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Show I GERMANS MEET DEFEAT SERIOUS LOSSES I Opening of Haig I Offensive Great I Day of Success I BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, H Sept. 21, (by the Associated Press). During the night the British forces, with comparatively little opposition, con- jH solidated and considerably improved the new line which they jH had won in their offensive against the Germans to the east of IH Ypres. Today, from the newly acquired enemy stronghold known as "Anzac," southwest of -Zonnebeke, flutters the Aus-tralian Aus-tralian banner, a symbol of the greatest victory which has marked British operations in the western theater in the past year, not excluding that at Messines. Southwest of Gheluvelt the Germans still are holding a position which the British de- 1 sired and today at 9:30 o'clock Field Marshal Haig began a H local attack here. LONDON, Sept. 21. Field Marshal Haig in later reports regarding the British offensive on the Belgian front to the east of Ypres yesterday when the British troops pushed through the German lines for' a distance of more than a mile, says .that the' completeness complete-ness of the British success is confirmed confirm-ed by detailed accounts of the battle. Tho British war office, after the receipt re-ceipt of Field Marshal Haig's report today issued this bulletin: "More detailed accounts of yesterday's yester-day's battle confirm the completeness of our success." During the evening local attacks delivered de-livered by us in the neighborhood of Tower Hamlets and northeast of Langemarck cleared up a number of strong points and completed the capture cap-ture of our objectives In these localities. locali-ties. It Is now established that in the many counter-attacks delivered by considerable con-siderable forces of the enemy during the afternoon and evening his casualties casual-ties were unusually great. "The clear light of the latter part of the day enabled our troops to obtain warning of Impending attacks and in every case the advancing lines of German Ger-man infantry were destroyed by the concentrated fire from our rifles, machine ma-chine guns and artillery. "The 'obstinacy with which the enemy en-emy constantly repeated his attacks only added to his losses without recovering recov-ering for him any of the valuable ground which we had won. "Exhausted by his previous efforts the enemy made no counter-attacks during the night and our troops were able to consolidate the positions un- disturbed. "Our own losses in the battle are light JM "In the course of the night hostile IH attacks were' driven "off west' of Kav-rlncourt Kav-rlncourt and west of Lens." BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, Sept 20. (Delayed) (By The Associated Press). The British offensive which began at dawn over a wide front east of the Ypres salient, found the attacking forces late today holding many positions of vital im-portance im-portance and continuing the fight in j jH German territory along a line which j in many places represented an average ( IH gain of a mile in depth. Some redoubtable strongholds as ; Nun's wood, Glencorse wood, Inver- , IH ness copse and Shrewsbury forest IH which have withstood numerous fierce ! asaults recently were entirely over-run 1 jH by the British who reached points well IH beyond them. Heavy fighting was con- 1 tinuing at close range at various points and the Germans were massing IH troops with the evident intention of delivering a counter-attack. It has , been a day of great success for the British arms on a vigorous warfare 1 back of the German positions where tons of high explosive bombs were IH dropped. German machines were far less active. A larg' number of prisoners already (Continued on Page 9) I oo : Opesiiiig of Maig Offensive Great Day of Success (Continued From Page 1) have been brought in but it is impossible impos-sible to give an accurate estimate of the total. Heavy fighting along this front is expected to follow today's attack at-tack because It is certain that the Germans Ger-mans will not relinquish these positions posi-tions without a bittor struggle. Air pilots report that the roajls back of the German lines are filled with troops being be-ing rushed up for a counter-attack but this is a pleasing feature to the British Brit-ish artillerymen, who express the desire de-sire for nothing better than to get as many Germans as possible out In tho open where their shells will reach them. Most Important Part of Line The scene of the present British offensive includes one of the most Important Im-portant and strongest parts of the German Ger-man line In this section and has been marked by some of the most bitter fighting of the war since tho Allies seven weeks ago began their drive which has become kown as the battle of Flanders. The wooded elevations east and southeast of Ypres among which aro such dominating positions aB Glencorso wood and Inverness copse were tho vital points and tho Germans bad mado their defenso here as nearly impregnable as they were able, being determined to retain them without regard to the cost. The battles bat-tles of the past few weeks boar witness wit-ness to the strength of the defenses at these points. Crucial Sector at Anzag Ridge The crucial sector may bo said to begin with tho ridge known as Anzac, which lies about a milo southwest of Zonncbeke. Southwest of Anzac Is Nun'B wood and just oast of this is the famous forest known as Polyglon wood. When the British In August fought their way forward to Polyglon wood they found Nun's wood so flooded flood-ed that they wore forced to go around It and the ground here still presents great difficulties to tho movement of troops because of its swampy condition. condi-tion. Nun's wood merges Into Glencorso Glen-corso wood on th$ south and a little further down and astride the Ypres-Menin Ypres-Menin highway is Invorness copso of undying fame. Between Glencorso wood and Inverness is an open stretch of Bolld ground of some 400 yards and hero on the Fitzclarence farm the Germans Ger-mans had built great ate,el and concrete con-crete redoubts whose machine guns dominated the southern part of Glencorso Glen-corso wood and tho northern section of Inverness. Shell Craters Pit Ground. Below Invorness are Dumbarton lakes and the ground about them is pitted with Bholl craters which are filled with water. The paths and, trenches here were wiped out by artillery ar-tillery fire and the shell holes are so 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 for-est 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 farm is Belgian wood which lies near Holle-beke. Holle-beke. There aro many other little bits of forest scattered through this section most of them in marshy ground which was rendered still more difficult by the devastation wrought by shells. Between Hollebeke and the river Lys the country Is more or less open and It Is dominated by Messines. North of the Ypros-Roulers railway the country presents tho same difficulties diffi-culties from marshy ground although there are a few wooded stretches. Intense Artillery Preparation The British bogan an intenso artillery artil-lery preparation with guns of all calibres cal-ibres about a week ago and this continued con-tinued with unabating fury until today, Counter battery Work resulted In a large number of German guns being silenced and many ammunition dopots near batteries were blown up by shell fire. The ontlre front over which the attack was to be made was searched out by high explosives and as an additional ad-ditional precaution the British gunners ketp putting down a heavy barrago fire, first in one place and then in another an-other and sweeping the whole country coun-try before them. Tho German guns, of course, have not been silent but their fire was com- jiiii.muiL. i u- -j- " , t ii iii i. -be s ao Si as s -a s paratively weak. All this artillery preparation by the British was vital, Britain's Finest Troop9 Tho troops that went out to the attack at-tack represented some of the finest men In the British army. They entered entered the conflict in high spirits and eager for the fray. Their advance was preceded by one of the most perfect per-fect and heavist barrage fires yet attempted. at-tempted. The men went over the top stripped light and as a result of this j coupled with the fierce artillery support sup-port they were enabled to negotiate the first stages of the difficult ground. They had swopt through Gloncorse wood, Inverness copse and the eastern east-ern part of Shrewsbury forest by 8 o'clock, two hours and twenty minutes' after the attack began, and other advanced ad-vanced positions were reached with equal ease which is quite an achievement achieve-ment in view of the marshy condition of the ground due to heavy rain. On tho left of the line attacked, heavy fighting occurred on tho high ground on either side of the Zonne-beke-Langemarck road. A number of strongly fortified farms wore encountered encoun-tered in this region and bombed into submission. Among these was Schuyler Schuy-ler farm, a short distance southeast of SL Julien. Schuyler farm held long against attacks and continued to play on the British with machine guns until un-til it wag taken. Strong resistance was encountered at a redoubt on the Ypres-Roulers railway west of Zonne-beke. Zonne-beke. This redoubt is a massive concrete con-crete steel structure and it withstood all of the shell fire poured against It The British advanced on two sides and stormed the place with bombs until II W I II I IE a --3 EM I I If lll-BJ 3-5 i BSg a a I B Its ocupants raised the white flag. Similar tactics resulted In the fall of another great stronghold northeast of Westhoek. H British Casualties Light' H The British casualties so-far report-ed report-ed are exceptionally light, the major-ity major-ity being due to machine gun fire. British airplanes again dominated the air. Thoy wero thick over the lino H of the British advanco and carried If there waa to be hope of success for they had tested the strength of this H front before and knew that their infan- H try faced a task that would try their I H mettle to the fullest. In previous at- H tacks the shell hole warfare conducted H by the Germans in this region has L H proved a great embarrassment and It H was only a bombardment such as was conducted that could wipe out these H concealed positions. It was impossible i H that the Germans should not have H known that un offensive was being H prepared but It appears from state- . ments of prisoners that there were H much doubt as to the exact positions H where the British would strike. For tho past fortnight the policy of the Germans has been one of inac- jH tlon although they undoubtedly made H every effort to improve their positions I. jH since the offensive In August for tho , possession of wooded heights which they captured ast of Ypres unques- P H tionably Is of crucial Importance since p H these dominating positions form the V IH keystone of tho German structure of H defense in this sector. The greatest f .H gains havo been made between SL ? Julien and Hollebeko, which was, f as had been planned, for within this V- IH stretch of country lie the important de- f H fenses of St. Julien. i1 1 |