Show lUCIAL FLANDERS SECTOR I WON BY BRITISH ARTILLERY I By Associated Press BRITISH rISH HEADQUARTERS IN I RANCE BANCE Sept 21 21 The The scene of the sent resent ent British offensive includes one 1 the most important and strongest Kits of the German line Une in this sect sec- sec pm t n and nd has been marked by some of bitter fighting of the war lace the allies seven weeks ago beV be- be V their drive which has become own as the battle of Flanders The e wooded elevations east and outcast of Ypres among which aref are I ch f dominating positions as Glen Glen- orse wood and Inverness copse were Vital e vital points and the Germans had hadad ads ad their defense here as nearly im I pregnable as they were able being determined de do- I de-I I to retain them without regard to the cost The battles of the past I few weeks bear witness to the strength of the defenses at these points The crucial sector may be said to begin with the ridge known as Anzac which lies about a mile southwest o of Zonnebeke Southwest of Anzac is Nuns Nun's wood and just east of this is the forest known as wood When the British in August fought fough their way forward to Polygon woot wood they found Nuns Nun's wood so flooded that they were forced to go around it and the ground here still presents I great difficulties to the movement of troops because of its swampy condi condi- tion I condi-I Nuns Nun's wood merges into Glencorse wood on the south and a little further further further fur fur- ther down and astride the Ypres Men in highway is Inverness copse of undying undying undying un un- un- un dying fame Between Glencorse wook and Inverness is an open stretch of oi solid ground of some yards and here on the tho farm the Germans had built great steel and concrete redoubts whose machine guns dominated the southern part of Glencorse wood and the northern section section section sec sec- tion of Inverness Below in Inverness are Dumbarton lakes and the ground about them is pitted with shell craters which are filled with water The paths and trenches here were wiped out by ar artillery artillery artillery ar- ar tillery fire and the are so close together that there is no space to walk around them In most places the mud and water are knee deep Still further south is Shrewsbury forest through which the British line ran and the ground In front of the British trenches is a mass of tangled barbed wire Just below Shrewsbury I forest is Belgian wood which lies near Hollebeke There are many other little lit tle tie bits of forest scattered through this section most of them in marshy I ground which was rendered still more difficult by the devastation wrought by shells Between Hollebeke and tho river Lys the country is more or less open and it is dominated by Messines North of the Ypres railway the country presents the same difficulties difficulties difficulties from marshy ground although there are few wooded stretches The British began an Intense artillery artillery artillery artil artil- I lery preparation with guns of all caliber caliber cali cal I ber about a week ago and this continued continued con con- g with 1 tf t fury until ilc to to- I I I I day Counter battery work resulted in a large number of German guns being being being be be- ing silenced and many enemy ammunitions ammunitions ammunitions ammu ammu- dumps near batteries were blown up by shell fire The entire front over which the attack was to be made was searched out by high explosives explosives elves and as an additional precaution the British gunners kept putting down downa a heavy barrage fire first in one place and then in another and sweeping the whole country before them The German guns of course have Continued on page l 10 CRUCIAL FLANDERS I II I Continued from from page 7 I not been sIlent silent but their fire was comparatively weak All this artillery artillery artillery artil artil- lery preparation by the British was vital if Ir there was to b be hope of suc success s lC cess for they had tested the strength of this front before and knew that their infantry faced a task that would try their mettle to the fullest In previous stacks the warfare conducted by the Germans In this re region region region re- re gion has proved a grave embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment and it was only a bombardment such as was conducted that could wipe out these concealed positions It was impossible that the Germans should not have known that an offensive offensive offen offen- sive sva was being prepared but it offen-I offen appears appears appears ap ap- pears from statements by prisoners that there was much doubt as to the tho I I exact positions where the British I I would strike For the past fortnight the policy of the Germans has been I one of inaction Although they undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly un- un I made every effort to improve improve improve im im- im- im prove their positions since the offensive of- of of offensive I in August Augusti 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