The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-26
BLOODIEST SPOT
Battlefield About MOnchy Lit
tered With German Dead.
Kept Trying to Recapture Knoll
Until Forces Wiped Out.

British Front in France, April 20
via London-The town of Monchy lie
Preux, which lies about five miles
east of Arras, will stand out in history
as one of the bloodiest spots of the
world war. The lighting north, east
and south of this little Artois village,
perched upon a high knoll, has eX-
ceeded in intensity any of the indiVid-
ual struggles of the Somme. Efforts
of the Germans to retake the village
apparently have subsidized on account
of the sheer exhaustion of their avail
able forces.
The British advance eastward OF
Monchy continues slowly but surely
The ground around Monchy as far as
can be seen is covered with the dead,
the Germans at times, having employ
ed their old tactics of attacking in
mass formation.
Worse Than Somme or Nerdun.
Letters taken in the last two days
from German prisoners. written IN
front of Monchy say they regard the
situation as worse than it was on the
Somme, while the casualties are
mounting up as at Verdun. In one
the opinion is expressed that what has
made the fighting difficult has been
the fact that the opposing forces have
not occupied fixed lines, but are scat
tered in half built trenches on TINS
part of the front
During one German counter attack
Monday a force of 700 Germans took
one bit of trench from British out
post. The Germans continued TO
press forward, not noticing that they
were passing an isolated trench sec
ton on their right When they were
well beyond it several hundred Brit
ish soldiers poured out of this trench
section and the Germans, trapped be-
tween two lines were absolutely WHIP
II
which the cries of the men engaged
hand to hand could be heard plainly
The number of prisoners this week
amounts to more than 5000 There
is absolutely no index of the casualties
inflicted on the enemy. The fighting
is too thick for the most part to per-
nit individual surrenders.
1000 Moved Down.
Finding Monchy too difficult the
Germans next directed a counter at
tack on Gavrelle, where the last de.
fensive line before the Drocourt
switch position had been pierced.
Four thousand men were seen form
ing for an attack at a distance OF
1000 yards. British field guns mass
ed in a great number were trained
on the Germans but their fire was
held until the advancing enemy was
about 1000 yards away. Then a per-
feet hurricane of fire was opened and
shrapnel shells played about the ad-
2
summer thicket. The on-coming waves
trembled for a time and then broke,
completely routed. Their path was
strewn with dead and wounded.
40 Planes Down in Day.
! Again today the siesk, where forty
enemy planes were brought down yes
| terday, were battlefields for scores or
fights. Literally hundreds of ma
chimes twisted and turned ard ducked
and jumped in battle or in scouting.
Mastery of the air has been obtained
by the British in this section and 1t is
seldom that German plane is encoun-
/ tered except far over the enemy's ter
ritOry.
Encounters yesterday. before Mon
chy, were SO breathlessly dramatic that
armies on the both sides then battling
in one of the fiercest encounters of
the war literally stopped moment to
watch the duel.
Three miles up, looking for all the
world like a couple of tumbler pig
| cons, were the adVerSarieS. They had
| approached near each other by sue
cessive dashes from behind creamy,
| puffy clouds.
One of the birds was easily recog
nizable later as star of the German
air forces.
! The aviator's machine was especial
ly marked, showing ne had been re-
warded for previous victories. Oppos-
! ing him those on the British lines
knew was one of their own stars
a boyish officer.
| Flyers Feign Falling.
| The two machines came close to-
| gether, swirling and turning exactly
| like tumbler pigeons. For twenty
minutes the two Topped and charged
and circled. diving, headlong one min
ute, sweeping almost straight upward
the next-always one after the other
| in hot chase.
Presently one bird-the German