The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-03-28
Allies Confident, Though Yielding
Ground to Germans
GREAT SLAUGHTER OF HUNS
Three German Ships Sunk by Al
lied Destroyers.-"M ystery
Gun" Shelling Paris from Dis
tance of 70 Miles One of War S
Greatest Surprises.

AS"oSSo NIL "a 4oSo'
Although still giving ground at
points before the heavy German
drive, the British and French in
the great battle in northern France
are preserving their united front
intact and apparently awaiting the
opportune moment for the deliv-
cry of counter blow to dispel the
German dream of world domin-
ion.
Big events are impending in the
immediate future at any rate, and
the advices from the front indi-
cate that these are expected to
develop favorably to all allies,
probably in the next few hours.
All accounts agree that Germa-
ny is paying heavily for every foot
Of ground she has wrested from
the allied armies. Her casual
ties are shown by the British Of
ficial statement to have mounted
so high that every part of the
western front has had to be drawn
upon to provide badly needed re-
Inducements for the battle area.
Field Marshal Haig's report re-
veals that more than seventy di-
visions, or between 100000 and 900
600 men have already been engag-
ed in the battle on the German
side, and the widespread call for
fresh troops makes it plain that
the fighting forces are being rapid
ly used up in the terrific onslaught.
Forty divisions of the German re-
serve are reported to have been
thrown into the line as early as
the second day of the battle.
The rearward movement in the
face of the Teutonic attack has
now brought the allied armies
well towards the edge of their for
mer battle lines in the Somme
area and in the devasted region to
the southeast.
Field Marshal Haig reports the
new British line drawn somewhat
to the east of Albert and Roye.
Paris indicates the French fighting
front as extending southwark
from Chaulnes past Noyon, which |
has been evacuated by the French |
and then running eastward along
the southern bank of the river
Disc.
The German troops have been
reported as rapidly firing from
the breathless plunge into the en-
tente lines and they were evidently
forced to take a breathing spell
last night opposite the British
front, as the London MONDAY
statement reports the fighting to
have died down. This morning,
however, fresh forces had proba-
bly, been brought up and the bat
tie resumed south Of Somme near
Roye and Chaulnes.
1t is near this section and in the
Noyon region that the German
wedge is being driven in hardest,
and it is here, or on the line to the
east, should the Germans further
expose their left wing, that the
weight of the expected counter
blow may fall. The French are {
holding the line Of the Disc
strongly. Their artillery is cutting
huge swarths in the German |
columns and the French artillery
is making frequent counter at {
tacks, inficting heavy losses on &
the Germans and retarding their I
advances.
The British are evidently main
tanning their marked superiority I
in the air on the battle front, and i
are throwing the German supply t
stations and lines of communica-
tions in the rear into confusion by
air attacks at close range. 6
A German squadron lombard s