Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-17
Capture
 10000 Prisoners
IN VIOLENT INFANTRY ATTACK
 AGAINST GERMANS
ON A 2s MILE FRONT
The Battle Took Place Between sois- sons and Rheims-over Distance of 1872 Miles the Entire German First Line Positions Fell Into the Hands of the French.

The French troops in the depart
 ments of the Aisne and the Marne
 have delivered a violent infantry at-
 tack against the Germans over a front of 25 miles, made important gains of
 terrain and captured more than 10000
 prisoners and large quantities of war
 material.
 The battle took place between Sois-
 sons and Rheims, and over a distance
 of IS 1-2 miles, from Soissons to
 Craonne, the entire German first line
 positions fell into the hands of Gen. eral Nivelle's forces, while east of
 Craonne a second line German posi-
 ton south of Juvencourt and another
 position on the outskirts of Bermeri-
 court and running along the Aisne canal to Loivre and Courcy also were captured. Violent counter-attacks de- lfvered by the Germans on seera1 sec
 tors were repulsed with heavy casual ties.
 Heavy Rainfall Stops British. The artillery for several days had been violently shelling the entire re- ty along the front from Lens to St Quentin had almost ceased. owing to a heavy rainfall, the French launched their infantry in an endeavor to break from this point of great strategic val ue. The German ofhciai communica- ton in briefly referring to the attack describes 1t as a great attempt ito DTedk through W1Ln a IdI-QlSId1lL Op- ject," possibly meaning that suc- cessful breach of the German lines here might necessitate the falling back by. the Germans along greater part of the front from Lens to Soissons. To the east, in Champagne, violent artillery activity continues, probably being the forerunner of an attempt by the French at a drive against the Ger man lines in this no less important region.
 Up to the time that the rainstorm began Monday afternoon the British had captured from the Germans the village of Yilleret, southeast of liar gicourt. and eight miles from St. progress northwest of Lens. During the week that the British offensive has been going on Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig's forces have made prisoners of 14,OO0 Germans and cap tured 194 guns and large quantities of war stores.
 French Gain in AIsace and Lorraine. From the fact that the French troops | in Alsace and Lorraine have renewed their fighting against the Germans, preceding it with heavy artillery preparation and delivering infantry attacks which netted them good gains of terrain and resulted in heavy cas- ualties to the Germans, it would ap- pear that all along the French front the moment is approaching for an in | tensive battle from Belgium to the Swiss border.
 From none of the battle fronts ex- cept that In France has there come reports of any great battles. There have been small encounters between the Austro-Germans and Russians on the eastern front. A Teutonic allied attempt against an allied position in the Cerna river region of Macedonia was repulsed-
 | Tn the Austro-Italian theatre tAe operations have been limited to patrol encounters owing to snowstorms. l In MeSopotamia the British troops operating in the Tigris-Dia1a river sector have driven the Turks farther back and made numerous prisoners.