| Show Canadians Push Ahead I In Drive on Lens LensBy I By Associated Press CANADIAN HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE Via London July 1 By Canadian Press Limited The Limited The drive south and west of Lens continues with unabated vigor igor During the night our troops operating in the region east of Reservoir hill supported by a cannonade cannonade cannonade cannon cannon- l I ade of ot great intensity pushed forward yards beyond the point reached I Thursday The They encountered strong opposition especially on the left flank I to the north of the city and were unable unable unable un un- un- un able to maintain the extreme point of I their advance German counter attacks continued this morning Fighting was proceeding proceed proceed- ing amid the ruins of houses and the front under a bombardment of heavy guns guna making the line difficult to locate lo locate locate lo- lo cate and maintain The battle was really one in which the valor of small groups of men using bombs and bayonets bayonets bayonets bay bay- decided the issue The British i I II troops in this advance from the northwest northwest north north- II I If west of or Lens have maintained the finest finest finest fin fin- f est traditions of the army I I I Where the Canadians are battling forward on the south southwest wept the floods along the river Souchez re resulting from I the blockading of the channel with debris of ot blown up bridges slightly retards re- re re retards re-I re tards the advance Nevertheless our patrols now are well Into the upper part of A Avion vion and in close contact with I the enemy's rear guard In the lower end of or A Avion the destruction wrought II I is Indescribable There Ther is not a habItable habitable habitable hab hab- house left in this formerly I populous populous- suburb of Lens and in some places the streets have been so 1 plowed up that it Is difficult to trace where where- they had been The enemy trenches which were provided as usual with deep dugouts are almost entirely obliterated and the entrances to the du dugouts outs have been blown in I IA A sad reminder that victory victor is notto not notto to be had save by paving the price in inthe inthe In the lives of brave men were the unburied unburied unburied un- un buried dead the bodies of men who formed part of our first assaulting columns columns columns col col- two months ago Some of these heroic soldiers fell ell amid the enemy I wire close to the trench which defended de defended defended de- de fended Avion Others were seen en to enter but never emerged on the further side Ride though the tle ruins appeared to afford no shelter for tor any large number of ot the enemy That m mystery now has been solved A huge cellar with a vaulted roof root has been discovered virtually intact In which the enemy sheltered himself during the shelling and from which he emerged only when our infantry penetrated penetrated pene pene- the village This cellar is large enough to accommodate at least two battalions The enemy was not without the means of amusement in this subterranean subterranean subterranean home for a harp and piano were among the things he left behind Much furniture from a neighboring chateau also was found including elaborate candelabra i Dominion day dav was celebrated at noon today by a triple salvo from all I the guns of the Canadian corps front Just before noon the guns ceased to fir fire Simultaneously at 12 o'clock and again at two minutes and four minutes minutes minutes min min- utes past the hour hundreds of guns from eighteen to the great siege pieces the shells from which fell miles behind the German front broke forth in a mighty clamor The enemy for the third time on Canadas Canada's natal day since the war be began began began be- be gan must have realized that the dominion do dominion dominion do- do minion is in this fight for liberty and democracy until the last gun Is fired |
