Destruction in Lens “like the ruins of Pompeii”

A particularly successful enterprise was carried out by our troops east of Vermelles, near Loos, our men remaining over two hours in the German trenches and working great havoc.

Sir Douglas Haig reported“substantial progress”south-west of Lens on a front of about a mile and a half. Heavy fighting in the air took place on Sunday, eleven enemy machines being put out of action. Five of our aeroplanes are missing.

Early on Wednesday morning the Germans attempted another counter-attack near Fontaineles-Croiselles, east of Arras, but our artillery prevented the attack from developing.

On Thursday our troops reached the outskirts of Avion, a southern suburb of Lens.

As they withdraw from the Lens district the Germans are committing acts of destruction like those which marked their retirement on the Somme front.

A correspondent says that Lens has been wholly destroyed:“The homes of 40,000 people have been gutted by the Huns.”Lens, he says, is as complete a ruin as Pozieres.“There is not a house with its roof intact. I have seen enlarged photographs showing the entire city and its environs as they appear from the air and it gives one the impression that one is looking down on the deserted ruins of Pompeii.”

Another writes:“Messines is a veritable charnel house and during the hot weather had to be put out of bounds. Many German dead lie there and, owing to shelling, it was impossible to bury them.”