The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-04
British Drive Wedge Through
Front at the Spot Where
Strategic Retreat Was
Planned.
ENCIRCL1NG COAL TOWN
Lens Three-Fourth Surrounded by To.
days Fierce Fighting, Mark
Ing Resumption Of
Offensive.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
LONDON, May 3.-Lens was three
fourths encircled by today's fierce
fighting marking the resumption OF
the British offensive.
The British grip on the coal city
now twists from Loos on the north,
southwerd through LEVIN. Givenchy,
Vtmy and eastward to around Ache
Vile and Fresnoy.
1t Is around the last two towns that
the heaviest fighting was centering
today. There the British turning OF
the Wotan line was made complete
by rupture Of the so-called switch
lne" from Oppy north to Drocourt, in
h8htdn8 which has been almost con.
tinnous since early yesterday.
Further to the south on the twelve
mile front over which FNeld Marshal
Haig is staging his attack. the British
have driven a wedge through the Hin
denburg front. They have punctured
the line to which the Germans had
planned to withdraw in their ''strate-
gio retreat"-a powerful system Of de-
fenses around Queant.
Here too the fighting was continu-
ing in desperate intensity today after
hardly q let-up in.twenty-four hours.
British forces were holding nearly
one-flfth of a mile of the German
trenches on this vaunted Hindenb,
line today, located between Fontaine
Lee Croisflles and Bullecourt, in the
face of terrific counter attacks
launched by the German commanders.
THE village Of Fresnoy and our
positions north and south were sub
ject to hostile counter attacks yester-
day evening, but the positions were
maintained and the enemy repulsed,"
Haig's statement continued
"At Bullecourt and to the east the
enemy heavily counter-attacked in the
evening along the sector of the cap
tured Hindenburg line. Failing com.
pletely. the enemy lost heavily"
Fifth Enemy Aeropiane.
PARIS, May 4.-Lieutenentt Will
liam Thaw of the La Fayette Esca-
dr1lle, has achieved the distinction Of
an lace" in the American flying squad
ron, with the French army. He
brought down his fifth enemy aero
plane on Saturday, 1t was announced
today
According to the French army regu-
lations, Lieutenant Thaw now takes
his place in the list Of flying stars
whose exploits are mentioned in the
army report Of the day by name. NO
aviator is mentioned by name until he
has brought down five enemy ma
chines-and this means that the five
must actually fall within the French
lines and their destruction be veri-
fed by French official report.
Such rigorous rules usually mean
that French flyer will bring down
q dozen or so enemy machines-most-
ly beyond the French 1ines-before he
is able to achieve the proud distinc-
tion of an ACE"
British Held Back.
LONDON, May 4.-The tremen-
dous weight of German reserves
flung violently into the line of the
British advance, has forced slight
back of British troops from
advanced positions captured yester-
day, Field Marshal Haig reported to-
day.
His statement, however, revealed
progress on an entirely new sector
from that in which the British drive
of the past forty-eight hours has
heretofore centered northeast of
Quentin and northeast of Hargicourt. |
AT night around Cherisy and also
astride the Arras-Cam brai road we
we're compelled to fall back from ad |
vanced positions captured yester-
lay" the British commander in chief |
said.
1--WE further progressed northeast |
If st. Quentin and northeast of Har-
sicourt where we captured Malakoff
arm"
Hargicourt, from where Haig has