New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-17
Allies Force Germans Back
On 9 Miles of Ypres Front
British and French Advance Mile Between User
Canal and Martejevaart Winning Langemarck
and Driegrachten Bridgehead and Capturing
1900 Prisoners

worked out which makes the German
! front line untenable, their second line
| hazardous and their third line doubt
/ full.
On the whole. the catch of prisoners
| is smaller than in past advances, the
| infantry losses slighter and the en-
| emy's counter thrusts far less sue
cessful. Experts here believe that
! Haig and Petain will deliver series
of sharp blows at widely separated,
and often unexpected, points, in the
| hope of catching the German defence
off balance.
Over the whole front of attack this
morning the German resistance was
I logged and persistent and after cross.
| ing the first churned-up hostile
| trenches the Allied troops had to fight
every step of the way. On the British
/ left the Germans had the advantage of
occupying weli-fortihed heights and
! through the wooded area east of Ypres
| the enemy organized swiftly repeated
return assaults. which finally drove the
British fighters from some of the
| gains made in the morning and saved
/ the much-fought-for Polygon Wood
| position.
At Langemarck the British rush
proved irrestible and Haig's bsttalions
/ now stand beyond the point from which
they were forced to retreat by the first
/ German Gas attack.
Ypres Salient Widening
/ Langemarck was obviously the next
| step forward for the British after the
recapture of st. Julien, so that the
| enemy could not have been unwarned
/ of the impending attack even If the
/ steady stream of shells pumped into
/ his fortified farms and machinegun
| emplacements had not made il agoniz-
/ ingly apparent during the night. The
| Ypres salient is now widening danger
ously toward Roulers and several sys-
/ tens of German defence have been alb
/ sorbed in the methodical advance be-
| gun July 81,
As to Lens. it is clear that the Ger
mans can occupy the city only little
while longer, no matter what sacrifice
of life they are willing to make.
The British possession of Hill 10
makes Hirdenburg's problem a ques-
| tion of getting out as cheaply as pos
| sible rather than one of remaining.
| The twice-repeated counter attack of
/ the Prussian Guardsmen there yester-
/ day was a fine example of devotion to
! tne enO, nut tncSe COURAGEOUS SOlul'Is ;
were not even able to reach the new
/ British lines.
There are strong indications of at
tacks preparing at other points along
the West front. The French artillery
has suddenly become extremely active
around St. Quentin. The German bull
/ letin says that yesterday 5000 shells
were dropped on the inner city. setting
| fire to the famous Gothic Cathedral
which dates from the twelfth century
and covers the relics of st. Quentin
and his fellow martyrs. st. Victorious
and st. Gentianus.
On the Aisne. too. the bombardment
is terrific. Along the Chemin-des.
Danes the French attacked last night
south of Allies. and carried a German
trench system over front of nearly a
mile, making progress also in the
neighborhood of Hurtebise. These
/ thrusts were greatly assisted by dar-
ing aviators who flew ahead of the
charging troops spraying the enemy
| with machine gun fire.