Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-04
NIGHT RAID
STARTS new
HA|G drive
Deadlock Broken By Furious
Onslaught Against Hin
denburg's Positions; Tor
nado of Gunfire Precedes
Infantry Charge.
AIRMEN'S SWOOPING
ATTACKS BIG AID

ATTACKS BIG AID
RUSSIAN RETREAT UNEXPLAINED
The British continue to make
headway In Mesopotania, but this
Is offset by unexplained reports Of
Russian retreat in the Caucasus.
II the reports are true the Rue.
SLAMS are withdrawing with no Sc
rious fighting and In the face Of
the most succaesfui campaign yet
undertaken against Turkey.
New breaches in the already badly
battered German line on the Arras
oattiefleid are being made by the Brit.
lsh IN a heavy assault launched on 4
twelve mile front today.
Striking three and one-haIf mile.
south OF Lens on the Acknowledging
road, General Hala's troops drove ~
the Sermans all along the line as far
south az croiseIles, on the sen.ee
river, eight and one-half miles south.
east OF Arras. Virtually the whole
'front.' OF the attack at the beginning Of
under assault by the British Infantry.
ATTACK BREAKS DEADLOCK.
The attack came at a moment when
it seemed as If a deadlock had been
established, for time at least. be
cause OF the heavy reserves which had
neen brought up by the Germans and
tne strong resisting powers they were
displaying. OF the initial success Of
~ AsNx>
ism report speaks positively, recoedlna
the capture OF number Of strong en-.
emy positions.
While not pressing ahead on any
wide front the French along the AIsne
sector and In the Champagne are oIv-
Ing the Germans no rest. employing
their artillery vigorously and nickino
out section Of the enemy line here
and there.
vERDUN FIGHTING RENEWED.
There may be significance In the re.
ports Of activity which are coming
from the Verdun sector and the lines
to the southeast Of II. There has been
considerable patrol fighting In these re.
oIons and especially active artillery
work 10 In progress In the sector Of 81.
Mih'el, where the Germans have sue.
cessfully maintained deep salient
since early In the war.
London, May 8. The British began
another attack this morning. The war
Office announces that a number of
strong positions already have been
captured by the British. The announce
ment follows:
Heavy fighting Is taking place all
along the front from the Hindenburg
line south Of the Sensee river to the
road Our troops are
making progress and have already cap
tured number of strong hostile posi-
tions."
COVERS WIDE TERRITORY.
The new British attack takes in vir-
tually the entire front on which the
battle OF Arras was begun on Easter
Monday and evidently is major op
GRAFTON. 1t Is the fourth great attack
which the British have made along
this line. The attacking front is about
twelve miles long.
In their new attack Haig's army
made progress in the direction Of Fres-
noy and Cherisy, and also towards
Bullecourt. Reuters correspondent at
the British headquarters reports.
The British attacked in the darkest
hour preceding dawn this morning.
striking at the German positions east
OF Arras. The Infantry assault was
delayed until half an hour after the
half moon had gone down. The night
was clear and star lit and the almost
ceaseless flashing of guns gave definite
shape to the shadowy outlines Of the
salient points.
TO OPPOSE FRESH TROOPS,
The correspondent says the attack
was directed to the taking OF certain
points of considerable Importance and
to improving the British line. The
British desire to gain complete mas
terry Of dominating positions whence
their artillery would be able more ef-
fectively to devastate the fresh troops
which the Germans continue to throw
in.
There was the usual preliminary tor
nado OF fire from weapons of all cali
bers and then the equally familiar
creeping barrage. working with abso-
lutte punctuality as the order to the
men to go forward was snapped forth
simultaneously down miles OF trenches
Thousands Of cruoching figures formed
into regular waves for the advance.
INFANTRY "GoEs OVER"
Then came the inevitable deadly rat .
tie OF machine guns and rife fire and
the crashing OF bursting bombs as the
infantry reached the parapet of the
first enemy trench.
The Germans counter attacked heav-
lily near Gavrelle and Loos These on