The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-19
FRENCH PUSH
ON TWO MILES
Take Important Towns and
Drive Germans Back
i'm Disorder.
ADVANCE ON LAON
Nivelle's Men Now Only Six
Miles From the
Fortress.
TOTAL PRISONERS 1900
Seventy-five Big Guns Cap
tured Since Offensive
Was Begun.
TOTAL PRISONERS 10000

was DCeuus
LONDON. April 1s.--With unflagging
energy the French pushed their big Of
fensive to-day, gaining brilliant sue
cesses on the whole front. At some
points the Germans we're forced back
two miles and thrown into disorder.
The French are now only six miles from
LAon, the great southern fortress of the
Hindenburg line.
Gen. Nivelle's men have taken 1900
prisoners in the three days fighting. and
the total Of captured guns counted so
heavy pieces. Several have been turned
against the Germans The total Of ma
chine guns and trench mortars is
enormous. No fewer than 1s0 were
taken to-day In a single fortified wood.
The fighting OF last night and to-day
makes one OF the most glorious chapters
o: French military history. Not only
did the French continue their forward
BWcCpp pul SouhtCE dltiSnS
tremendous torce-at one place 10000
Germans charged on a front OF few
miles-were thrown back everywhere
with heavy losses. French cavalry was
In action.
Advance Toward Laon.
The most complete success crowned
che French efforts in the region between
Scissors and Craonne. where the ad-
vance is directly toward Laon. Here the
French advanced two miles on a front
q Ave. They occupied the village Of
oste!. northeast OF vailly. and drove the
Germans nearly a mile beyond the vii
.age. They. captured Braye-en-Laon-
ao!s. tAAaRtruoe~&aste@ and pushed to
the outskirts OF Courtecon.
Under the energetic pursuit OF our
Infantry and the deadly action OF our
cannon. the enemy fell back in disorder.
abandoning important material and
leaving in our hands his supply depots,'
says the official statement.
The disorganization Of the Germans
Is clearly shown by the larger captures
Of cannon and the loss Of supply depots
Discrimination as we'll as complete in
feriority in tactics is shown by the fact
that force of 1900 Germans threw
NVNi Nuclt anu III u
wood near Ville-au-Bois, where they
had been hemmed in.
Town Of vailIy Taken.
The most important town captured by
the French was Vailly. on the Aisne,
which fell into their hands as the result
o: an excellently planned attack upon a
brdgehead position between Vailly and
ha nva,, -
brdgehead fortifcations on the south
eri bank. but crossed to the northern
oank and firmly established themselves
Nally was a town OF considerable sise
before the war.
In Champagne the Russian troops that
have been there for a year and moro and
vent forward with the French on Mon.
day continued their successes, capturing
isolated German positions that still held
out and taking points Of support of the
next German line.
There were two strong German counter
attacks, one east of Craonne, the other
south of St Quentin. Both failed
though the latter had momentary sue.
cess and a counter attack was needed tc
clear the Germans from some captured
trenches. In the attack east of Craonne
delivered In great force, the German.
were unable to reach the French
trenches.
French show Superiority.
The days gains followed q night OF
Almost equal activity in which the
French showed again their distinc,
superiority over the Germans. The
positions of Chavonne and Chivy, east OF
soissons, which were the starting poin,
do T,.l
seized during the night.
In Champagne the Germans made
tnree counter attacks against Mon,
Corr!llet, dominating position neal
Rheims. THE enemy gained nothing
ana suffered sanguinary losses" says the
French statement.
This morning tho French had taker
$4,000 prisoners. so that 5000 more were
taken during the days fighting. The
British near Arras have taken In ter
days about IS 900 prisoners, and the
Total taken by both armies in that length
OF time IS now $4,000. The German
casualties have been estimated at 2O0,.
ooo, exclusive Of prisoners. The Ger.
mans report the capture of 5000 French
soldiers.
British Keep Up ProEress.
On the British front the Germans
were not struck such staggering blows
ye, the British made progress at several
points and took prisoners. There the
weather Is fully as bad or worse than
on the French front and there is a neces.
sa!y pause while heavy guns are moved
up' communications perfected and prepa
'atons made for another big blow.
rushing their enveloping movement
ABOUT Lens. the British troops captured
To-day more OF the German hrst line
positions southeast Of Loos, in the region
ot the famous Hill 10. striking down "a
the rear OF LenA At the same time
more progress was made on the northern
oshk OF the Scarpe. where for some daye
the British have rested.
Early In the morning q valuable ac-
Susit'on was made in the village OF
SNers-Guislain. toward Lo Catelet, the
midpoint Of the st. Quentin-Cambra
Hhe. Progress was made southeast and
east OF Epehy. Villers- -Guislain 10 north.
% eeH "t Epehy. The British poaition near
4ueant, where the switch line OF the
~rmans goes north. was strengthened
The German abatement tonight ad.
mis that the French made "a small
gain OF territory near Braye-en-LAon-
nos The day statement contents q.
Continued On Tktvd Raea
v 3. Z Z. ~. y III, Z, Il {. ]. &