Arizona republican., 1917-09-22

l tack and characterize as awful those | tremendous barrages which swept over the German territory ahead of the as- Saulting troops. The vast number of | German bodies which lie in the muddy | shell holes within the territory tra- | versed by the British and the devasta- tion wrought by the big guns give ad- | ded strength to their testimony. The | British infantry did not proceed with | out opposition to their objective but | the details of the fighting show no | particularly spectacular features. The whole operation was a most l astounding performance. but it was ac- complished with such clock-like regu- larity that it left one gasping. It was | as though he had witnessed the wiping l out of a city by huge dynamite line | which does its work instantaneously | The German. prisoners clearly feel | the weight of the blow inflicted. They | are dazed by it and many of them look | ! on the situation as dark for their | forces. There was little change in the situa- tion this afternoon. The British were | resting on their laurels and consolidat- ing their gains at most places although | local battles were in progress at some | points where the Germans were still | clinging to some redoubt or small de, 1 fence which the British desired for {, | further strengthening of their posi- tionS. Virtually every counter attack the Germans have attempted since the of l fensive began has been scattered by | | artillery and machine gun fire and the | enemy undoubtedly lost a great num- l i Der of men in the abortive attempts l Throughout yesterday they struggled ! determinedly at many places to re- 1 gain the ground lost but as each attack was broken by the deluge of explosives hurled into his ranks, he finally adopt. ed the attitude of waiting and during | the night offered little opposition to | the victorious forces. Yesterdays fighting from Lange- marck southward to the Ypres- -Roulers railway was largely among strong con- | crete and steel redoubts with which | 1 this section is pitted. Rose farm, Que, rec farm. and many other well de- | tended positions fell before the British In most instances their capture Wa accomplished after the troops had forged forward through mud and water and surrounded them in face of ma chine gun fire
 Many Germans lost their lives in the region south of Langemarck. Along l this section the enemy attempted six 1 counter attacks during the day. In nearly every instance they were met by such murderous artillery fire that they were forced to withdraw leaving large numbers of dead and wounded on the field
 Early in the afternoon a column of 2,000 Germans advanced from the di- rection of Cost Rieuwkerke for coun ter attack. As they proceeded through ! the village they came under the artil- lery fire and airplanes harrassed them continually. The employment of gas shells by the British forced the Ger | mans to put on gas masks and they proceeded in this manner to the front, where they deployed in waves and at tackled at two points. One of the at tacl1ing forces was smashed to pieces with artillery and machine gun fire. The second was partly successful east of Langemarck, but soon was forced back and suffered the same fate as the other
 strong German position on the high ground south of Langemarck- Ionnebeke road was captured by the British troops early in the day As this was important defense the Ger mans delivered a heavy counter attack here last evening and hard hand-to hand fighting developed in which the bayonet was freely used. The Ger mans were forced to withdraw after short but desperate battle.
 South of the Ypres- Roulers railway the Australian troops carried out the early stages of their task without en- countering many snags but they were counter attacked quickly and sharp fighting followed at many places. They had reached their final objective | Whinb rriod thorn of Lo Nuns wood. the Glencorse wood and into the western part of Polygon wood
 a little after 10 o'clock, and in some places the outposts had gone a con- ] siderable distance in advance of the main line. The terrain over which , they had to travel represented some of the most difficult ground in this section, but the artillery had made , matters easier by smashing most of the shell hole defences and shattering , the forests which clothed the eleva- tions
 When the Australians went over the | top at dawn the Germans dropped a
 heavy barrage just back of them and put good many shells among the ad- vancing men. It was not a pleasing situation, but the troops were in fight ing fettle and pushed forward without pause. On their left they swept for
 
 planted their standard in honor of the occasion and also nearly swept over the position called Eerles both names recalling days on the Gallipoli penin- sula.
 The Nuns wood was found to be very marshy and there a large number of German machine guns were concealed. Sharp but brief fighting occurred. the Australians smashing their way for ward with the vigor which has char acteriZed most of their work since the war began. Similar fighting occurred in Glencorse wood. Polygon wood was found to be mass of shattered timber. the British artillery having played havoc here. The Australians pushed on half way throagh this wood, where they rested.
 Just south of Polygon wood hard fighting developed at Black Watch cor ner. This was a battle with rifles and it continued until all the Germans en- gagged were either killed or had sur rendered.
 Inverness copse fell to the English troops with comparatively little resist ance and they pushed on to their final