Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-19
Battle Halted by Fog.

Inc BrltlSH troops easily dttaiieu 'iie
first objective. Then they continued to
so forward just south of Miraumont in
an effort to gain entire control of all
the higher ground The first fog in five
weeks interfered with the artillery
British airplanes ventured boldly lntc
the fog banks, but could see nothing pS
which to direct guntire.
one of the most daring 4ncidents oil
the dav's operations came toward the
close of the preliminary bombardmert
when an artillery officer craWieu OUT OF
the trenches with q telephone. sta
toned himself forward in ~ shell hoie
and calmly directed the fre whlch cur
the German barbed wire to pieces. An
English sergeant, losing his way, was
captured and twas being escorted back by
two GermanA when the British barrage
crept up to them. The captors fled and
the sergeant returned to his own lines
directly through the curtain of fire.
He was wounded badly, but managed
to reach a dressing station unaided.
where he was able to give valuable in
formation concerning the German po-
sitions.
Counter Attacks Repulsed.
The fog which shut in yesterday,
bringing the operations to Il standstill,
lifted partly today and the Germans
made counter attacks, which were re-
pulsed with heavy casualties to the at
tackers. Some German companies op-
posed TO the British were completely
wiped out during the attack, all those
not dead or not wounded being made
prisoner. The highest total was eighty
five prisoners from one company.
Some of the prisoners belong to the
famous S9th Grenadier Guards. All the
Germans were laden down with pic
ture postcards and pencils. They had
scarcely anything else. The postcards
them portraying soldiers homecom-
ings.
The British troops are greatly pleased
with the success Of the attack, in view
of the fact that the Germans had an
ticipated some such forward movement
and prepared what, prisoners say, was
believed to be an unbreakable defense
At one point on the British front to-
day u German was seen running across
No Mans Land with his hands above
his head. He was fired on from his
own line and killed as he reached the
British wire.
Lose Part of Gains.
LONDON. February 19 Reuters
correspondent at British headquarters
in France, telegraphing Sunday, says:
I'm the battle which began in the
neighborhood of Miraumont Saturday
morning and has continued intermit-
tently ever since. the fiercest struggle
was to the left of the center. where the
British sought to get the mastery of a
mound rising about forty feet, with a
sunken road across it.
THE Germans realized the great tao.
tical value of the mound and had IL
fringed with machine gun emplace-
ments and ribbed with trenches. and
strenuously disputed the British adj
vance up the slope. It was dea6Iy
fighting, but the British steadily
pressed forward Until they had a,mos.
gained the crest.
shortly after sunrise. however, tn.
Germans launched a strong counter
attack with fresh troops. The British
were forced TO yield ground un6e,
weight Of numbers, but supports were
rushed to them and the Withdrawal
ceased. The Germans had reeainaf
part - The mound, but nevertheless TIE
E!it'Sa ilHe =3ii well uD the slope
ne German losses are known 70
have been very considera bic. and /,
would be useless to pretend that we did
not have to pay the price of victory
But the success attained is a very i'm
Dortant one"