Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1918 — HAIG SMASHES NEW HUN DRIVE FOR BETHUNE [ARTICLE]

HAIG SMASHES NEW HUN DRIVE FOR BETHUNE

125,000 Germans Repulsedog - 12-Mlle Front—Suffer Heavy Losses. BRITISH AIDED BY FREHCH Battalion After Battalion of Enemy Infantry Charged Into Decimating Eire of the Allies. * ■ London, April 19.—One of the most telling cheeks the Germans have suffered in their Ypres operations was announced by Field Marshal Haig on the anniversary of the capture by the British three years ago of Mount Keminel. Employing upwards of 125,000 men the enemy delivered a powerful infantry assault from the neighborhood of St. Venant southeastward toward Glvencby. < This comprises approximately twelve miles of front. According to the official statement the Germans were utterly repulsed with appalling losses. More than 200 prisoners were taken. Co-operating with the British, It is understood, were French Infantry battalions and batteries of the famous 755. Seek Canal Crossing. This thrust, evidently aimed at crossing La Bassee canal and tlie taking of Bethune, was presaged by tremendous artillery preparation, beginning about dawn. From Bobecq along the line to Givenchy the British lines were subjected to a storm of high explosive gas shells. During the forenoon the infantry action developed, tlje enemy hurling himself furiously against the allies’ lines. Battalion after battalion, moving en masse, charged Into tlie decimating tire of the allies.

The battle raged all day, but at no time, reports indicate, did the khaki line yield. Toward evening, his divisions disorganized by losses, the enemy desisted somewhat, although the fighting continued fiercely at spots with violent artildery dueling pver the whole sector. French Take Over 500 Huns. I’aris, April 19.—The war office issueti the following statement on Thursday night: “We have attacked various enemy positions on the Avre on a front of four kilometers (two and a half miles), between Thennes and Mailly-Baineval. “East' «f the Avre we have made progress and west of it we have taken the greater part of the Senecat woods and carried cur line to the outskirts of Castel. Farther south we reached the slopes west of the heights dominating the Avre. "The number of prisoners taken by us exceeds, up to tlie present, 500, of whom 15 are officers. We captured several machine guns. “It is confirmed that an enemy raid east of Caurleres wood was deadly for our assailants. We found about forty German bodies on the ground. We took 20 prisoners, including one officer. “in the region of (.'or ben y the French caught under their tire and dispersed a strong German detachment which attempted to approach the French lines after artillery preparation.” May Drive at Bethune. Witfi the British Army in France, April 19.—The Germans brought up fresh divisions for the hard which they made, on Wednesday. Al-

though the British were unable to hold Wytschaete and Meteren. which they had retaken by a brilliant coun-ter-attack, they beat off the enesny elsewhere. The British maintained their line throughout the night. A renewed heavy- bombardment of the British front between La Rassee canal, at Givenchy, and the Nieppe forest suggests the Germans contemplate another heavy drive in this region in the hope of taking Bethune and creating a new salient. All the areas back of this section of the front were sprinkled with gas shells throughout the night. At hi o’clock in the morning the bombardment weas nearly of drumfire intensuty between Locon and Robecq, where the enemy has tried repeatedly to advance his line to the canal. Six heavy attacks were delivered by the Germans between Bailleul anc Ypres in an attempt to t»end back the British front still farther afid to create another dangerous salient in the Flemish marshes. KemmeL hill was assaulted by three waves of Germans about one o'clock in the afternoon, but the enemy was thrown back with heavy casualties anc a counter-attack completely restorer the British line. Other attacks went broken by British machine gun fire. The Germans opened a heavy bombardment of positions or the southwestern part of the Lys hat tie front between Locon and Robecq during the night. The bombardmem was still in progress at dawn. Tto statement reads: “There has been severe fighting again on the greater part of the Lys battle front. “From La Bassee canal at Givenchy to the Lys river, east of St. Venaat bombardment was reported in th*

wniag followed by strong hostile atracfcft. all of which have been repoised. ■■ The fehsses inflicted on the attacking German infantry by our fire are again retorted to have been extremely heavy, and more than 200 prisoners have beet taken. "The struggle has been particularly 6erxe in the neighborhood of Givenchy, where the enemy made deternrfned efforts. without simcess, to retrieve his previous .failures. The in this locality has not yet ceased and the activity of the enemy’s artißery is continuing on the whole erf this front. “Later in the day further attacks, acronjuisued by heavy shelling, dexvtoped against our positions south of KeMBSBei and were repulsed. “Mew detailed accounts of the fighting of yesterday on the forest of Nieppe-Wytsehaete front establish the severity of the enemy’s losses. Southeast of Kemmel hill the German infantry attacked in three waves and at one point pressed back our line riagfe-Jy. “In this locality the situation was restored- by a counter-attack and sfeartiy after midday the attack had been repulsed at ail points. In the Baißeufl sector the enemy attacked three times before midday and in each case suffered a complete repulse. •Oar line was reported intact on the whole front.” Berlin Admits Check. Berta. April 19.—The German official report says: “The enemy left to ■s n large part of the Flemish territay, which had been gained by him after months of struggle at the price of hnge sacrifice. General Sixt von Arata's army took from the enemy, retreating step by step, Poelcapelle, Langeanrek and Zonnebeke. and, following hta up closely, drove him back “Sown of Btankaert lake an enemy CMWter-thrust checked our forward