The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-05-01
LAUNCH
GREAT ATTACK
Push Ahead in Champagne
in Hot Fighting Over
Several Miles.
TRENCHES ARE CAPTURED
Nivelle's Troops Make Gains
on Both Sides of Two I'M
pOrtant Heights.
TRENCHES ARE CAPTURED

LONDON, April 3o.-The French at
tackled to-day on front of several
miles in Champagne. making consider
able progress on either side of the
dominating height. Mont Carnillet.
simultaneously. the battle OF Arras died
down and the only fighting was another
futile German counter attack.
In to-day's attack. the French ad-
vanced an average distance Of half
mile. West Of the height, the trenches
they attacked were strongly fortified
and the lighting was especially hard.
The gains made west and east OF the
hill were SUFFICIENT to secure the two
heishts, Mont Carnillet and Haut Mont.
which are Of great Importance.
There 10 evidence that the French at
tack n soon to spread westward toward
Soissons. and that to-day's attack. fol-
lowing the Franco British procedure Of
attacking alternately on Monday. Is only
the opening wedge. The German state
ment emphasizes again the violence OF
the French artillery nre on the whole
front.
German Attack Fails.
On the British front. local attack
south Of the Scarpe improved the Brit
! ish position last night. and to-day the
| Germans tried to set this at naught by
recovering tho lost ground The attack
was completely repulsed. but the Ger
| man artillery fire on both banks or the
Scarpe has been very active.
Reuters correspondent at the British
front describes the fierce fighting Tor
Oppy, where German reenforcements
! were constantly pouring in for new
counter attacks. Here and around the
Roeux chemical works the fighting was
yery heavy. The correspondent writes
| 'sThe weather was too hazy this morn
, ing for good air work, and the artillery
| observation was correspondingiy poor
! hut the runners on both sides have plent!
| OF registered targets. and the old Ia
! miliar thunder wakes and wanes.
'yarious German documents that hav'
been captured urgently emphasize the ne
cessity Of economixing strictly In the eN
| penditure Of shells OF all types, as TN
dearth Of material is seriously minlmiz
ing the output of supplies. II Is als'
urged that the artillery officers b
trained to employ guns. the inner tune
f.! OF which are worn out, upon target
! which do not necessitate very accurat
shooting, as tho output OF new guns I
limited
i Heavy British Losses.
The German official statement Of TO -da
saws that the British defeat" on Satur
day was very costly, and that con
seryative estimate puts their losses a
: more than 5000 killed and wounded
while more than 1000 prisoners wer
taken. The statement also says that te
; armored tanks were destroyed and lort
machine guns captured The ofiicia
statements follow:
French Night Stetement-ouite vio-
lent artillery actions took place be-
tween st. Quentin and the Disc and
/, on the Chemin des Danes. There was
grenade fighting In the sector Of Hurte-
bise farm.
In the Champagne, after spirited ar
, tillery preparation. our infantry at
l2:l0 o'clock delivered an attack
a against the German lines on both sides
of Mont Carniilet. To the west we cap
!, tured several fortified lines of trenches
, from that mount as far as south OF
Beine TO a depth varying from five
: hundred to n thousand meters. To the
east We pushed our lines forward on
a Haut as far as the approaches to the
n road between Nauroy and Moron
Il villiers.
a Violent artillery fghting continues
!. in that region. In the Bots le Pretre
We carried our efflcacious dres on the
German organization
belgian Front Active.
} Helgian Statement At various
points along the Belgian front the da,
v was marked by artillery duels. II
the region Of Steenstraete and Het Sa,
lively grenade fighting took place
There was considerable aerial activity
Ie Belgian aviator after an engagement
It above Leke brought down Germa,
a biplane inside the enemy lines.
70 French Afternoon Statement-Vio
10 lent artillery fighting occurred durin
q the night south OF st. Quentin. in tn
,r regions Of Troyon, Hurtebisc and era
onne. Our batteries continued thei
Is destructive fire against the Germa
d. defenses on the heights near Moron
i'd yilliers Several German attacks o.
10 our trenches and small posts in tn
ul sector Of HurtebIse. near Mont Carnil
ut let, and in the vicinity OF Mont Cham
d brettes were broken up by our artil
lery and machine gun fire. Evcrywher
le else the night was calm
British Night Statement-An attacl
. made by the enemy during the da,
lie upon our new positions between Mon
lie chy-le-Preux and the Scarpe was com
ell pletely rspulsed. The hostile artiller,
n has been active on both banks OF tn
TO ScarDe.
British Day Statement-In a smal
At local operation between Monchy-le
D. Preux and the Scarpe We captured
nj few prisoners and improved our posi-
b. tion during tho night. Our troop
IL also made a successful raid north q
1t Ypres. capturing eighteen prisoner
n and q machine gun.
Artillery Battle On.
German Night Statement-Near Al
ras there has been an artillery engage
ment of varying intensity. Along tn
=. -. Aisne and In Champagne the artiller
NJ, battle continues.
~, German Day Statement--After m
W ,-n,,.> ~ thAir areaf attach r5o