New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-21
Haig Makes Great Gains in
New Offensive on Eight
Mile Front
Planes and Tanks
In All-Day Battle
Five Barrages Precede At
tack-German Counter
Blows Fail
BY Arthur S. Draper


LONDON, Sept. 20. Behind five walls
Of flying steel-the most terrible bar
rage fire the war has yet produced
British troops drove forward at dawn
to-day over eight miles of the front
east of Ypres.
From the Ypres-Stazcn Railway to
the Ypres- Confines Canal positions on
which the Germans have been working
for months to fortify and strengthen
we're SMASHED by the unprecedented ar
tillery blasts and withering storms of
gas and liquid fire, and Haig's men took
all the first days objectives with unex-
pected ease.
Great success attended our troops"
says the British official statement to-
night, while the German report briefly
says: "The battle is still in full swing.
In the forepnrt of our defensive zone
bitter fuctuation in fighting has taken
place since morning"
Haig announces further: positions
Of considerable military Importance
were won and heavy casualties in
flicted on the nemy.' He gives un-
usual details concerning the attack.
Many territorials. including Austria
lians and South Africans, took part in
to-day attacks, but for almost the first
time in such an offensive Canadians are
not mentioned in the communique.
Gains by Country Troops
On the extreme right of the British
line, according to Haig, English coun-
try troops, after sharp fighting just
north Of the canal, reached their OBJ
jectives, while farther north, about the
centre OF the British drive. Australians
and North Countrymen captured their
detectives TO depth of more than a
mile, taking Veldhock and penetrating
into Polygon Wood.
On the British left, Londoners and
captured the strongly for
tilted Rose, Quebec and Wurst farms.
their final objectives, about mile and
a half from their starting point.
. Although rain fell during the night.
while the British assembled their
troops and the artillery poured a blast
ing hail of fire on TO the German posi-
tions, the sun burned away the mists
shortly after daybreak, and the attack
ing troops had clear weather. and no
more mud than was expected.
II was fortunate for the British that
the weather cleared, for it enabled the
airmen to play their part, which, ac-
cordine to all reports, was greater than
in any battle of the war. Riding so
low the wheels often seemed to Craze
the German helmets, the British avia-
tors poured machine gun bullets into
the closely packed ranks Of Won Arnim's
troops. definitely engaging the enemy
in actual order and according TO the
prearranged plan Of battle.
Airmen Foil Counter Attacks
Haie announces that the airmen's CO.
operation with the artillery enabled 1t
to shatter all the German attempts TO
for counter attacks, while
those which got started, he declared,
were rcpulsed with rifle and machine
gun fire.
More than 1000 prisoners already
have arrived behind the British lines,
while few guns have been taken.
There is no doubt that the Germans
the attack in this sector,
and the airmen reported concentra-
ton of many German reserve bat
ialions behind the particular places at
tackled. For this reason, it is believed
the German casualties were very heavy,
for the artillery fire reached the great
est depth ever seen at the point where
the Germans had brought up many dl-
visions. This concentration probably
will result in heavy counter attacks,
owever. and the chief interest to-
night is now much further the British
will be able 10 carry or.
II may be that the present objectlves
AIKEN are as far as Haig intends to
push. but the public is hoping for a
continuance of the successfully started
md long awaited offensive.
While this years fighting has pro-
iuced many wonderful concentrations
IF artillery. to-day the barrage exceed
ID anything hitherto consideredpossi-
Die. 1t was like five waves of steel
cad flowing over the pill boxes, the for
ifed farms and concrete trenches,
Weaving backwards like a giant loom
through the whole zone of
Behind these impenetra-
Die curtains walked the British troops.
lightly clad, so as to make easier prog
-ess among the deep shell craters and
nests Of wire.
Hanging clouds scurried over the
before fortv-mlle gale,
which made the cooperation of the air
men more difficult and more TO he ad-
nired.
The German opposition to the ad
vance was fierce at many points, the
artillery retaliating desperately, ham
nerirC the British right wing and cen
.re. Strangely enough, the tanks did
not play a prominent part in to-day's
advance. the deep mud Of the Gpres
salient being unfavorablc 10 their style
Of progress.
From all available reports things
went we'll with the British to-day. and
the offensive will have a
powerful effect in bracing up spirits at
nome.
Scene Of Great German Drive
The ground over which the British
made theil new attack was the scene
Of the last German effort in the spring
Of 1915 TO break through to Calais. j
was here that they experimental first
with gas. and IT was here that the
Canadians made stand which still
lives as one Of the hich-water marks
Of the war.
South Of the YpreS S-Menin road the
is hilly and we'll suited for
De en- sive purposes while to the north
{ is swampy and practically impsssable
.ftcr any considerable rainfall such a.
hat of tnc last six weeks.
Russions repel German attack and
,ther ne,Cs of the fronts on Page 4.