Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-26
GERMAN ASSAULTS
ALONG TWO FRONTS
NET SMALL GAINS
Enemy Takes Village of VIII
IerS-Bretonneux From Brit
iSh and Hangard From Fran
CO-AmeriCan Forces

WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE, April 25.-(By the Associated
Press. The German attack against
the French and British lines on the
northern front in the Dranoutre-Kem-
mel sector is continuing. The Teuton
assault was intended to pave the way
for the capture Of KENNEL hill
Vigorous British counter attacks to-
wards VillerS-Bretonneux apparently
resulted in the retaining of a consider
able part of the territory lost to the
Germans yesterday. The battle is still
raging, however, and ii is too early to
make claims.
Tanks went into action on both sides
for the first time in history. In the
battle about Villers-Bretonneux the
German tanks appeared at the begin
ming of the engagement and by noon
the British tanks Joined in the fray.
The latter did heavy execution when
they got among the enemy infantry.
A British counter attack drove tina
enemy from Aquenne wood toward Viii
Iers-Bretonneux but the Germans rushe5
large number of machine guns into
the town and their fire was so intenSe
that the first counter attack was held
up.
NEW YORK April e5.-(Summary Of
European Cables to the Associated
Press yielding only slightly at the
first shock of the German assault in
the renewal of the drive in the great
battle south of the Somme, the Brit
ish and Franco-American lines are now
standing firmly against the desperate
continuing assaults of the enemy.
On the ten-mile front south of the
Somme, where the intensive force of
the blow has been concentrated the
British have lost Villers-Bretonneux
and the French the village of lanyard
En-Santerre. Already Field Marshal
Haig's forces have begun to react
strongly in the vicinity of the former
place and they have regained ground
around it and considerably improved
their general position. lanyard has
once before been in German posses
sion during the Somme battle and>it
changed hands twice in the present
lighting before the French drew out
of it and established themselves firmly
on its western edge. The Germans have
made repeated attempts to debouch
from the place but each time the
French were solidly in the way.
The fighting is continuing today
with the Germans desperately strug-
Cling to make the considerable head
way they must if they are to gain any
thing but relatively valueless local adj
vantages.
On the Macedonian front allied troops
have gained new local successes in the
continuation of the increased activity in
this theater. British troops west OF
Dorian penetrated Bulgarian defenses
on wide front, and in the Cerna bend
French and Serbian troops repulsed en-
envy attacks. In Albania, west of Lake
Presba, allied troops forced the enemy
to retire from the heights along the
Vrba and captured two villages.
Thus the decision in the renewal of
the battle is by no means yet with
either side. The meager gains of the
enemy. however. after a pause long
enough for him to bring up his heaviest
artillery and when he must have been al
the pinnacle of his strength. may well
be compared with the sweeping sue
Cesses achieved in the beginning Of the
battle last month when he won miles
of ground a day and captured tens of
thousands Of prisoners.
Meanwhile the Germans have not
abandoned even temporarily their eff
forts on the Flanders battle front. APP
on the sector dominated by Mount KEN
mel, with the object of forcing the de-
tenders from this bulwark. They at
tackled the French last night in the re-
gion northeast Of BailleuI and after be
ing repQlsed returned to the attack 80
day with assaults in the same sector and
on the British front further east.
The battle here was still in progress
when the British official statement was
issued this afternoon.