Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 200, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1918 — Worst Fighting of War in 1918 [ARTICLE]

Worst Fighting of War in 1918

British Successes of 1917 Pale in Comparison to Latest Battles. BIG EVENTSOFFOURTH YEAR Battles of Cambral, Third Battle of Ypres, Battle of Menln Road, of Broodselnde and Passchendaele Loom Up Importantly. London. —The berate battles of the British army during the last half of 1917, Including the battles of Cambrai, the third battle of Ypres, the battle of Menin road, of Broodselnde and of Passchendaele, would loom up importantly in any, survey of the past year’s fighting on the western front but for one reason!. They do not compare In any sense with the fighting since March 21, 1918. The spring of 1917 saw the begin-j ning of the allied offensive against Germany, but the third miscarried almost from the start, and, after it was seen that there was nothing more to be expected from Russia, the “great offensive” of the allies found itself diverted Into a number of smaller ties, where occasionally some 200,000 men were employed on either side. Some 32,000 prisoners were taken by • the British in eight of these thrusts ; against the German line between | August 1, 1917, and the close of the year, and important- positions were won, but the successes were only tactical. The third battle of Ypres began July 81, 1917, and continued until August 10, again breaking out August 16, the" British crossed the Yser canal, taking nine villages and 6,122 prisoners. When the battle was renewed, August 16, Langemarck was taken besides 2,114 more prisoners. Meanwhile, the Canadians on the Lens sector attacked and captured Hill No. 70, took 900 prisoners and maintained their positions against five counterattacks. This was on August 15. Smash Foe at Verdun. The French bn August 20, attacking on an 11-mile front at Verdun, recaptured about two-thirds of the ground which the crown prince’s army had won In months of slaughter. The chief action In September, 1917, was In the battle of Menln road, which began September 20, the object being to loosen the German grip on the coast. Following an eight hours’ bombardment the British advanced on an elght-mlle front from Hollebeke to Langemarck, capturing a half-dozen important positions and taking 3,243 prisoners. During October, 1917, when disaster overtook the Italians, both the French ; and the British scored noteworthy successes. On October 4 a great struggle began on a front of eight miles on the Passchendaele ridge, called the battle of Broodselnde, perhaps the most Important during the year on the British front. The Germans had planned an attack for 6 a. m., t but the British launched their offensive an hour earlier, shattered three enemy divisions, broke up four others and took 4,446 prisoners, whlie Oana-

dians took 2.000 prisoners. Jhe French, on October, 23, attacked northeast of Soissons on a slx-mile front on the Aisne, from Vauxillon to La Royere, piercing the enemy’s line four miles and taking 11,000 prlson- ! ers. On October 9 the British took Poelcappelle and 2,028 prisoners and made some slight gains with heavy attacks in the Ypres sector October 22, 26 and 30. On November 6 the Canadians won their great victory, capturing Passchendaele Ridge, for which the British had. been battling for months. The Canadians held the ridge "until the recent hammer blows. November also saw the British success, which was .partially diminished by a surprise counter-stroke, at Cambral. The Third British army, under Sir Julian Byng, on November 20 launched its drive without artillery preparation on an elght-m|le front, smashing the Hindenburg line, almost reaching the outskirts of the Important railway center of Cambral and taking 8,000 prisoners the first day. Hun«"Regain Ground. The battle continued ten days, prisoners being Increased to 11,551, while 138 guns were taken. The deepest advance was seven miles. But on November 30 the Germans delivered a tremendous attack against Byng’s

army, aiming to cut It off from the rest of the British forces. The Germans succeeded in recovering about half of the ground Byng’s army had won. During the past year the British have made considerable progress In Mesopotamia and Palestine, capturing Jerusalem December 9, 1917, while the allied armies from the Adriatic to the Egean have prevented, the Germanic allies from gaining control of the Mediterranean. So far the British have won more than a third of Palestine from the Turks. In Mesopotamia the British have advanced about 100 miles up the Tigris and Euphrates since capturing Bagdad, and have made some progress toward the north of Hit, capturing more than 15,000 prisoners. During January, February and the first half of March only small actions occurred on the western front, the British preparing for the German drive' which was launched with unprecedented fury March 2L