Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1918 — BRITISH RETAKE TOWN AND 600 HUN PRISONERS [ARTICLE]

BRITISH RETAKE TOWN AND 600 HUN PRISONERS

Australian and English Trnnps Drive Germans From VillersBretonneux. FRENCH FIGHT IN HANGARD ■ - I One Hundred and Twenty-Blight Wounded American Soldiers. Who Helped Allies in Stemming Teuton Drive, Have Arrived at Hospital. I ■ ■ . v, London, April 26 Australian and English troops have recaptured Vih , lers-Bretonneux and taken more than 000 prisoners in that region, Field Marshal Haig reports from headquart ters. ' Farther to the north, on a line from Bailleul to Wytschaete, there has been very heavy fighting and the allied troops were obliged to withdraw from their positions. Hangard, on the French front, was in German hands at last acounts. 128 U. 8. Men Wounded. Paris, April 20.—American soldiers wounded in the great battle which now is being waged are already arriving at the rear. American wounded and sick to the number of 128 have reached hospital 25. They are from units engaged in lighting side by side with French and British in stemming the German advance. British Official Statement. London, April 20.—-The war office Issued the following statement: “The French and British positions from north of Bailleul to east of 'Wytschaete have been heavily attacked all day. There was lighting of great severity on the whole of this front, ■ particularly in the neighborhood of Dranoutre, Kemmel and Vlerstruat. "In the course of repeated attacks ami counter-attacks the allied troops have been compelled to withdraw from the positions they held in the morning, and the lighting continues, v -.“The enemy’s attack in the morning on this front was made by at least four'divisions and his obecttives art) stated by prisoners to have included the villages of Cachy and the CachyFouiller road. These objectives were not reached at any point. The number of German dead found In the recaptured by our troops shows that the enemy’s losses were very heavy. “The fighting on the whole of this front was most severe and heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy by] artillpry/ Infantry and tanks. "North of Villers-Bretonneux-St. Quentin road the enemy three times at-* lacked our positions, and on each occasion was repulsed with loss. “South of the Somme several coun-ter-attacks launched by Australian and English troops at night against the positions gained by the enemy ou Wednesday in and around VillersBretonneaux carried our line onward to within a short distance of our former front and resulted in the capture of more than 600 prisoners. The village now is in our hands. “Heavy fighting took place all night in and around Vlllers-Bretonneaux, and still continues. Our troops regained ground by counter-attacks and have taken a number Of prisoners. The fighting on the whole of this front was most severe and heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy by artillery, Infantry and tanks. “North of the Vlllers-Bretonneaux-St. Quentin road the enemy three times attacked our positions, and on each occasion was repulsed with loss. During this fighting the enemy made use of a few tanks. ft ' ( French Official Statement. Paris, April 26.—The war office issued the following statement: “The battle continued with violence around the village of Hangard, on which the Germans concentrated their efforts during the night. French troops resisted valiantly and counter-attacked several times with success. The village was lost, then retaken by the French and finally remained in the hands of the Germans at' the cost of heavy losses. “The French are holding the immediate outskirts of Hangard and the Germans have not been able to debouch from the town in spite of repeated efforts. 1 . • “The French made several successful raids, especially jvest of Lasslgny, south of Coucy le Chateau and in Lorraine. We took a certain number of prisoners.” Berlin Claims Victory. Berlin, April 26. —The official statement issued here follows: “On the Lys battlefield a strong French coun-

ter-attack ngalnst the height of Vleugelhoek failed with heavy losses. “In the Somme sector we attacked the English and French near and to the south of Villers-Bretonneux. By means of hard fighting our Infantry broke its way to the enemy’s machine gun nests. Tanks effectively supported them during this action. We captured the much-contested town oi Hangard. "On the western bank of the Avre we advanced our line to the heights northwest of Castel. Bitter engagements lasted throughout the night In the captured region. More than 2,000 prisoners remained in our hands."