Arizona republican., 1917-06-10

TlVeQ ITOI1 more ulSIdnI dlTUOHneS, there was some good hard fighting in the air, some of it as close quarters with collisions barely avoided. Twenty enemy machines were accounted for in the fighting, some Hopping about until they broke up in the air and others being driven down on their noses in yellow buttercup fields so far back of the fighting line that no shell had ever marred the symerty of the landscape.
 One British pilot who returned to his home station for new supplies of petrol and ammunition declared it was the most dangerous days flying he ever participated in. Because" he added, there are so many of our machines you can hardly find a place for your self"
 One observer during the height of the aerial activity likened the British squadron to clouds of mosquitoes. Some of the most marvellous work was done by artillery airplanes. One squadron of these alone, acting kith several bat teries of British heavies, succeeded in silencing 72 German batteries before 6 o'clock on the morning of the attack which began at 3:l0 o'clock in the morning. These planes also directed the firing on the enemy's guns en route to the front. some of the big weapons being drawn by caterpillar tractors Wherever a thousand or more troops were observed forming for possible counter attacks the artillery planes directed shoots" upon them.
 So complete was the British domi nation of the air along the front of at tack that not a single one of the Brit ish artillery observing airplanes was lost during the week that the intens- i've bombardment was going on. Dur ing the battle, British airplanes also attacked and silenced several enemy machine guns positions. They also made their usual attacks upon German anti-aircraft batteries.
 Both yesterday and today British pilots have complained at their inabi- ity to get any considerable numbers of Germans to come up and fight. The spirit of these youthful daredevils of the air is described by a brilliant Ca nadian flier attached to the British troops who was told he must take a day off yesterday after week of steady flying. He asked permission of his commander to fly 30 miles or so down the line to lunch with friends in one of the Canadian divisions. This was readily granted but instead of fly ing down along the British line he
  lines and had eight fights on the way and brought down two German ma chimes.
 All the British divisions involved in the fighting testified to the readiness with which the German prisoners as sisted in the work of bringing the British wounded from the battlefield. They volunteered for this work and performed it with treat tenderness. It reflected their gratitude for escaping from the maelstrom of battle and the staggering bombardment under which they had lived for seven long days and nights.
 The Messines attack was carried out by a single British army This army. commanded by General Sir Herbert Hummer, congratulated itself today on the fact that it's success had been won with just about one-fifth the casualties which it was felt might have been paid for capturing such a strong strategic position.
 Some of the stiffest fighting since the initial attacks began at dawn on Thursday occurred southeast of Mes sines village with Germans advancing from Wareeton. Australians have been in the thick of this fighting which at times has swayed to and fro about advanced positions.
 Early today the Germans conducted a heavy bombardment on Boesinghe and the neighborhood of that village on the northern turn of the Ypres salient Under this fire they made four raids into the British front lines
 The Canadians made raid last night south of Lens which sets a new record for this style of harrassing wa~fare taking about 150 prisoners
 The booty from the Messines battle has not yet been catalogued but it is known that more than 30 guns were captured while many more were buried in battery positions which were all but obliterated in the hurricane fire which accompanied the assault.
 The German army defeated at Mes sines was commanded by General Count Sixt von Arnim, who made an interesting report during the battle of the Somme in which he complained of the breaking down of the German army system.
 (This report disclosed the shortcom- ing of every branch of the German army in view of the unexpected power of the British.)
 General Count von Arnim's army was the fourth German army in the army group of Crown Prince Rup precht.
 The Germans were pouring shells atop the Messines ridge today from long range guns well behind the infan- try positions to which they had been forced back. Under this fire and under the heat of a torrid sun the British were completing the reconstruction work which always follows a great mill itary advance. Great water mains had been laid across the battlefields to dis tributing points near the fighting line. Telephone cables have gone forward in underground conduits.
 There was great rivalry between the various artillery units in the work of getting their guns forward into the po- sitions that had been selected for them long before the Germans had been driven from their various points of vantage. This rivalry was particularly keen between the South Irish and the Ulster artillery units. Stories are com ing from the fighting front today telling of the bravery of the Irish troops and how wounded South Ireland Catholics were sent back to the dressing stations | in Ulster ambulances.
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