Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-04
0QortaAt INCIDENTS q First Week
ef Great 8attie Are Given
% Public.
GERMAN ANS NOT REALIZED
Moved Down BY HaIo's Heroic Men.
the kaissrs reeeps Push Te.
ward the osmms BY Sheer
Force Of Numbers.

SASss wniie tne ukntiuk MAJ e more
severe than In any previous offensive.
there has been no cause for pessimism.
The German losses have been ter
rife. probably $4,000 casualties hav.
Tag been suffered by the kaiser's hosts.
At such cost they won less than one-
third Of the ground on which they had
counted. The morale of the British
troops has been perfect throughout
and they have fought m~agni6cently.
Million Germans In Action.
These facts stand out:
1t IL known that at least 100000
Germans were engaged on the whole
front Of attack. In the Somme area
not less than 81 army divisions were
identified. The British line suffered
1ts most severe buffeting in this
stretch, but vas firm everywhere.
The Germans believed that a loss
Of 10000 would be a cheap price for
success In the west, but with a loss
already Of 100000 there Is no pros
pect Of their attaining the victory they
seek.
They regafned all the ground lost In
the Cambria battle and have taken
back sections OF the territory taken
from them In the Somme offensive Of
last year.
The fighting was not by any mean
. continual German advance. The
British counter.attacked heavily and
fought for every foot of ground.
Details Of the Fighting.
In n battle on the extreme left
the Germans employed not less than
nine divisions in an effort to break
through. For three days the three
British divisions held them at bay.
Finally, under weight Of numbers, the
British retired behind the line marked
BY the ruined villages of B%ullecourt,
East Nogueil and Croiselles.
The next morning the Germans re-
newed the attack, striking northward
from FOntainelless and Croiselles and
westward from Cherissy. They drove
in mass formation, wave after wave,
toward the heights between Henin.sur.
Cojeul to Henin hill.
Two hours of drum fire. In which
Ens and h~igh-explosive shells were
mingled. preceded the infantry attack.
From eight o'clock In the morning un-
I'll noon continuous waves of gray-clad
troops stormed the heights.
British machine guns posted on the
ridge swept down line after line of
Germans. BY three o'clock in the aft.
ernoon the Teutons had succeeded in
pressing past Henin hill on both sides
and threatened to cut off the machine
Euhners posted on the crests. Not
until then did the latter retire and re-
Join the main British force.
Similar fighting was going on at the
same time on the right wing. Tremen.
dols pressure was brought to bear
around st. Leger. vanx and yrau-
court. 1t lasted all day.
At times under the German blows
the British line sasged heavily, but Mt
no point did 1t give way.
desperate Oetense OF vauIx.
A bitter battle was fought for pos
session Of Vaulx, but British machine
gunners posted in the ruins Of the
village held the Germans at bay. A
ruined factory served as a fortress
despite the Smelling to which 1t was
subjected.
Not until late in the afternoon was
1t impossible for the British to hold
the town longer. Even then the re-
treat only went for a thousand yards.
The British rear guard fought every
step OF the way, and, returning to the
main body, cou~nter-cttack was
launched against the Germans In pos.
session of Vaulx and the village a
regained.
The fighting continued all night.
Finally Vaulx had to be abandoned
before heavy night attacks, but only
because German forces had pushed
past further up the line and were
driving to the attack Of Mory.
Another bitter struggle was fought
Ground Croiselles. At Mory Scottish
and English troops inflicted tremen.
dous losses on the Germans.
Sunday Battle South Of psrsnne,
The fighting Sunday was tremen.
dous. All day long heavy forces Of
Germans e%ndeavored to force n cross.
Ing Of the Somme south Of Peronne.
while further along the line they con.
rcntrated their efforts against Ba.
paume.
Repeatedly German engineers st.
tempted to throw pontoon bridges
across the river. On the nearby
heights British field guns firins prac.
uc"!iy al point range smashed every
effort. On some occasions British in.
Ssntry. counter.attacklng, dashed into
the water to fight the Germans.
With the object Of capturing Or.
villers and Esslgny. southwest Of 81,
puentin. the Germans employed at
least six divisions, or 72,O00 men Of
storming troops. the S0th, 46th IRE.
serves). 18th. SSth, 18th and 23Sth,
n khn NHonnvtlou - - An.a. a.