Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-01
MACHINE GUNS NOW
DOWN GERMANS IN
WAVE AFTER WAVE
Ordered to Hold at All Costs,
German Commanders Sac
rifiCe Men With Utter DiSre-
gard of Losses

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE Cvia London. From a staff
correspondent of The Associated Press.
There was more desperate fighting
along the British front today. Evil
IDENTIFY spurred on by the declaration
from Field Marshal Won Hindenburg
that they must hold their present posi-
tions at all costs, the Germans are
making a resistance more stubborn
than any heretofore encountered. At
various points captured in the first on
ward rush by the British the Germans
have been ordered into counter-attacks
with a reckless disregard for loss of
life.
The battle was still in progress late
today and 1T was possible near Oppy
to see at one time no less than five
gray waves of Germans blindly facing
the British fire in an attempt to retake
their lost positions. Heavy shells broke
upon them in a great explosive tor
rent, and where each shell burst great
gaps were cut in the ranks of the on
coming men. Those who penetrated the
British barrage from the larger calibrs
guns were met by field gun fire and
moved down under continuous sprays
of machine gun bullets.
ATTACK BREAKS DOWN.
Under this CALLING fire the attack
utterly broke down. In some place.
there was ferocious hand-to-hand hghf-
ing. The British got in we'll with the
bayonet but there was one bit OF
lighting in which even bayonets were
forgotten and the men went at each
others threats and eyes. Many Ger
mans went to their death from blows
from rifle butts.
AT times the lighting was wholly OBJ
secured by great clouds of dust, the
muddy battlefelds OF ten days ago hav-
ing entirely disappeared. The dust
raised by the barrage fire resembled an
approaching storm. Shrapnel bullets
were pelting the dry earth like leaden1
drops of rain and great mountains OF
dust seemed to spring from the earth
everywhere.
The attack began with the coming of
dawn. 1t extended in an easterly direo-
ton from Vimy ridge at its northern
hinge and ran southwark to the Scarpe
Progress was made everywhere. AND
the so-called Oppy-Mericourt line,
which protects the DrOcourt switch to
the Hindenburg. was pierced again.
The Canadians, who had been more
or less resting since they swept the
Germans off both slopes of Vimy ridge
on Easter Monday, made brilliant as
sault against Arleaux-en-G ohelle and
CdpluIcu lHdl Village anu lCAu II against
all counter-attacks. The British also
crossed the German lines just west of
Oppy and there has been fierce fighting
about that village all day.
Southeast of Oppy is a gradually
rising knoll known as Greenland hill.
which looks down into the Scarpe val
ley The British swept on to this hill
and although it was bitterly contested.
they were, late today, securing their
rhA nHAy f0u1
works on the Arras-Douai railway just
north of the village of Roeux, which
was another particularly hot spot in the
lighting changed hands several times.
Up to a few days ago the chemical
works stood up prominently on the
landscape, with a great chimney rising
more than 100 feet. Today 1t is only a
mass Of ruins, the chimney having been
crashed under the weight of the heavy
Smelling.
When the correspondent left the
fighting lines about 500 prisoners had
been sent to the rear, with possibly
more to come The fighting, however.
was not of a nature which would result
in a great haul of prisoners. Almost
everywhere II was fight to the death.
The German chagrin over the loss of
Monche-le-PreuX seems to grow rather
than abate. as the British retain pos
session of it and considerable territory
beyond it, Late last night they launched
two violent and heavy attacks against
the British position east of tn town.
Two new German divisions Just
brought into the line and said to be
composed of the best Wurtemberger
units, were flung into this fighting.
They were literally cut to bits and fall
ed to gain even an outpost. The fight
ing was in close order at times and
the British rifle fire had much to DO
with the final rout of the Germans.