Arizona republican., 1917-08-16

cOlors from the conflagration below.
 The moment of attack arrived, and as the British guns dropped their pro- tectng barrage in front of the Cana dian trenches, the clouds parted and the yellow crescent moon appeared. Under the light of this beacon the Canadians leaped over the parapets and began their advance behind their barrage fires.
 The British barrage was without a flaw. Behind it the Canadians mounted hill 70 and swept along the rest of the line. On the crest of the hill, where so much blood had been spilled before, heavy fighting might have been eX- pected for the position was well manned with machine guns. The re- sistance here, however, was not strong and it was not until the dwellings in the outskirts of the suburbs were reached that vigorous fighting occur red. The ground over which the in fantry advanced was honeycombed with British shell holes and the barbed wire defenses had been leveled so that they gave little trouble.
 The first serious resistance from the Germans was met at a point where the enemy was entrenched strong in connected cellars and here sanguinary fighting occurred
 The place is a sample of other sub urbs about Lens. The city is sur rounded with colliery communities which are so close together and so near the city proper that they really form one large metropolis. Lens be fore the war had population Of SO,O0O but it is now a mass of ruins.
 Following their usual tactics the Germans had carried out systematic destruction of the houses and had con- structed strong underground defenses- The whole city is undermined with tunnals and dugouts which have been reinforced with concrete and most or the ruined buildings have been turned into machine gun supplements
 It was in such difficult surroundings as this that the Canadians were pat ting today.
 The effect of the British preliminary bombardment was most demorallZins to the enemy. Prisoners already taken were in a daZed state as result Of the terrific bombardment and 1t IS not strange perhaps, that when the British began their barrage fire this morning many Germans were seen to desert their posts and flee to the rear.
 The capture of Hill 70 is another triumph for the British fighting or ganization. Wounded Canadians re- turning from the heart of the battle today were loud in their praise of the perfection achieved in preparation and the efficient protection afforded by the artillery
 The extreme depth reached in the first stage was 1,500 yards and this was achieved in 93 minutes. This new front taken into conjunction with pO- sitions secured in the last few days in the southwestern outskirts of Lens, es- tablished an angular line like pair of shears whose points reached out to the north and south of the city.
 As the Canadians pushed in on the northwest this morning a simultaneous advance was started by the troops on the lower blade of the shears and close fighting began when the German en- trenched in their concreted cellars which were linked up with barbed wire and filled with hundreds of machInv guns.
 A considerable number of German prisoners are beginning to arrive at the British camp and it is remarked that many are mere lads. Some appar- ently are not more than F years of age.
 Slight Casualties
 LONDON, Aug. 15.-With only slight casualties Canadian troops fight ing south and east of Loos have cap tured German positions on a front of two miles, including Hill TO- a formid- able defense work, according to the British official communication issued tonight Five German counter attacks were repulsed.
 There was great activity in the air again yesterday" the statement says,