Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-22
WORST FIGHTING
\ OF WAR IN 1918
British Successes Of 1917 Pale
\ in Comparison to Latest
Y Battles.
Big EVENTS OF FOURTH Year
Battles OF Cambria. Third Battle Of
/ Npres, Battle Of Menin Road, Of
Broodselnde and Passchendaeie
Loom Up Importantly.

- Loom Up Importantly.
LOndon.-The heroic battles Of the
British army during the last half Of
1917. including the battles of Cam
brat the third battle of Ypres. the bat
tie Of Menin road Of Broodsclnde and
Of Passchendaele. would loom up Inn
portantly In any survey of the past
years fighting on the western front hut
for one reason: They do not COM
pare In any sense with the fighting
since March 81. 1918.
The spring of 1917 saw the begin
ming Of the allied offensive against
Germany, but the third miscarried al
most from the start. and. after IL was
seeD that there WAS nothing more to
be expected from Russia. the great
offensive" Of the allies found itself
diverted into a number Of smaller bat
ties, where occasionally some 100000
men were employed on either side.
Some $4,000 prisoners We're taken by
the British in eight of these thrusts
against the German line between
August I, 1917 and the close Of the
year. and important positions were
won. but the successes were only tao
teal
The third battle Of Ypres began
July 81. 1917, and continued until Au-
gust 10. again breaking out August
16, the British crossed the User
canal. taking nine villages and 6122
prisoners. When the battle was re-
newed, August 10. Langemarck was
taken besides 2,114 more prisoners.
Meanwhile the Canadians on the Lens
sector attacked and captured Hin No
20, took 900 prisoners and maintained
their positions against five counter
attacks. This was on August Is.
Smash Foe at Verdun.
The French on August %, attacking
on an 11-mile front at Verdun. recap
tured about two-thirds of the ground
which the crown princes army had
won In months of slaughter.
The chief action In September, 1917,
was In the battle of Menin road,
which began September 90. the object
being to loosen the German grip on
the coast. Following an eight hours
bombardment the British advanced
on an eight.mle front from HOLE
beke to Langemarck, capturing a
half-dozen important positions and
taking 3.243 prisoners.
During October 1917 when disaster
overlook the Italians. both the French
and the British scored noteworthy
successes On October a great strug-
gle began on a front Of eight miles
On the Passchendaele ridge. called
the battle Of RroOdseinde, perhaps
the most important during the year
on the British front. The Germans
had planned an attack for G a. M,
out the British launched their often
yive nm hour earlier shattered three
enemy divisions. broke up four others
and took 4.446 prisoners, while Cana
dams took 1000 prisoners. The
French. on October, %, attacked
northeast of Scissors on a slx.mile
front on the Aisne, from Vauxillon to
La ROyere, piercing the enemy's line
four miles and taking | 900 prison
ers. On October the British took
Poelcappelle and 2.02S prisoners and
made some slight gains with heavy
attacks in the Ypres sector October
q. &c and 90
On November 6 the Canadians won
their great victory, capturing Pass
,hendaele Ridge, for which the British
had been battling for months. The
Canadians held the ridge until the re-
cent hammer blows. November also
saw the British success, which was
partially diminished by surprise
commensurate. at Cambria. The Third
British army, under Sir Julian Byng,
On November 20 launched its drive
without artillery preparation on nm
eight.mle front, smashing the linden
burg line, almost reaching the out,
skirts of the important railway center
Of Cambria and taking 5000 prisoners
The first day.
Huns Regain Ground.
The battle continued ten days, pris-
oners being increased to 1851, while
1873 guns were taken. The deepest
advance was seven miles. But on
November 30 the Germans delivered a
tremendous attack against Byng's
army, aiming to cut 1t off from the rest
Of the British forces. The Germans
succeeded in recovering about half Of
the ground Byngs army had won.
During ne past year the British
have made considerable progress in
Mesopotamia and Palestine. capturing
Jerusalem December 8, 1917, while the
allied armies from the Adriatic to the
Egean have prevented the Germanic
allies from gaining control of the Med
lterranean.
So far the British have won more
than third of Palestine from the
Turks. In Mesopotamin the British
have advanced about 100 miles up the
Tigris and Euphrates since capturing
Bagdad, and have made some prog.
ress toward the north of Hit, capturing
more thnn $1,000 prisoners.
During January. February and the
first half of March only small actions
occurred on the western front, the
British preparing for the German drive
which was launched with unprecedent-
nd fury March q.