The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-05-02
TERRIFIC ATTACK OF
FRENCH HURL BACK
GERMAN LINES
NeVille's Army Wins Tactical Vic
tory, Capturing Considerable Terri
tory-Teutons Bring Up Reserves,
but Unable to Check Advance
Gain Said to Be from 500 to 1000
Yards.

Yards.
Grand Headquarters of the French
Army on the French Front, April 80,
Evening.-From Staff Correspond
ent of the Associated Press. 1.-THE
Germans were forced to engage in
battle again today along front ex-
tending between six and seven miles
to the eastward of Rheims. The
French attack was delivered from a
short distance southwark of Beine to
MoronviIlers. Notwithstanding the
difficulties Of the task confronting
them the French at the end of the
day had won a tactical victory and
captured considerable territory, al
though most obstinate fighting con-
tmued on grounds strongly fortified
and Offering every advantage to the
defenders.
SO serious was the French advance
that at one period Of the day the Ger
mans were compelled to throw into
the line another of the few remaining
divisions of their strategic reserves.
but still could not stay the French
progress.
Weird Sight.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press passed Sunday night on the bat
tlefield, observing the artillery pre-
paratlon for the attack, which pre-
sented one of the weirdest of sights.
Even the brightly starlit sky did not
permit one to observe the outlines of
the objects aimed at, but throughout
the night dozens of French batteries.
cleVerly concealed, poured out an in
cessant stream of shells against the
German positions and gun stations.
Meanwhile, the location of the Ger
man and French front lines could be
dehned IN consequence of the constant
succession of flares on each side which
were lighted for the purpose of oh
serving any possible movement of the
enemy infantry. Overhead could be
heard at low altitude the whirrinp
motors of German aeroplanes trying
vanly to locate the French batteries.
German Airmen Disappointed.
Numbers of tracing bullets bearing
long tails of light were sent upin or
der to outline the fiers, but the ar
tilery did not fire at them and tbe
German airmen, evidently disapoint-
ed over their unsuccessful search for
batteries went off to lombard the
open towns of Chalons and Epernav.
When the French infantry attack
began at 1910 o'clock today the
French line passed from just north of
the Roman road near Prunay, through
the Bois de la Grille and along the
crests OF Carnillet and Mont Hault to
Moronvilliers. In the west and the
center the French advanced rapidly.
put on the wooded mountain slopes
the fighting was harder and the Ger
mans counter-attacked frequently
with fresh troops, at one point re-
gaming section they had lost, only
TO be driven out of it gain latcron.
General Gain.
The French staff at the close of the |
day recorded general gain amount
ing to something more than 500 to |
1000 yards, and this in ground inter-
laced with trenches bristlng with ma
chine guns and strengthened here and |
there with block houses and redoubts
Possession of this range of crests
by the French menaces the German
positions at Nogcnt L'Abesse and
Berru, from which the bombardment
OF the Rheims Cathedral has been
carried out. The German guns today
relaxed in the punishment of Rheims
IN order to help defend the German
positions where the French attacked.
secret order, found on the field of
battle, addressed to the commander
of the Thirtythird German Reserve
Brigade, warns German officers that
the first line must be defended at all
costs, and if lost the fighting must
continue until it is rewon.
Principal Line.
"Our principal line of combat" saws
the order, "is the first line. This idea
should be anchored in your heads to
the exclusion Of all Others"
The order is signed "Von Schuss-
ler." This probably accounts for the
desperate nature of the German de-
fense in the recent engagement.
Indications show that the strength
of the German forces totalled on the
first Of April 219 divisions, each COM