Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-15
BRITISH RAPIDLY
CLOSE |NON LENS
AND ST. QUENTIN
Capture of Towns at Either
End of Front Seems
Imminent.
NEWLY GAINED POSITIONS
MAINTAINED EVERYWHERE
Serious Losses Inflicted on Ger
mans, Who Offer Stub
born Resistance.
EAIG's DRIVE IS REAL "IUSI"
Cnrclcnting Pursucr Causing Teu-
tons to Abandon Guns and
Other Equipment.
NEWLY GAINED POSITIONS
MAINTAINED EVERYWHERE
KAIG's DRIVE IS REAL "pUsH
Cnrclcnting Pursucr Causing leu
tons to Abandon Guns and
Other Equipment.

Lens ana 81. quentin, at either end
os tho front on which the British have
been presing back III, Germans. now
arc almost within tho grasp Of the ad-
rancinE forces
,Sma shinc British blows against the
German positions north and south OF
Lens have had their effect. and the
British now hold the suburban towns
Of LEVIN and Cite-St. Pierre. and are
reported to be firing heavy explosive
shells into tho minieg center Of North
France.
With the French holding fast south
OF ST Quentin and less than mile
from its horIcr. Field Marshal Haig' 3
mon followed up their capture Of
Fayc,. mil. northwest OF the town.
by driving the German defenders hack
10 Within few hundred yards OF ST
Quentin on the north.
There has been vioicn, lighting along
all tho important sectors on the front
between Lens and St Quentin and
everywhere the British have either
made gains in the German dcfenscs or
have held back German attacks
South Of Lens and north OF the River
Scarpc the troops of Field Marshal
iIaiE have continued TO plunge for
ward and have reached points two to
three miles east Of the Nimy ridge
South OF the Scarpe the Germans
have Tough, stubbornly. and have
rushed reserve forces into the fray in
an effort to hold back the oncomnS
British. Attacks and counterattacks =
came at short intervals. but the Brit
ish maintained the captured positions
everywhere. London says. Serious
losses were irf'icted on the Germans
GERMANS LOSE HEAVILY
IN KILLED AND WOUNDED
Northwcs, Of 81. Quentin tho British
also have captured the village Of tiri-
court. milo north of Fayct. The Ger
mans los, heavily in killed and
wounded, London reports. In the fight
ing around Fayct The British have cap
turcd 400 prisoners from the Germans.
Aerial fighting continues on a large
scale on the western front. and Lon
don reports that twelve British ma
chimes failed to return after engaging
the Germans behind the German lines.
Four German machines were brought
down by British aviators and six others
were driven down. Berlin records that
the entente lost twcnty-four atrplancs
on Friday.
South OF St Quentin the French
The German positions. and The Germans
arc replying French troops made
some progress on tho plateau northeast
of Quincy Basse south Of the Disc.
Violent cannunad:ns has marked the
hostilities AZ other Important sectors
along the front held by the French
Most vital in tho series OF engage
inents arc those accompanying the
British offensive III the Arras region.
now described as a real push" Cen
oral lIaig's sledge- hammer blows here
SO far have been too much for tho Ger
mans to withstand. The top Of the
famous Hindcnburg line has been
turned, and all along the from, from
Loos. north OF Lens. to a point well to
the southeast OF Arras the Gerna ms
arc reported in retreat.
EXECUTION OF GREATEIt
THINGS HINTED At
Not only Lens. with it's important
coal fields is at stake in this move
mcnt. Correspondents at the front
hin, at executions nf possibly greater
things. The unrclcnting British pur-
sucr is causing the Germans TO aban-
don guns and other equipment that
they have no time to take away. and
of the British of Keeping up the pur-
suit at such a pace that their foe may
be caught unprepared at some point
and a real break in the line effected.
At st. Quentin. not so much is at
stake for the Germans, but the loss OF
the town would create another serious
breach In the southerly sector OF the
present defensive line. By capturing
the town OF Fayet, the British ha
worked to within II mile Of st. Qucn-
tin. on the northwest. Willie to the
south the French close by. are ham
mcrinE il with their artillery.
In Mcsopotamia the Turks have sus-
tanned another defeat at the hands of
the Eritish.
4 night march across country by
the British on the Tigris, after Cen
cral Maude had made a stratcgical re-
tiremcnt on tho Diaia. drawing the
Turks after him. enabled a quick blow
10 be delivered which drove the Turks
northward with heavy losses. They
were still in retreat with the British
following when General Maude sent his
rcnort on AprtI l3.