story of this battle
has been told it may take its place as
an unequalled triumph of three years
of conflict, for each successive report
from the seething caldron along this
front adds to the Importance of the
success recorded
From a point near the Ypres-Sladen
railroad on the north to the Ypres-
Menin highway on the south the men
of the British empire have surged
forward with an irresistible force
which at some places carried them &c
a depth of $500 yards over still more
of the German keystone positions in
the Pass Chendaele-Gheluvelt ridge
system of defenses. On the northern
wing of the advance the British have
reached Poelcapelle, and Gravenstafe
and have overrun most of the Craven
stafel ridge, which juts out to the
west from the Pass Chendaele.
Gheluvelt line. South of the Ypres
Roulers railway the troops are report
cd to be overlooking the eastern slope:
of the main ridge and in some place:
to have pushed on into the valleys be
low.
Not only have the British wrencheC
away many vital strongholds but the!
have inflicted almost unprecedented
casualties on the enemy.
Germans Also Planned Drive.
As the attacking troops went out il
quest of a great adventure over tn,
rnist-shrouded slopes their vast pro
fCOntiuued on Page TwoD