Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-27
Counter Attacks By Hinden-
burg's Legions Are Re-
pulsed With Sanguinary
Losses; French Army
Holds, Fighting F7ercely.
CLOUDY SKIES CHECK
ALLIES AIR CHARGES

Brush headquarters in Francs.
april ze-(From star correspondent
OF the Associated Press)-There has
Deen a comparative lull in the fightins
east OF Arras in the last twenty-four
hours, the German counter attacks in
the effort to retake the positions can.
tured by the British in Mondays push
having worn themselves out. After
each OF these attacking waves had
been thrown back the British mSuaxed
to creep forward stfn further.
Heavily overcast skies are giyine
German airmen brief respite from
British aerial attacks, enabling thsm
to make efforts to reorganize their bad
" damaged squadrons; for In four
days lighting the British have 40.
counted for nearly 100 enemy ma.
chimes The British airmen were pray.
ing for continuance Of clear weather.
as their worrying tactics had provoked
the Germans into heavy fighting.
THOUSANDS WIPED OUT.
Stories Of the German counter at.
tacks-there have been eight separate
attempts to capture Gavrelle since
Monday evening-tell Of almost incred.
ible tactics employed by the Germans
in sending forward troops In mass for
nation, giving the British artillery the
greatest opportunity for open target
shooting 1t has had in the last two
years.
Several thousand gray-clad Germans
were advancing In one Of these at
tacks late Tuesday when the British
curtain Of flre shut down in front OF
them. Stfn other British y2:as~aasS
straight through the curtain on the
advancing men. Not a man passed be-
yond that curtain and when its obscur-
ing smoke lifted there was not a NOV.
ing German In sight Nothing was .tc
be seen but ploughed ground Uttered
with sprawling dead.
MoNcHY BLOODY SPOT.
The town Of Monchy le Preaux,
which lies about five miles east OF Ar.
ras. will stand out In history as one
Of the bloodiest spots Of the world war.
The fighting north, east and south
Of this little Artois village, perShed
upon high knoll, has exceeded in in
tensity any Of the individual struggles
Of the Somme. Efforts Of the Germans
to retake the village apparently have
subsided on account Of the sheer ex-
haustion OF their available forces. and
the British advance eastward of
Monchy continues slowly but surely.
The ground around Monchy, as far
as the eye can reach, IL covered with
the dead, the Germans having employ
ed their old tactics of attacking in
mass formation.
WORSE THAN soMME FIGHT.
Letters taken in the last two days
from German prisoners, written In
front Of Monchy, say they regard the
situation as worse than 1t was on the
Somme.
During one German counter attack
took one bit Of trench from British
outpost The Germans continued to
press forward, not noticing that they
tion on their right.
When they were wen beyond It sew
eral hundred British soldiers poured
out Of this trench section and the Ger.
mans, trapped between two khaki
lines, were wiped out.
OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION.
London, April 26-Renewed German
attacks on British positions near Cav.
relle were completely repulsed last
night. according to an Official an
nouncement issued by the war ONCE
today.
The statement follows:
EARLY last night the enemy again
endeavored to attack our new posi-
tions in the neigi.borhood of Gavrelle.
His advancing troops were caught by
our artillery barage and completely
FRENCH REPUlSE GERMANS.
Paris. April 26-Terrific fighting con-
tinued during the night on the front OF