The sun., 1917-04-24
TOLL OF DEAD HIGH
IN ARRAS BATTLES
Germans. Lacking DugOuts
for Shelter. Moved Down
by Barrage Fire.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE
Arras. which has been smoldering for
: week past. burst into flaming fury
again to-day and is still raging to-
night. with some OF the heaviest fighting
OF the war in progress The sky is
alisht for miles with the flashes of guns,
with star shells and with varicolored
rockets, which fash signals to the artil-
lery.
The fighting to-day covered approxi-
mately an eight mile front. from south
OF Nimy Ridge to a point well below
Croisilles. At the north end of this
front the British swept over German
fixed positions running almost due south
from Lens and captured long sections
OF German positions in front of the Hin
denburg line. More than l.2o0 prisoners
were counted in this sector late to-day
and others were coming in. The largest
number OF prisoners was from the 14lst
Pomeranians, who surrendered in hun
dreds after very brief resistance. A
battery Of field guns was taken.
Heavy Fighting on Scarpe.
Between Gavreile, the last part Of the
defences of the Hindenburg line north
of the Scarpe. and Croisilles. the heavi-
est hghting occurred along both banks
of the Scarpe and around Monchy -le-
Preux. where the British Easter advance
had projected sharp salient into the
German lines.
The Germans always managed to
cling to the slopes on either side of the
hill on which Monchy-le- -Preux is
perched this being the highest point east
of Arras and Vimy. overlooking the
great broad eastern plains OF northern
France. The Germans to-day were un-
doubtedly throwing their fun force into
their resistance along the Scarpe. They
had brought up strong reserves to OPP
pose further British advance and had
thrown in scores of new batteries of
artillery
During The last ten days the Germans
delivered at least a score OF counter at
, tscks against Monchy The desperate
, attempts to recapture il show how
highly Monchy was regarded as a key
position protecting the Drocourt switch
line. which has not yet been fortified as
, strongly as the Germans would desire,
MonChy has been one of the blood lest
spots the Germans have known. and
when the British advanced from it in
tn. early dawn to-day they had to pick
their way over thousands Of dead men
in field gray uniforms. 1t was estimated
thai $500 Germans were killed in one
days counter attacks, so closely were
the Germans massed.
Attacked AZ Dawn.
The fighting about Guemmape. due
south of Monchy. was extremely bitter.
The attacking British waves went over"
: in the half gray light Of dawn. 1t was
! still dark enough to make fery spec
tacle Of the barrage which crept ahead
Of them-a veritable wall OF exploding
shells.
Men who have been over several times
under the protection of a barrage are
apt to grow bit overconfident in fol-
lowing the shells. and occasionally get
hit by bits flying back. although virtually
every shell clearing the way for the
infantry bursts forward with a great
spray OF shrapnel. A modern barrage
as set up by the British and French
gunners is a terrifying thing to face
! and the Germans involuntarily break be-
! fore il. many Of them seeking any dug.
out available.
! In many parts Of the battle fronts to.
/ day there were no more dugouts to serve
/ as shelters, and the Germans had 10
stand and fight. with the result that
their casualties were higher and the
prisoners fewer in those sections of the
line.
! The British advanced in nearly every
! instance from mere half trenches. where
/ they had been lying for the past week
! awaiting the bringing up Of artillery
and the order to advance.