Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-11
PRESENT FIGHTING D|Ms
BRITISH 1917 SUCCESS
Last Years Battles Important at
the Time, but Not Equal to
Those of 1913.
REVIEW OF BIG OPERATIONS
Campaign Inauguratcd in Spring OF
lO17 Miscarried Almost From
Start, and Weakened. Greatly AZ
ter Collapse OF Russia.

LONDON. August 10.-Thc heroic bat
ties of the British army during the
last half of 1917. including the battles
OF Cambria. the third battle OF Ypres.
the battle OF Menin Road. OF Brood
seindc and OF Passchendacle, would
loom up Importantly in any survey Of
the past years fighting on the western
front. but Tor one reason: 'chey do not
compare in AIRY sense with tho lighting
since March Il, 1918.
+ The spring OF 1917 saw tho begin
ming of the allied offensive against
Germany. but the thing miscarried al
most from the start, and. after 1t was
seen that there was nothing more TO
be expected from Russia. the great
offensive" of the allies found Itself
diverted into number Of smaller bat
Ties, where occasionally some 100000
men were employed on either side.
Some $4,000 prisoners were taken by
the British in eight of their thrusts
against tho German line between Au-
gust l, 1917, and the close OF the
year. and important positions were
won. but the successes were only tao
teal.
The third battle o, Ypres began
July 81. 1917. and continued until Au-
gust 10. again breaking out August
16. the British crossing the User Canal
taking nine villages and G.122 prison.
ers. When the battle was renewed
August 16. I,angemarck was taken be-
sides ALA more prisoners. Mean
while. the Canadians on the Lens sec
tor attacked and captured Hill No. 10.
took 500 prisoners and maintained
their positions against I'VE counter
attacks. This was on August Is.
The French on August 90. attacking
on an eleven-mile front at Verdun, re-
captured about two-thirds OF the
ground which the crown princes army
- OH
action. lasting week. started on Au-
gus. 90. resulting in the capture OF
5000 prisoners.
TIE BATTLE OF NENIN ROAD WAS
CHIEF ACTION IN SEPTEMBER
Tho chief action in September. 1911.
was In the battle of. Mcnin road.
which began September 20. the object
being to loosen the German grip on
the coast. Following an eight hours
bombardment the British advanced
on an eight front from Hole-
beke TO LanEenarck. capturing half
dozen important positions and taking
5.243 prisoners. SIX days later tho
battle was renewed. 1000 more Dria-
one.s being barged The battle was
ed the supposedly lnvulrcrahlc Ger
man system OF REINFORCED trenches.
with pill boxes. could be shattered
During October. 1917. when disaster
overlook the Italians. both the French
and the British scored noteworthy
successes. ON October n great strug-
gle began on front OF eight miles
on the Passchcndaele Ridge, calle.i
! the battle ot BroodseiHdc, perhaps
the most Important during the year
on the British front. The Germans
had planned an attack for a. NJ .
but the British launched their often
sive an hour earlier, shattered three
a. l.
and took t,446 prisoners. while Can
adams took 5000 prisoners. The
French. on October %. .attacse ed north
east Of Scissors on ii s!x-mile front on
the Aisne. from NauSillon TO Ia Royerc.
piercing the enemy's line four miles
and taking 1900 prisoners. on Octo-
Der the British took Poclcappelie
, and 2csS prisoners and made some
slight gains with icayy attacks in
the Ypres sector October -. &c AMI
ao
CANADIANS WON GREAT RATTLE
EARLY IN MONTH Of NOVEMBER
On November the Canadians won
their grea, victory. capturing Pass
chendaele Ridge. for which the Brit
fish had been battling for months.
Hindenburs had ordered the place TO
be held at all costs and IL taken to
be recaptured. The Canadians held
the ridge until tho recent hammer
blows. November also saw the Brit
ish success. which was partially d.
minshed by surprise unter-stroke.
at Cambria. The Third British Army,
under Sir Julian Byng. on November
20 launched its drive without artillery
preparation on an eiGht-mile front
smashed the Hindenburg line, almost
reaching the outskirts of the impor-
tant railway center Of Cambria and
taking 5000 prisoners the FIRST day,
The battle continued ten days. pris.
oners being increased to 1851, while
lss guns were taken. The deepest
advance was seven miles But on
November 80 the Germans delivered a
tremendous attack against Byng's
army. aiming 10 cut il Off from the
rest Of the British forces. The
Germans succeeded in recovering about
half Of the ground Byng's army had
won, Some 100000 German bay onets
were in this attack, which had spent
It's fury in n week.
During the past year the British
have made considerable progress IN
Mesopotamia and Palestine. capturing
Jerusalem December 0, 1917, while the
allied armies from the Adriatic to the
d AEGEAN have prevented the Germanic
allies from gaining control of tho
. Mediterranean II is necessary to
keep this waterway open. for other
wise Egypt and India would be at tn.
mercy of Teutonic invasion Tn.
armies OF the east. in Greece Pales-
tine and Mesopotamia therefore, play
"a very. important role in the world
war, for without these obstacles Ger
many could obtain all the cotton, oil.
wheat and other supplies that her
population and Industries so sore:y
need.
So far the British have won NOR.
than third OF Palestine from the
Turks, their SUCCESSES being rapid
since Beersheba vas occupied and
1900 prisoners taken October 81. 1915.
In Mesopotamla the British have adj
vanced about 100 miles UP the Tirris
and Euphrates since capturing Bag
dad. and haze made some progress
toward the north OF Hit, CAPTURING,
more than 1900 prisoners
During January. February and tn.
frst haIf OF March only small actions
xn.f a.-..-