American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-06-18
BRITISH CAPTURE
SHELL HOLE LINE
German Machine Gun Nests i'm Strong
Crater Position Cleaned Up in Night
Attack.

Intense bOmbardments have been
carried out by the Germans since Sun
day in various sectors along the Brit
ish front These have been especial
ly heavy in Flanders, about Hinges
where the British advanced their line
considerably Friday highland in the
region of Dickebusch and Scherpen-
berg.
The initiative, so far as infantry ac-
tvity was concerned, rested mainly
with the British, who carried out q
number of highly successful raids.
Further details concerning the Brit
ish operations in the Hinges sector
Friday night now are available. The
attack was made along a front OF
$500 yards just east of Hinges; it had
its northern extremity near La Pam
merle. The Germans were holding a
strong line of shell crater positions
close to the British on the eastern
bank of La Bassee canal.
A limited objective of 500 yards in
depth was set for the enterprise. An
unusual feature of the attack was
that it was conducted entirely in the
dark. 1t began shortly before mid
night.
Holding this sector for the Germans
was the Eighteenth reserve division,
which was among the first to violate
Belgian soil. 1t was the Eighteenth
division which committed such horrf-
flying deeds in Termonde and Lou
vaine which brought down upon it the
execrations of hundreds of helpless
Belgian women.
The attack was preceded by an
eight minute bombardment of the
German front line positions. At the
same time British gunners we're car
rying out effective counter battery
shooting and the heavy artillery was
pounding the enemy back areas hard.
As the bombardment ceased, Brit
ish infantry started forward toward
she shell-hole craters which the en-
emy held-machine gun posts that
represented the main defenses here. II
the Eighteenth division is. composed
of hard men morally, it must be said
to its credit that its troops also are
hard fighters.
AS the British advanced the enemy
opened a heavy fire from every ma
chine gun along the line. The Ger
mans were shooting more or less in
the dark, which saved the British
many casualties But it was trying
work to push ahead through the bar
rage of bullets sweeping waist high
across No Mans Land The attacking
infantry finally reached the enemy's
posts, and bitter hand to hand fight
! ing occurred at most of these nests.
The battle was fierce in the region
of La Pannerie. Here the contending
troops struggled throughout most of
the night With the arrival of day
break the British had secured ALI
their objectives and forced the enemy
to fall back.
! Upwards of 200 prisoners remained
/ in the British hands Large numbers
of German dead around gun positions
told of the desperate lighting that
had been waged.
The morale of the prisoners as a
whole seemed fair. Many of them
were convinced that the Germans were
winning the war and confident that
they would break through the allied
lines to the coast. One highly edu-
Gated captive however. was not so
optimistic. He said the German peo-
pie were disappointed because their
troops had not got ahead faster in
their offensive.
Food conditions in Germany said
this prisoner, were getting worse and
worse, and the situation was espe-
cially bad since the new bread re-
strictions went into effect.