The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-05
BRITISH WIN ON
8.M|LE FRONT
IN new DRIVE.
Thousands of Germans Taken
Prisoner in Big Battle East
of YpreS.
ATTACK COMPLETE SUCCESS
Official Report Says Positions Of the
Greatest Importance Have Been
Captured-LilIe In
Peril.


Peril.
LONDON, Oct. 5.-The Reuter- corre-
spondent at British Headquarters in
France says:
oday is, one of the great days in
army annals. The victory is beinu
proclaimed as one of the greatest since
the Marne"
London, Oct. 5.-Thousands of pris-
oners nave been taken by the British
In the new drive against the Ger
mans, which was begun at six o'clock
IN the morning east of Ypres in Flan-
ders. All the detectives of the Brit
1sh were won, including positions
characterized by Field Marshal Haig's
report from headquarters as of "great
Importance
The British gained all their objec-
tives on front of 10000 yards and to
depth Of $500 yards, Gen. Frederick
b. Maurice, chief director of military
operations at the war office, an
nOunced.
Both the first and second detectives,
including the village Of Broodseinde,
have been captured, he said
& British Official Report.
The text Of the report from British
headquarters in France reads:
Our attack was launched on a front
Of over eight miles, from south of
TnUnr 10 lnfC 10 ho
,, railway, north of Langemarck, and has
been completely successful. ALI our
+, obJectives have been gained; positions
of great Importance have been won,
and over 5000 German prisoners have
already reached the collecting sta
tiOns.
eve are now in possession of the
main ridge up to point 1,OOO yards
north of Broodseinde."
Great Drive PeriIs Lille.
With the renewal Of the British
drive, the battle Of Flanders is grow
ing more and more to resemble last
years battle of the Somme, which was
followed by the memorable linden
burg strategic retreat" This time
the ground which would have to be
abandoned would be far more valuable
to the entente and it's loss CORE
spondingly heavy blow to the Germans,
for the German-held Belgian coast
line, with It's submarine and aerial
bases, is at stake, together with the
great French manufacturing city of
Lille and wide stretches of territory in
northern France and Flanders.
British Front in France and Belgi-
um, Oct. 5.-Field Marshal Haig's
forces in the offensive begun to the
east Of Ypres in some places have
penetrated the German lines to depth
of one mile and have overrun the crest
of the Passchendaele-Gh -Gheluvelt ridge.
At an early hour the Germans were
surrendering by hundreds.
The British already have penetrated
we'll beyond the hamlet of BrOadseinde,
in which lie the crossroads formed
by the highways between Zonnebeke
and Moorshed and Passchendaele and
Beclaire. Farther to the south Cam
eron Covert, where there had been
much hard fighting, was left we'll in
the rear.
Foe Loses Vital Defenses.
The battle was along strongholds
which comprised the crucially impor-
tant system of German defenses along
the Passchendaele-Gh -Gheluvelt ridge.
Everywhere the British have done
splendidly in one of the most preten-
t1ous offenses attempted on this
front The attack was launched under
heavy clouds and with a mist follow
ing q night drizzle.
An unSual feature of the battle
was that near Zonnebeke three Ger
man divisions which had been or
dered to retake positions captured by
the British last week were caught in
the British barrage as they were pre-
pairing to advance.
The British casualties have been ex-
ceedingly light.
Berlin Admits British CAIN
Berlin, Oct. 5.-The German version
of the battle In Flanders, as reported
in the supplementary statement, issued
from German headquarters, is as fol-
lows:
"On the battlefield In Flanders the
British during the great attack pene-
trated about one kilometer deep into
our defensive zone between Poelcapelle
and Gheluvelt. Especially bitter fight.
ing Is still proceeding to the east Of
EQnuebeke and west OF BecelaerAa
E~4 ---> y
JOB printing promptly and neatly
executed at the News office The