Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29
Hand-to-Hand Fighting.

mown down under continuous sprays of
machine gun bullets.
Hand-to-Hand Fighting.
Under this CALLING fire the attack ut
terly broke down. In some places there
was ferocious &and-to-hand fighting.
The British got in well with the bayo-
net. but there was one bit Of fighting
in which even bayonets were forgotten
and the men went at each others
throats and eyes. Many Germans went
to their death from blows from rifle
butts.
At times the fighting was wholly OBJ
scured by great clouds of dust. the
muddy battlehelds Of ten days ago
having entirely disappeared. The dust
raised by the barrage fire resembled
an approaching storm. Shrapnel bullets
were pelting the dry earth like so
many leaden drops Of rain. and great
mountains Of dust seemed to sprtng
Tho attack began with the comlu4
Of dawn. 1t extended in an easteriy
from vimy ridge at Its north
ern hinge and ran southward, to the
Scarpe. Progress was made every
where. and the so-called Oppy-Meri-
switch to the Hindenburg line. was
pierced again.
Canadians Make Assault.
The Canadians, who had been more
or less resting since they swept the
Germans or both slopes Of vimy ridge
on Easter Monday made a brilliant as
sault against Arleux-en-Gohelle and
captured that village and held 1t
against all counter attacks. The Brit
ish also crossed the German lines Just
west of Oppy and there has been fierce
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 onto this hill
today and. although 1t was bitterly
contested. they were late today secur-
ing their newly won positions. The
chemical works on the Arras-Douai
railway just north of the village of
Roeux. which was another particular
ly hot spot In the fighting. changed
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 crashed under the
weight Of tho heavy shelling.
When the correspondent left the
fighting lines about 500 prisoners had
been sent to the rear, with possibly
more to como. The fighting. however.
was not of a nature which would re-
suit in great haul Of prisoners, Al
most everywhere it was fight to the
death.
Germans Cut to Bits.
The German chagrfn over the loss of
than abate, as the British retain pos
session Of It and considerable terri
tory beyond It. Late last night they
launched two violent and heavy at
tacks against the British position east
of the town. Two new German dtvi-
sions just brought into the line, and
said to be composed Of the best Wurt-
temburger units. were flung into this
fighting. They were literally cut to
bits and failed to gain even an out
post: The lighting was in close order
much to do with the final rout Of the
Germans
Gavrelle also was violently counter
attacked today during British as
sault to the north of. that village. One
can easily lose track of the number of
these attacks against Gavrelle in the
last few days. but the German effort
this morning must have been the 1our-
teenth or fifteenth. At no time during
the Somme battle were such efforts
Ahooo ~ ASeoAA Aooe 6ioohN'
Hindenburg Annoyed.
There is an interesting report
current here that Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg came to the Ger
man positions opposite the British
lines on the Arras front just after the
Easter Monday attack and was much
wrought up over the conditions which
he found there. The field marshal is
said to have been particularly annoyed
by the German withdrawal from Lens.
which then was under way. commanded
that 1t be stopped and issued orders
that there be no further retreat until
he personally gave the word.
This statement seemed to coincide
with the sudden sttffening Of German
resistance about Lens when II looked
moro than ten days ago that tho city
would likely be given up within a
few hours. The fires lighted In Lens
two weeks ago still are burning. and It
seems there will be little left intact
by the time tho Germans are finally
driven out.
Faith in U-Boat War.
The British continue daily to take
many prisoners. all Of whom continue
to profess an absolute faith that the
submarine warfare will bring victory
to German arms. Some Of them also