Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-10
Huge Barbed Receptacles
of British Are Filled
With Captured.
TANKS" AGAIN TO FRONT
Armored Monsters Put Fear
Into Hearts of Germans as
Allies March On.
by \ STAFF CORRESPONDENT
OF the Associated Press.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
'"AN'E'-(via London. April o,
'O;lO p. m.)-Tlic war on the west
crn front, which has been moving
more rapidly In the last five weeks.
nrokc into full swing today. Widcn-
ing the attacks that they have been
directing against the rctrcating Ger.
nuns IN the sector of the SOmmc, the
British struck still further north and
III series OF assaults ON u broad front
WIN Arras more or less the pivotal
point, they drove the Germans from
scores of important positions, pcnc-
tratcd far into the German lines and
inflicted heavy casualties.
STEEL CAGES ARE FILLED,
a visit to corps headquarters this
afternoon showed that the number of
prisoners taken In the last 12 hours
Will exceed five thousand. The
barbcd wire cages" or compounds
built 10 receive prisoners that were
expected to he taken, were over.
crowded long before noon, altho the
principal attack did not begin until
shortly after dawn.
why RIDGE INCLUDED.
The heaviest fighting today descl.
opcd along u line u few miles south
east OF Arras In II northcrIy direction
Ia the ncighborhOOd OF Lens, but tho
actions extended far In the direction
Of ST. Quentin. In the territory cap
turcd today was the famous Vfmy
ridge. which had been fought over
time and time again since the war
WAS ten months old. The French had
fought desperately and yaliantly In an
cndcaNor To wrcst this vantage ground
from the Germans, the battles cost
ing both bciligcrcnts untold casual
ties. the French losses being estimated
AT one hundred thousand. Back OF
the northern end of Vimy ridge lies
the principal coal fields OF France,
which stilI are In German hands.
The fighting on Nimy ridge was
carried out by the Canadians who had
retained a footing on the ridge all
winter. but always higher up was the
| enemy. ON either side of the Canad-
ians were English and Scottish bat
talions and in today's battle there
was glory enough for all. The ire
pressible tanks also shared in the
honors of the successful assault ono
position captured to the northeast
of Arras was sort of labyrinth OF
trenches enmeshed in multiple bands
of wire.
Take 3 Commanders.
Prisoners had proclaimed this
strong point inaccessible, but sweep
ing over il today the British took
within 1t nearly a thousand prisoners
and they captured also during tho
day three German battalion com
manders who compare In rank with
n colonel in the British army. The
Canadians took two thousand pris-
oners. II was said everywhere along
the attacking line that the Germans
appeared to have been taken by sur
prise and only in few minutes did
they put up strong fight. one rea-
son for this was that they had been
fairly dazed by the British artillery
fire of the last ten days.
From the high ground overlook
ing Arras a panoramic view for many
miles Of the British attack was pre-
sented The concentration of guns
for this operation probably was the
greatest for a given amount of front
since the war began. Almost count
less guns had taken part in the bonn
bardmen since the beginning, but 1t
was not until last night that many
masked batteries Joined in the grim
chorus.
Like Lightning.
Approaching the battlefield well
before dawn the reflection of tho
gun flashes against the low hanging
clouds gave the inevitable impression
of n continuous play of sheet lightn'
ing along the horizon. But when this
wonderful night picture OF modern
warfare came into full view 1t seemed
as II suddenly one stood on the brink
of an overwhelming inferno. Looking
down into the valley. tongues OF
flames could be seen flashing from
hundreds upon hundreds of gun
mouths like so many white-hot SER
pents' fangs. The guns were playing |
upon the ridge looming up in the
distance, enveloped in a darkness,
upon which lay the German lines.
There was as yet no alarm. The Ger
mans had become accustomed to re-
ceive daily "strafes' from the British
and they were sending up only rou-
tine star shells and trench flares.
AS dawn approached the British
batteries one by one became strangely
silent. F'or q half hour the stiffness
was almost oppressive. The hot pit
flashes disappeared All this time.
however the German star shells ana
flares were ASCENDING with the j ms
inonotonOIs regularity that marks tho
German positions along the entire
front.
The glorious weather of Easter
Sunday mad disappeared and from
CONTINUED on PAGE SIX