Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-23


front OF about loco yards. Reu-
ter's correspondent at British
headquarters says that an ad-
vance. was made TO a depth OF. g.
$50 yards.
London, April 23.-On the
SOmme front north of Albert
the British last night imprOy-
ed their line by a successful
local operation. They took 80
prisoners. @.
On the Flanders front in the Ro-
becQ sector and near Wytschaete
the British took prisoners.
Paris, April 23.-Actiye artillery
operations on the Somme front and
east of Rheims are reported in to-
days official communication.
(By Associated PressD
Great Britain's armies, in con-
junction with the French, are pre-
pairing for the next German blow
on the western battle front.
There are evidences of German
concentration for a renewal of the
great battle on the Somme front.
Field Marshal Haig reports enemy
activities of this nature in the vi
cinity of Villers- -Brettoneaux.
The enemy masses were taken
under fire by the British artillery
as were similar concentrations
north of the Somme, near Serre,
seven miles north of Albert.
Gain at RObecq and Wytschaete.
The Germans are heavily bonn
harding the region west of Albert
and entire north side of the sali-
ent. The Paris war Office reports
considerable artillery activity along
the battle area. Local fighting, in
which the British had the advant-
age, occurred also on the Lys front
near Robecq, and in the neighbor-
hood of Wytschaete, in the ridge
region, to the northeast.
Canadians Tire Enemy.
Canadian Army Headquarters in
France, April 23-(By the Canadian
Press. )-The Canadians during the
last II hours have raided the Ger
man lines at seven positions, gass-
ed enemy with thousands of lach-
rymatory and lethal shells, haraS-
sed him by special artillery shots,
swept his trenches with machine
gun and rife bullets and hammered
his front line with trench mortars.
In some of the raids sharp fight
ing developed, in one instance pro-
tracted hand to hand fighting TAX
ing place, this struggle being so in
tense that the Canadians were un-
able to take prisoners The seven
9
ers and two machine guns. Two of
the prisoners have since died.
LixeIy All Night.
From dusk until dawn the whole
front has been lively north and
south of Lens. The ceaseless rum
BILE of our heaviest, which are neu-
tralizing hostile battles by calcu-
lated and continuous gas shelling,
has been accompanied by the
sharper chorus of our field artil-
lery, carrying out a particularly
harrassing fire program. Period
ically our artillery fire has reached
barrage intensity in support of
raiding parties.
Show Germans Up,
The enemy has been forced 10
fire his guns under gas clouds and
in gas masks. He has betrayed
the effect of our tactics by the
diminishing volume of his. fire, but
he has made answer to our general
raiding and gas activities by pro-
jecting much tear gas against our
position north of Lens.
This projection was bigger in
volume than anything ever at
tempted against the conditions b.,
the enemies. His gas is not so eff
fective and his masks are not near
ly as good as ours.
Silence Hun Batteries.
or the batteries bombarded by
our gunners during the last IL
hours many will not be hasrd from
for some time. Continuous forcib'e
feeling for such a protracted pc
riod on lethal and tear gas, mixed
with high explosives have proven
too successful before to doubt its
destructive virtue now. Unable II
obtain rubber to give the masks
that close fit which is essential for
full protection, the Germans pro-
tective measures fall short of our
own
Our AS howitZers secured six di
rect hits on concrete shelters in
the AVion district.