South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-15
Germans in Retreat Along
Whole Front From LooS to
ArraS Reports
Haig.
ABANDON Big GUNS BEFORE
RAPID ALLIED ADVANCE
Gen. Maud With Super STRAIT
egy Delivers Another
Smashing Defeat to
Turks.
associated Press Service :

Associated Press Service:
LONDON. April 14.-British
troops are now within a few hun
dred yards of the town Of st. QUEEN
tin. During Saturday. says the Of
fetal statement from British head
quarters in France tonight, Field
Marshal Haig's men fought their
way south and east of FNayet, one
mile northwest OF st. Quentin. The
village of Gricourt, one mile north
of Fayet. was carried at the point
of the bayonet The Germans are
reported TO have resisted stubbornly
and suffered many killed and
wounded in addition to the loss Of
more than 400 prisoners.
Mining Center Surrounded.
The mining center of Lens is now
virtually surrounded on three sides
bv the advancing British troops.
The town of Levin, southwest Of
Lens. was captured this morning and
the village Of Cite St. Pierre, north
west of Lens, also has been taken.
Along the entire front. from the
Scarpe river to south OF LOOs, the
British have pressed forward and
have reached points two TO three
miles east of Vimy ridge.
Germans i'm Counter Blow.
South of the Scarpe river there
was heavy fighting in which the Ger
mans employed strong reserve
forces. German attacks and coun-
ter attacks followed one another at
short intervals but the British troops
maintained the positions previously
captured and inflicted serious
losses on the attackers.
Momentous battles involving the
fate of Lens and St. Quentin are be-
ing fought in northern France, with
the fall of these two towns before
the on-rushing British and French
indicated as one of the probabilities
OF the near future.
Most vital in the series of engage
ments are those accompanying the
British offensive in the Arras region,
now described as a real push. Gen.
Haig's sledge hammer blows here so
far have been too much for the Ger
mans to withstand. The top Of the
famous Hindenburg line has been
turned and all along the front, from
Loos. north Of Lens TO point well
TO the southeast of Arras, the Ger
mans are reported in retreat. fight
ing as they go TO delay as best they
can the British advance and give
time 10 complete the preparation OF
- In . h
Not only Lens. with important
coal fields. is at stake in this move
ment. Correspondents at the front
hint at executions OF possibly great
er things. The unrelenting British
pressure is causing the Germans TO
abandon guns and other equipment
that they have no time 10 take away
and apparently there is hope on the
part of the British of keeping Up the
pursuit at such a pace that their foe
may be caught unprepared at some
point and a real break in the line eff
fected.
At St Quentin. not much is at
stake for the Germans but the loss
OF the town would create ancther
serious breach in the southerly sec
tor OF their present defensive line.
By capturing the town of Fayet, the
British have worked 10 within mile
of St Quentin on the northwest.
while 10 the south. the French, close
by. are hammering il with their ar
tillery. The Berlin report mentions
serious damage within the town
caused by the French guns.
Gen. Maude SmaShes Turks.
Tn MesOpOtamia the Turks have
sustained another defeat at the
hands OF the British. Gen. Maude,
the British commander. prepared a
surprise for them and by the en-
ployment Of super strategy spoiled
their hopes OF inhicting a blow that
would check his further advance up
the Tigris and Diala north and
| northeast OF Bagdad.
A night march across country by
| CONTINUED on PAGE THREE)