Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1917 — CANADIANS DRIVE ON TOWARD LENS [ARTICLE]

CANADIANS DRIVE ON TOWARD LENS

Dominion Troops Gain on TwoMile Front—Within Mile of ’ City’s Center. TAKE GERMAN FRONT LINE '■ ” . • ' ' ■" ' ■ .. • - Machine Guns and Uncut Wires Delay Advance at One Point—Re-En-forcements Halted by Mine Explosions in Roads. Canadian Army Headquarters in France, June 29.—Under a protecting concentration of artillery fire Canadian troops stormed and captured the German front line before Avion, a suburb of Lens. By this advance the British line has been carried forward to within one mile of the center of Lens. The Canadians, heartened by successes gained in the last few days at relatively small cost, decided to attack across the open ground sloping toward Avion and the, village of Leauvette, the Souchez river. They met opposition of a serious character at only one point, where a combination of machine gun fire and uncut wires delayed the advance. The attack was not intended to be pressed home at this particular spot, as the ground especially favored the Germans, so that the delay did no harm. The assaulting troops Included men from British Columbia. Manitoba, central Ontario and Nova Scotia. By this advance the British line has been carried forward to within one mile of the center of Lens. The at tact was made along a twomlle front. On the extreme left Nova Scotians pushed their way up the LensArras road to the village of Leauvette. Here they took a number of prisoners. At daybreak Canadian airplanes, flying low over Avion, saw few Germans there. Craters which recently were made by mine explosions at the crossroads are now seriously hindering them in bringing up troops from Lens for counter-attacks. The enemy’s guns have been shelling Canadian communication trenches, but Canadian “heavies” are now taking them on with good results. Foe Shelling in Alsace. Paris, June 29. —The Germans attacked the salient of Wattweiler, northeast of Thann, in Alsace, according to the war office announcement. They were repulsed, leaving a number of dead. * British Check Attacks. London, June 29.—German attacks south of the Cojeal river were repulsed by the British, the war office announces.*