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Show British Sweep Germans From Positions and Gain Much Ground. WITH THE BRITISH AHMIES IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Sept. 21. The British at daybreak yesterday launched a heavy offensive against the German defenses about the Ypres salient sa-lient along an extended front, which has its center around Inverness copes, and astride the Ypres-Menin road, a little southeast of Hooge. From tho first moment of going over the top the assault proceeded with marked success, suc-cess, especially in the crucial sector between the Ypres-Roulers railway and Hollebeke, where the British early in the day had forced their way forward for-ward over marshy ground and through woods filled with machine guns to a considerable depth and were continuing continu-ing the bitter fight In tho neighborhood neighbor-hood of the famous Inverness copse, Nuns' wood, and Glencorse wood, where so much blood has been shed since the allies began the battle of Flanders on July 3lBt. If the attacking forces maintain the positions to which they have advanced in this section, they will have accomplished accom-plished one of the most remarkable and most important achievements in recent months. The German Infantry made the moBt determined resistance in their attempt to regain this vital 'ground and their artillery retaliated , heavily against the British big' guns. This phase of the battle of Flanders i which bids fair to become known as the battle of Menin road, because it centers in the territory astride the ! Menin road, began at 5:40 o'clock. The ; infantry advance was preceded by a ! barrage of greater depth than ever be-i be-i fore witnessed. Five distinct barrages ' in fact, were dropped ahead of the men ! is they began their journey Into this difficult terrain The tremendous curtain cur-tain of bursting steel did its work woll and the troops pushed forward rapidly toward their objectives. Fair weather lately had improved the ground somewhat, but the mud. still lies deep over wide reaches of it and the whole territory is covered with water-filled shellholes, tangled barbed wire and shattered trees. The German Ger-man defenses consisted largely of concrete con-crete redoubts scattered In profusion over the entire country and from these they havo been able to pour a stream of bullets into the ranks of tho ad-I ad-I vanclng troops. Evory little elevation also held its machine gun emplacements emplace-ments and all tho woods were literally literal-ly choked with rapid flrers. Tho British encountered hard fighting fight-ing at many places, but the magnificent magnifi-cent artillery preparation "had done much to make the first stage of their drlvo easier. Tho past week must I have been one of misery for the Ger-i Ger-i man troops lying out in this section. A great number of big guns have been I pouring a steady stream of high ex-I ex-I plosive shells into their territory and ' every now and then the British have put down a barrage which swept the land like a broom. It is known that Germany batteries have been silenced in tho past few days. |