Evening star., 1918-08-31
Huns Suffer Terrible Losses;
British Guns Raining Death

the British cannon. which throughout
this zone of the battle are thunder
ing away as hard as their gunners
can force them.
From here northward across the
Arras-Camb-ai road and along the
River Scarpe the British are pushing
forward. ginning more ground,
Strengthening their line and drawing
generally closer to the Drocourt-
Queant defenses of the enemy.
Counter Attacks Broken Up.
Counter attacks have been launch
ed on various parts of the battle
have gained anything for the enemy.
A majority of them have been COM
pletely broken up by the hail of
bullets from machine guns and rifles
before the enemy reached the British
positions.
In the north there apparently is
lively activity at several places. The
British are reported to have made
considerable advances. A report has
just been received that Bailleul.
southwest of Ypres. is being shelled
by the enemy. II this is correct it
drawn altogether from that important
town and that the British either are
entering Baiileul or will do SO later.
Artillery work Terrible.
1t is time something was said of the
wonderful work in the Scarpe- -Somme
battle of the British artillery, which
made possible the victories gained.
The Germans themselves testify to
the terrible efficiency of the massed
British cannon, which in many cases
stood virtually wheel to wheel while
pouring death and destruction into
the enemy, knocking the will to fight
out of him and blasting a path for
the infantry.
The prisoners all mention the ter
rible barrages they have withstood
and comment bitterly upon the thin
ness of their own. counter barrages,
necause the German heavies are al
ways being dragged rearward to save
them from capture. The German ar
tillery apparently had little faitff> in
the ability of the infantry to hold off
the British attacks today.
As for days past the British bar
rsges have fallen all along the front,
ever moving forward. and they have
come down on masses of the enemy
ind. such as shell craters, old and
new, and old fallen-in trenches which
cross and recross this ground made
barren even of grass by years of war
Rarely have the Germans had the
protection of dugouts. Even when
meant capture. for the British infan-
try and tanks at nearly all times
have been upon them SO closely after
the barrages lifted that they have not
had much time to offer fight, even if
they really desired 70.
Casualties Greater Than Ever.
The casualties inflicted by the Brit
ish shells have been larger perhaps
than ever before, because the gun
ners, advancing closely behind the in
fantry, have had many opportunities
on this terrain. which alternately is
slightly rolling and fiat, to lay on
their weapons with open sights and
pour rapid fire of steel into the
boches- The artillery has materially
helped to increase the number of
prisoners by throwing completely out
of gear all the enemy rationing ar
rangements. The emptier a German
stomach the more docile is its owner.
Still more has the artillery helped to
catch prisoners by dropping barrages
behind large groups, cutting Off their
retreat And all this fire has had its
effect in even more ways.
Prisoners, who had recently been in
France, said they saw a great many
men there whose nerves had been
completely shattered. Peronne at the
time was being bombed from the air
almost continuously. One airplane
after another was flying over in ran
i'd succession. literally raining bombs
on the Germans and inflicting heavy
casualties. besides causing much ma
terial damage.