The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-11
Smashing Drive Carries British
Farther Today.
Capture Additional Heights
Along Vimy Ridge.
COUNTER ATTACKS ARE WEAK
Teutons Too Busy Saving Big
Guns to Fire Them.
German Motor Transport Train
Captured Intact.


Haig's smashing blows carried him
still farther forward against the Ger
mans today. Capture by British forces
of the village and heights of Monchy
lie Preux la Bergere was announced in
an early dispatch from him today.
satisfactory progress is being made
elsewhere" Haig declared. THE bat
tie front situation is developing gem
orally in accordance with our plans"
Monchy lie Preux lies at the south
ern extremity of Vimy ridge and the
heights of La Bergere are just ada
cent. The smash by which these new
positions were gained puts the British
line another half mile southeast OF
Arras, in the direction of Cambria
Are Miles Beyond Arras.
Occupation of Monchy had been
forecast by the British commander-in-
chiefs night statement, detailing how
the forward rush of his troops had
carried them to the outskirts of the
village five miles east of Arras. Lon
don was prepared for a report of san
culinary fighting in this section.
Front dispatches indicated no let
up in the constant hammering along
the whole of the fifty mile front at
various sections of which Haig had
been thrusting his forces forward-no
diminution either in the artillery ham,
mering, or the sledge hammer blows
by massed infantry forces. The ter
ritory northeast of st. Quentin is be-
ing swept clean of German forces as
the British encircling movement goves
on.
British Headquarters in France
April J l The speed and power of the
British assault, in what will probably
be known in history as the battle of
Arras. seem to have thoroIy surprised
the Germans; SO much so in fact that
their usual retaliatory artillery fire has
been absolutely negligible in the last
two days. This partly is due. of
course to the number of guns cap
tured. to which must be added the
number knocked out by the British
artillery before the actual assault be-
gan. 1t IS also due to the fact that
the Germans have been too busy try
ing to get their remaining guns away
from immediate danger to bother fir
ing them at the enemy. In a German
artillery position east of Arras, known
as Battery Valley, could be seen the
remains of "a field pieces. A trip
over the newly taken lines revealed a
condition of trenches closely approx
mating those recently evacuated by
the Germans in the valley of the
Somme- Many dugouts remained with
only damaged portals, but the trenches
including all communication lines have
been numerically battered about.
so successful was the artillery bar
rler set up by the British back of the
German lines that some of the Ger
man prisoners reported thew had heen
without food supplies for four days.
Obliterate Barbed Wire Defenses.
The barbed wire entanglements pro-
tectlnS the German positions were
obllterated and only stray strands
could be seen here and there on the
1lrst line The thoroness with which
the wire cutting was carried out by the
artillery was big factor in accelerat-
ing the speed of the attackers
The ZeSt of offensive warfare couId
be felt on all parts of the British front
today. Troops were swinging forwa rd
with bands playing gay tunes. The
Scotch troops, behind their pipers
were particularly picturesque, for not
even the vicissitudes of nearly three
years of war have caused them to dis
card their kilt. Out over the newly
won ground airplanes were scouting.
while beneath them were tanks at
rest. A cavalry corps had the uniuue
distinction of capturing two big how
itzers. They charged these guns In
the open, killing several members of
the crews before the others surrend-
cred A German motor transport col
umn was captured intact 1t had ex-
pected to meet German troops at a
certain point but encountered British
instead. The drivers said that when
they left Douai there was no idea that
the attackers had reached SO far.
No Time for Flight.
Thousands of German prisoners
could be seen along the roads today.
Some had little round caps and others
were wearing the great coal scuttle
steel helmet. Altho the intense cold
continues only a few had overcoats.
| They are docile lot and sometimes
| surprised their captors by carefully
sorting themselves into their respec-
tive units before being registered and
temporarily Gagged. Smaller cages
were provided for the officers. four of
/ the latter have been in a furious rage
ever since they were taken. They
were in a forward observation post
| they said, and saw the infantry COM
! ing back from their front but had no
| idea that they were actually retreat
1 ing. The anger was due to the failure
| of the troops to give them warning so
they too, could flee.