The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-06-29
HOW THE BRITISH
Continued From First PaGe.)

denly launched 4 surprise attack
along Il front of more tnan three
miles ard hurled the startled grey
coated soldiers back to IN average
depth OF 1906 yards.
Tho operation was an unqualihed
success lyon: its Inception and the at
lacking infantry reached all their OBJ
1ectivcs IN remarkable short time.
BY this thrust the British not only
have 81, atty improved thcir positions
in this important and much contested
sector, Which lies Just north Of Ner-
VILE, bus they inictcd heavy punish
mcns Oh two hostii" divisions that
were Kidding tie line herc-the 32nd
division OF SGxons and tho 44th re-
serve division Of Prussians.
Large numbers of the enemy were
killed III the hurricane onslaught and
some $50 OF the more fortunate had
been couected in tho prisoner cages
before noon.
Tile front Of tho attack was 5000
yards in length and lay between
Vieu Becnuin on the north and Pout
TopI7:ai, which IS 1000 yards north
west OF Dierrivile. The German and
British lines had been almost agains:
tho edge OF tho Neippe forest. II was
in order to acquire moro leeway, that
to-day's assault was projected.
The onjectives settled upon lay
along the winding little stream known
as Plate Becque, which bowed out to-
ward the east in L semi back
Of the German Lees. Prlssiaus and
Saxons were holding this zone With a
series of, strong machine gun posts
li0kIH IVY With hlrSol wire
The first stages of tine drive were
comrarativ y easy. Only when tho
objectives were reached did the flcrcer
lighting start. The enemy fought
stubbornly, but Was unable TO hold ont
against the British, who attacked them
from al directions.
Tho losses among the stoI7ning iu-
tantry for the e:ltire engagement were
extremely light. which WIS duo large
u TO the facc that the show was over
before the enemy was able to organize
serious resistance.
AS special feature OF the pro-
gram, Australian troops on tho left
of the columns carried out = similar
attack of t4cir own which had an
amazing result, adding nearly half n
hundred prisoners 70 the bag.
The morale OF the prisoners taken
today was not high. These men and
others captured recently in this sec
tor have appeared to Ne much dis
hcartered by their failure To get big
ger results III their offensive. They
had expected TO get ahead much
faster than they have.
These men have profcssed to be-
licve that the United States was not
going TO DO able to render much as
sistance to the allies. The helpless
ness of tbs United States Is being
preached aS5idiouSly 20 the troops by
the German high command, and this
propaganda undoubtedly has been
having its effect among the men N
the trenches.
with the German officers naturally
it is different, Cor they have no de-
lusious on the subject. During the
spring the low lying ground here had
been little better than norass, but
the warm weather of recent days
dried il ont enough to make 1t feasl-
Bile for infantry operations.
The British pushed off at O'Clock
this morning, after 4 short, sharp
omhartllnent, just as the white Inists
were beginning to arise along the
numerous streams which thread their
tortuous way about in this region
Statements by prisoners show that tho
enemy had not the slightest cZpecta-
lions OF the British taking the tn;-
rtative 1T this point. The Germans
felt so secure that they were devot-
ing most of their time TO campaign
against the epidemic known locally
as the Flanders grippe, which has
sent many Of them TO hospitals.
The British were over the top anu
~ the enemy before the latter real
lied their danger. Machine gun posts
were sto.7ucd and hand grcnades and
. bayonets were used. The Germans
were holding stretch OF trench
the attacking troops rushed up with
rapid trers and swept the bitches
with an intense fire that annihAated