The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-04-28
fight over Canal
GERMAN ATTACKS FORCE BLO0DEEST
FIGHTING OF SPRING
CANADIANS BEAR BRUNT

Push Towards Channel Ports is Fore
shadowed by Success Gained
Around Ypres District-British Say
Germans Have Half Million Men
Massed for Fight to Sea-
London reports: Over a 10-mile
arch-like front in Belgian Flanders
touching the region Of Bixschoote or
the northaaf St, Eiol on the south
French British and Beagian t1acRs
are locked with the Germans in q
series of engagements which recall
the stupendous struggles OF last Oc'
tober.
Driven from Hill No. 60, south OF
Ypres, and failing to retake it by a
counter attack, the Germans have
launched sudden advance northeast.
ward, and, after Simplifying and kill
ing men in the first trenches with
deadly gases, according to British of
fetal reports, have driven in a wedge
Of infantry that at some points fore
ed the French and Belgians back
across the User (Ypres) canal, and
compelled the British line north OF
Ypres to fall back to conform with
the French.
Although the German advance was
considerable, extending, Berlin de-
clares, over a front of five miles, the
allies, with the French occupying the
center, the Belgians the left and the
British the right, started immediate
" a counter attack and compelled
the Germans to give up some Of the
ground they had taken.
Berlin reports Sunday: We obtain
ed further results at Ypres. The
ground captured on April "a. north
of ypres, was still retained in spite
of the attacks OF the enemy. Fur
tner east we continued our attack
ana took by storm the Solaert farm,
southwest OF St. Julien, as Well as
the villages of st. Julien and Kers-
selaere, and advanced victoriously to-
wards Grafenstafel. During these
engGg gements about 1,009 Enghshmen
were taken prisoners and several ma
chine guns were captured.
Berlin reports Saturday: At
tempts made by the enemy to recon
.quer a lost terrain north and north
east Of Ypres (Belgium) failed. The
French and British attacks broke
down under the German fre. The
number OF prisoners-French. Eng
lish and Belgian-rose to 2,47O. The
piecec of cannon captured up to the
present total 35. In addition a large
number Of machine guns and rifles
and much ammunition and other war
material were taken by the Ger
mans. West Of the Ypres canal the
Germans stormed the town OF Ii
zerne."
Berlin reports Friday, in describ-
ing tRe opening phase Of the forward
'moFement.s tIn the western areIa.l
during last evening. we advanced
from our front at Steenstraate east
OF Langemarck, against the positions
of the enemy, north and northeast OF
Ypres. With a rush our troops NOV
ed forward along a line extending as
far as the hills south Of Pilken and
east OF Douon. At the same time
they forced their way. after stub
born fight, across the Ypres canal to
Steenstraate and Het Sas, where they
established themselves on the west
ern bank of the canal. The VILLAGES
Of Langemarck, Steenstraate, Het Sas
and Pilken were taken. At least
1900 French and British soldiers
were taken prisoners, and thirty can
non, including four heavy British
guns, fell into our hands.
Paris reports: ''To the north OF
Ypres the Germans by employing
large quantities of asphyxiating
bombs, the effect of which was felt
for a distance Of two kilometres pe-
hind our lines. forced US to retire IN
the direction of the User canal.
Toward the west and in the direc-
ton of Ypres. toward the south, the
enemy's attacks were checked. Nls-
orous counter attacks enabled US to
regain ground and make many pris-
oners.
'sTo the north OF Ypres the Ger
mans during the night of April 23-
"a and during Saturday made strenu-
Gus efforts to avail themselves OF the
surprise they had engineered the day
before yesterday with their asphyx-
iating gases. Their attempts failed.
.tOn Saturday at daybreak, on the
left bank of the Yser, they had sue
ceeded in carrying the village OF LII
zerne. The French zouayes and Bel
gian carbineers, however, through a
vigorous attack, recaptured the vii
lage, which we soon left behind US.
"In conjunction with the Belgian
army we made perceptible progress
on our left. On our right we ad-
vanced more slowly.
During that time the British
troops were subjected to a fierce at
tack. They Immediately replied oy a
counted attack.
Supplementary reports furnish
fuller particulars of the way the Ger
mans succeeded in forcing our lines
back during Thursday evening north
of Ypres between the User canal and
the Poelcapelle road. Thick, yellow
smoke emitted from the German
trenches and, driven by nortnernly
winds. produced an effect of complete
asphyxiation among our troops,
which was felt even in our second
line positions. se.E
Counter attacks made YESTERDAY
already hav enabled US to REGAIN
part Of the ground lost. Our sitHa'
ton has been completely consolidat-
ed and our action is Being carried out
under good conditions. with the sup
port Of the British and Belgian
troops"
London reports: The German
rushes in Flanders and the Woevre,
where they claim considerable sue
cesses, are believed to be forerunners
of another big effort to break through
the allied lines in the west.
For many days Belgium has been
sealed from the observation of neu-
trails, while German reinforcements
are being moved to the south to take
mart in the new offensive, which they
hope is to carry them to Calais.
The attack in Flanders. orlglnall!
levied at the French. has been trans
ferred to the British lines held by the