The sun., 1917-06-26
CANADIANS WIN
GROUND IN NEW
DRIVEFOR LENS
Successful Night Attack Is
Followed by Battle on
Mile and Half Front.
TERRAIN IS DIFFICULT
Advance Is Made Through
Wrecked Mines and De-
bris Of Houses.

LONDON. June 25.-Canadian troops
took another nibble at the outskirts OF
Lens last night and made 1t a good sized
bite by another dash to-day. The night
attack threw the Germans from 400
yards OF first line trenches just south
west OF the great coal city and the later
assault resulted in a substantial advance
on a front OF a mile and q half.
This success Of the Canadians was
won in very difficult nghting. The at
tacking troops forged ahead through
wrecked coal mines. smashed miners
houses. railway embankments and the
marshy banks of the Souchez River,
flooded by the Germans. The first ad-
vance was made north OF the Souchez.
but the forward movement during the
day extended to the southern bank also.
despatch from Canadian headQuar-
tiers says the original task OF the Do
minion troops was merely TO capture
German outposts southwest Of Reservoir
Hill, rising from the Souchez lowlands.
The advancing troops found the Ger
mans had expected them and scuttled.
Machine guns from Reservoir Hill
sprayed the Canadians occupying the
abandoned ground, and then heavy
shells pounded It during the night. The
Canadians held on. however, until day
light. when reenforcements arrived.
whole Northern Line Active.
The fighting abou, Lens was the most
notable. but by no means the only de-
velopment OF the last twenty -four hours.
On the whole British and Belgian front
such activity has not been reported in
many weeks, Artillery fire was heavy
at many points. notably on the Belgian
front north of Ypres. where the Ger
man shelling has been heavy recently.
British troops made five trench raids
during the day. This activity was dis
tributed over the whole 120 mile front
from Ypres to St. Quentin. The largest
Of the raids was east Of Vermelles. north
,of Lens, where the British broke int
the German trenches, captured hfeeem
prisoners and two trench mortars. re-
manned two hours in the trenches and
blew up all the dugouts.
Five German airplanes were brought
down by British aviators and a sixth
by anti-aircraft guns, while five more
were driven down out OF control. Five
British airplanes are missing
The German official statement says
that on the Belgian coast and on the
whole Ypres front the artillery fire In
creased yesterday afternoon and con-
tinued into the night. II says the Cana
dian attack near Lens first failed and
the Dominion troops were driven of.
Rheims Again SheIled.
On the French front the artillery fire
has been heavy at the various points on
ha Danas Uhara (,aTna n
attacks have been frequent. Another
1900 shells have been thrown into
Rheims. The official statements follow ::
British Day Statement-Successfu
enterprises were undertaken by us last
night at a number of points on our
front. Parties Of our troops raided
the enemy's trenches in the neighbor-
hood of Epehy. Bullecourt. Roeux.
Loos and Hooge. killing many Ger
mans and taking several prisoners. In
another raid east of Vermelles We
captured fifteen prisoners and two
trench mortars. Our party remained
over two hours In the enemy's trenches.
blew up his dugouts and inflicted
heavy casualties on his garrison.
In addition to these raids successful
minor operations carried out by us
southwest Of Lens and northwest of
Warneton added to the number Of our
prisoners and enabled us to gain
further ground in both localities.
British Make Progress.
British NiSht Statement-Our sue
cess last night southwest OF Lens was
followed up during the day on both
banks OF the Souchez River. Substan-
tial progress was made by our troops
In this area on a front OF about one
and one-half miles.
A raid attempted by the enemy last
night southeast of Ypres was COM
pletely repulsed by our machine gun
fire.
There was heavy fighting in the air
yesterday. Five German airplanes
were brought down by our machines
and five others were driven down out
OF control. Another hostile machine
was shot down by our anti-aircraft
guns Five of our airplanes are miss
ing
French Day Statement-Unusually
active artillery fighting continued dur
ing the night in the sector between
Royere and Froidmont farms and also
near Hurtebise and east OF Chevreux.
Two surprise attacks against our
trenches east OF Chevreux cost the
enemy losses without any other re-
suit. German attacks on our small
posts in the Woevre and in the region
OF st. Mihiel were checked completely.
French Lines Under Fire.
French Night Statement-There was
sustained fire by the two artllleries
north OF the Laffaux mill and in the
Cerny, Craonne and Chevreux sec
tlons. Twelve hundred shells were
dropped upon Rheims,
Belgian Statement-Some OF the vii
lagos behind our front were bom-
barded In the course OF the night.
During the day the German artillery
violently shelled several OF our bat
teries. The activity OF the artillery
was particularly intense in the south
ern part OF the Belgian sector
German Day Statemcnt--In the
dunes sector and between the User
and the Lys the artillery engagements
Increased yesterday afternoon and
continued into the night.
From la BaEsee Canal to the south
bank OF the scarpe the fighting activ-
ity was also more lively than on pre-
vous days. During the forenoon
British attacks north Of the Souchez
a 4 A