The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-24
Heavy Attacks on a Front of
Twenty Miles.
Artillery Action Has Been In
creaSing Here Lately.
ALLIES EXPECTED BLOW HERE
In Flanders and on the SOmme
There Is Action.
Every Onslaught Is Repulsed by
British and French.
lRx the Associated Press.l

The drive on Amiens for which the
Germans plunged desperately but
failed to reach in their great offensive
last month was resumed today.
In the effort to push toward this
important junction point and allied
base, renewed after a two weeks in
terval in which the main German eff
fort was transferred to Flanders, the
enemy this morning launched a heavy
attack on a front of approximately
twenty miles.
The line at which the German in
fantry is again being thrown extends
from the district north of Albert,
northeast of Amiens, to the Avre
river, southeast of the city Nearly
all this front is held by the British,
whose line links up with the French
at the river Luce, about three miles
north of the Avre. 1t has been re-
garded as almost inevitable that the
Germans would again strike here, as
the advance of their right flank in the
Amiens region was stopped short by
the strong British resistance at AL
bert, tagging far behind their left,
which was pushed to Castel to within
a short distance of the Paris-Amiens
railway. further driving in of the
wedge south of Amiens was thus vir-
tually impossible unless the line to
the north could also be advanced.
Allies Thought So.
The attack here. furthermore.
represents a continuation of the per-
sistent German effort to push in be-
tween the French and the British by
striking heavy blows near their point
of junction
The comparatively narrow field in
which the enemy could attack with
reasonable expectations of profit to
himself has thus given the allies warn.
ing. largely eliminated the element of
surprise which was so strong a factor
in the earlier German success and
doubtless has led to the massing of
strong Anglo-French forces at the
point where the Germans are now
striking.
The Germans have been working up
a strong artillery fire along virtually
the whole British southern front for
several days, following the easing of
their pressure on the Flanders front
but the preliminary intensive bonn
bardmeut was of comparatively short
duration. The drum fire began early
this morning. followed shortly by the
advance of the infantry.
\ Surprise Blow Intended.
What was apparently intended as a
surprise blow without notable artil
lerv preparation. was launched by the
Germans at dusk last evening north
west of Albert. The British were on
the alert. however. and met the ad-
vance with a hail of rifle and machine
gun fire. driving back the enemy.
Meanwhile the enemy has MAIN
tafned sufficient pressure in the Elan
Gers area to keep the Anglo-French
forces we'll occupied there. Not only
has the artillery bombardment been
heavy in many sectors. but last night
there was a strong hostile attack on
the northerly side of the Lys salient,
near Dranoutre, close to Mount KEN
mel The French were guarding this
region and they repulsed the assault
after sharp fighting. their artillery CO.
operating with the British guns in Sc
verely Furnishing the enemy.
London. April 24.-Strong German
attacks developed last evening in the
neighborhood of Dranoutre on the
Flanders front. but were repulsed by
French troops. the war office an
nounced.
The Statement.
The statement follows:
The hostile artillery activity in
creased yesterday afternoon and even
ing on the greater part of the British
front. particularly in the Somme and
Ancre sectors in the valley of the
Scarpe and in the sectors north of
Bethune and northeast of Bailleul
AT dusk hostile infantry left their
trenches to attack northwest of AL
bert but met with heavy rifle and
machine gun fire and were driven
back
strong hostile attacks developed
also late in the evening in the neigh
borhood of Dranoutre and were re-
pulsed by French troops after sharp
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