Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-23
Raid Trenches Seven Times
and Sweep Positions
With Gas Shells.
FRITZ Br RAYS
Seat ANXIETY
Civ, so Rest by Canadians, Who
"a Wave After Wive os lssl,at-
neIls Into Boche Trenches and
Hammer Hun Front Line With Ma.
chine Guns and Trench Mortars---
Hun Response Wavsrs.

Canadian Army Headquarters In
23.--The Canadians during the last
twelve hours have raided the German
lines at seven places, gassed the enemy
with thousands OF lachrimatory and
,etha! shells, swept his trenches with
machine guns and rife bullets and
hammered his front line with trench
mortaH.
In some OF the raids sharp ngntins
developed .in one instance hand to
hand fghting taking place. This strut
gle was so intense that the Canadians
were unable to take prisoners. The
raids netted seven prisoners and Ave
machine guns.
From dusk until dawn the whole front
has been lively north and south OF
Lens. The ceaseless rumble OF our
hcavies which are neutraiizing hostile
batteries by calculated and continuous
gas shells has been accompanied by
the sharper chorus Of our feld artillery
carrying. out . harassing Are pro-
gram.
Encounterink gas III raiaing opera
tions one of our patrols, consisting OF
one officer and ten OF other ranks, dom
ned masks and went into the enemy
trenches until they encountered hos
tile party OF fifteen. A lively hg1t en-
sued with bombs and rines.
Early In the morning another one
hour battle occurred between patrols
49,. 49, Ns<l.
men entered the enemy trenches and
secured valuable information.
With fair weather our aeroplanes
were busy. With reckless disregard for
the machine guns and rife bullet BAR
rage. patrol OF four machines new
up and down the enemy trenches tor
fifteen minutes at attitudes OF from
at:y to 100 yards .emptyinS machine
gun drums into the enemy front lines.
similar work was carried out in other
parts OF the lines and at midnight one
OF our planes bombed the enemy firing
trenches.
Periodically our artillery Arc has
reached a barrsee intensity In support
of raiding parties.
Boehes Beray Nervousness.
Regularly the boche lines have been
lit UP with scores OF flares betraying
the nervousness which has been
created among the, enemy bu such ac-
tivty as he has not known for weeks.
The enemy has been forced to nrc his
guns under gas clouds and In gas
masks His fire has been diminished
but he has made answer TO our raids
by projecting much tear gas against
our positions north OF Lens.
This projection was bigger In volume
than anything ever attempted BY the
enemy against the Canadians. Its eff
feet beyond discomfort was slight, fhe
weight Of evidence gives reason TO be-
ieve that 1t is far from otherwise with
the hoche. His gas Is not so effective
and his masi,e are not as good as our-.
Hun Gas Masks Defective.
Continuous forcible feeding for such
a protractcd shelling with lethal aud
tear gas mixed with high explosive has
proved too successful to doubt It's de-
structive virtue now. Unable to oh
tain rubber TO give the masks n fuii
ht the German protective measures fall
short OF our own and the enemy gun
ners must have suffered heavily for va
used nearly 5000 shells against soms
thirty battery positions. Our t5-how-
itzers secured six direct hits on con-
crete shelters.