New-York tribune., 1917-07-15
Berlin, However, Insists
English Were Beaten
Back at Lombaertzyde
Big Battle on Coast
Roar of Guns in Flanders /,
Heard in Eng
land
fBy cable 70 The Tibunel

London, July 14.-Local struggles Tor
position and small raids were the only
infantry actions which developed along
the Western front last night and to-
day, but the extraordinary activity IN
the air continues, and the gun duel,
both in the dunes area, near the Brit
ish Chanel, and in the Champagne Sec
ton is more violent than it has been
at any time since General Plumer's
Third British Army stormed the Mes
-Wytschaete Ridge.
There was a sharp collision near
Lombaertzyde last night, but whether
the attack was of German or British
origin cannot be established from the
official bulletins. The British War Of
fee declares an assault by the forces
of Prince Rupprecht was repulsed in
that section, while Berlin insists that
a British attack at the same point
broke down, with heavy losses.
The explanation of the firing, which
kept London guessing last night as to
whether an air raid was being made or
a naval battle was being fought off the
southeast coast, was found in to-day's
British and German communiques tell
ing of the furious artillery battle on
the Belgian coast Some idea Of the
firing may be gained when it is appre-
ciated that the guns sounded as start
lnly near as though they were but
twenty miles away.
Heavy Losses in Air
One of the outstanding features of
the battle situation is the stubborn
fight that is being waged for suprem-
acy in the air. The Germans are max
ing a really desperate effort to beat
down the British flers, and losses on
both sides are running high, as shown
by Haig's statement of yesterday that
thirty-one German machines were
brought down and Hindenburg's claim
that forty Allied planes have been de-
stroyed on the West front in two days.
In this connection, "The Manchester
complete supremacy in the air lasting
three months, during which we were
bombing the krupps and the Rhine
bridges every day, would do more TO
force the enemy to retire from Bel
GUM than d dozen Vimy ridges. And
there is no reason TO think 1t impos-
si5le to attain this degree of su-
premacy.'
Aside from the engagement Of Lom-
baertzyde, near the scene Of the re-
cent German success on the User. in
fantry activity on the British front was
confined to enemy raids east of Hargi-
court, west of Warneton, east of COSTA
verne and north of Ypres. The British
took a few prisoners in patrol en-
counters south Of the Scarpe.
The big gun duel in Champagne is
as intense as that on the Belgian coast,
but whether il foretells a blow by the
French or Germans it is impossible to
say.
Rheims Heavily Shelled
The fact that the French were active
ly scouting in this region would ind-
cate that they are TO take the aggres-
sive. The German bombardment of
Rheims, which always precedes French
activity in the Champagne. continues TO
grow in volume, 1000 shells having
been dropped on the city to-day, wound
ing two civilians. Paris declares that
the cannonade around Mont Haut the
Casque and the Teton reached "a high
degree of violence"
The Germans attacked Petain's lines
south of Courcy last night, but the
French recovered all the lost trenches
in counter attacks, with the exception
of a single outpost. At points around
st. Quentin, along the Chemin -des-
Danes and on the left bank of the
Meuse, northwest of Verdun, the gun
fire is also extremely heavy and it has
extended to the Lorraine plain. A Ger
man surprise thrust at Faye-en-Haye
was repelled.