The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-09
Canadians In Death Grip With
Reinforced Enemy. Fighting
to Save Wotan Line
COUNTER-ATTACKS
FEATURED YESTERDAY
Violent trusts On French
Front Are Beaten Back By
Nivelle's Men On Aisne and
In the Champagne

London, May s.--For the first
tune since the great allied often
sise in the West began Ger
man counter offensive has been
successful The British war Of
flee admitted tonight the recap
ture by the Germans of the VII
iagc OF Fresnoy, five miles south
west of Lens, near the northern
point OF the 'Ioian line
The powerful onslaughts aimed
at Fresnoy's recapturc were beat
en- of this morning by the Cana
dians who had conquered IL on
May 5. Finally after the Teu-
tons had thrown two fresh diyis-
ions-forty thousand men--intO
the fray for third assault the
Canadians were forced to yield
both the village and the adjofn.
ing wood.
To the north aud northeast Of
the village all German counter
blows WIRE either stified N the
British gun and machine gum
fire or crushed in fierce bayoIct
fighting.
The German war office. in announce
ing the reeapture of Fresnoy. this
afternoon, said goo prisoners and six
machine guns had been counted up
10 that time.
ut +AIStt tAilSatio O. tait eA'AsO
beat off German onsIaughts around
the village OF Bulecourt. on the
southern end OF the Wotan line. They
held all the gains recently made.
Violent gun duels ragged through
out the day on the Atsne and in the
Champagne. In air battles. Captain
Guynemer demolished his thirty
seventh and thirty eighth German
machines during the past few days.
while Suh-Lieutenant Eungesser add
ed three to his record. bringing his
total up to twenty-four.
London. May S.-For the last TWEEN
ty-four hours on the Arras front an
endless stream of field-grey Teuton
lads have poured into the British
and again, they came on again and
again all through last night and all
through today, They fought TO save
the Wotan line. They flung themselves
into that sector of the new British
front, where the foe had bitten him
self fast into the southern end OF that
vital switch where it joins the old
Hindenhurg line and to the north
where it protects the coal city Of Lena
Three villages or rather their ruins
were the prizes of this endless chain
of counter blows: Fresnoy Buliecourt
and Reincourt.
Canadians In Death Grapplc.
In Fresnoy. captured by the Cana
dians last week. their onslaught waA
so wild, SO irresistible, that 1t succeed
ed by sheer fury in penetrating the
lines of the conquerors. But the latter
came back. For two hours a ferocious
hand-to- hand grappie ragged It's end
saw the Canadians again In possession
OF the village except for small pro-
jecting point to which the Teutons still
chung as evening approached. So ir-
resistible seemed the ''Wotan storm.
or the Tenton waves as they broke into
the Canadian lines early in tho day
that the Berlin war Office triumphant
~ announced the recapture Of Fresnoy
IN It's day bulletin saying that 500
prisoners and SIX machine guns were
captured
Down at the southern end of the
Wotan switch the Teuton return
blows did not regain an inch OF
ground from the British. They did,
however. succeed in staving Off tho
complete turning of this switch to-
ward the new Hindenburg line.
AS the battle stood this even
ing Bullecourt and Reincourt
were sill in German hands, but
the encirchng menace of both
had not been reduced a bit IN the
north the Teutons did manage to RAJ
gain grip on Fresnoy, and thus re-
duce the danger 10 Lens. But among
the s"Tommies'' the confidence is un-
shaken that this means merely put
ting off the fall OF the coal city for
another brief space OF time.
On the F'ranco-German front tho
day again belonged to the big guns.
thought the Germans here too launched
violent thrusts at General Nivellea
new lines on the Aisne and In the
Champagne, All were beaten OF with
heavy losses. Paris reports, and some
prisoners were taken.
Seven German balloons were de-
stroyed by as many British fiefS -