Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-08-17 | Page 6 | French Troops Capture Woods

FRENCH TROOPS J CAPTURE WOODS Ii Huns HUllS Hold Desperately to I i Vantage antage Points but Are Arc Forced to Retire I With the British Arm Army In France Aug By By a brilliant maneuver maneu the French have finally captured J Z 7 wood I In th these two to wooded tracts the tho Germans Ger Ger- Germans mans have o been hol holding ln out desperately desperate desperate- I ly Jy for tor several days dan realizing the value value alue of or these positions I The Tho little patches of ot forest which are now in the tho hands of oC the allies are arr i virtually on tho the extreme right of at the tho British line and from their eastern eltern borders bor- bor I j I ders dera It IB is possible to observe closely t quite a n wide stretch of oC ground bround The i allies position for several se miles milts on I each side able of ot the tho two woods have been I materially Improved b by their capture t I These were virtual virtually tho last of or bite ito I really more moro Important positions on the I Inow now front to which the Ute enemy has been boen 1 E holding and which the allied aWed forces Corces deThe de- de sired The enemy launched atI at- at tack taek late yesterday a against tho the new nc I positions at Damery After ACter sharp tI fighting he ho was repulsed leaving leaving- 1 10 O prisoners 1 Prisoner Arc Art Captured I IOther Other purely local actions action had been fought here and thero there along the fife new I front for tor the purpose e of or Improving positions During these combats durIng dui dur- j dur-j I I Ing tho ho past twenty four houis houts the British have ha captured 60 prisoners and four machine gun guns The Tho casualties c. In ln I killed and wounded Inflicted upon the 1 enemy nemy in these local affairs firo aro estimated estimated esti esti- mated to be at least beast 1300 To Io the north In iii the direction of oC La Couronne the lines of tho the British ha e also beers been advanced ancell sll slightly Artillery activity continues along alonE tho entire front especially In the ne new Somma battie battie bat- bat ji I tie area but the enemy does not seem scent to to launch un any extended In InI Infantry Infantry In- In I fantry attacks even o at Royo nOo and andI Chaulnes where ho Is strongest I It was learned today that since August August Au Au- gust S tho the Germans have ha employed thirty six divisions dl on a front of at forty forty- eight miles Of Ot this number twenty twenty- one In the tho line at al tho the beginning of ot the Somme attack the tho other fifteen being brought In n as reinforcements Artillery Is 18 l Effective tt It is learned from prisoners r recently captured that the British artillery durIng during dur dur- during ing the past few days das has caused considerable considerable con con- le destruction within the enem enemy lines The Tho British guns have hao been especially active In searching out German German German Ger Ger- man ammunition dumps a number of which have ha been destroyed It was partially for Cor doln doing just this war work that such speed was made In the forward movement of or the guns uns From the start of at tho the offensive e not a moment ha has been lost In n moving up the tho artillery That It has hns been a n paying proposition is proved by prisoners' prisoners statements as to the tho havoc wrought b by bl shell fire tire Somo Same slight troop movements mO eastward eastward east east- ward are aro reported now and then to the rear of at the tho German lines JInes along the Somme but ut they are insufficient to 1 warrant any conclusions regarding the enemy's Intentions I