New-York tribune., 1918-04-16
p. n.y. the enemy had not begun the
big onslaught which was expected.

l!iSiue tuS Sltudlioli iOi odltitul llo
brighter, but the Allied position on
the whole has been growing better
with the passing of time.
The British were still pivoting on
Wytschate, and last night, when the
pressure at Neuve Eglise became too
great, they swung their line to the
northwest, thereby eliminating the
salient which bulged out around that
place.
The British yesterday recapturcd
Arrewage, just east of :he Nieppe
Forest. This whole area is reported
full of German dead who had fallen
in the hard fighting. South of here. at
Cornet Malo, east of ST. Flors
the Germans yesterday delivered four
fierce attacks. All were repulsed with
heavy losses to the attacking troops.
Mount Guns in Houses
The fighting here has been contn-
uous, and the British are holding
Cornet Malo with machine guns trained
from house windows. These rapid
tirers have done great execution in the
enemy's ranks. AT one time the enemy
got a footho.d in the hamlet, but this
advantage was short-lived, for the
machine gunners got in on the advanc-
ing troops and smashed them badly.
The Importance which the Germans
attach to Balleul had added contirma~
tion on Saturday night, when troops
were sent into the attack, with orders
that they must capture the Mcteren-
Bailleul highway at all costs. They
paid in advance, but did not get what
they were after. Here again the ma
chine guns reaped harvest.
The trend of the operations in the
northern battle may be seen from the
number of troops the Germans have
been using since the opening of the
struggle. On April 8. when the attack
began, they were using eleven divisions
in the line. On April 10 this number
was increased to thirteen, on April 12
to twenty, April 13 to twenty-one and
April IA to twenty-three, other divi-
sions being held in reserve.
Captives Admit Big Losses
From the southern battlefront comes
word that German officers of the gath
Reserve Division captured at Hangard
Wood on April stated that the cas-
ualties of the German forces engaged
on this front averaged so per cent
since the attack began. In addition the
enemy suffered much from transport
trouble and shortage of food and am
munition. This was partly due to the
great number of horses killed and the
bad condition of the rest.
The latest reports showed that the
British line was being strongly held
as a whole in this northern zone and
in some instances had been considera-
bly, improved by counter strokes.
The British last evening followed up
their success of Saturday. when they
pushed the Germans back from Robecq,
on the Clarence River. Local counter
attacks delivered on the German posi-
tons 5000 yards to the east of this
town were completely successful, and
the enemy again was forced to fall
back somewhat.
Allied Defence Stffens
The British in the course of the
afternoon also pushed out several posts
north of the canal, between the Lave
and Clarence rivers.
These operations indicate that the
defence of the Entente Allied troops
has stiffened.
The battle which has been raging
about Neuve Eglise has been one of
the most sanguinary of any since the
German offensive began. On Friday
night the Germans succeeded after
ing possession Of the town. They held
it through the night, bat on Saturday
morning the British drove forward and
pushed out the enemy
The Germans continued to fling
great numbers of troops against the
defences. Yesterday the British took
the initiative and cleared the Germans
from the slopes on the east and south
east of the town. The enemy kept on
h-y If
fighting at close quarters forced the
British to abandon the village.
British Regain Ground
Late yesterday afternoon the Ger
mans essayed an attack astride the
Merville-Lamotte road and made a
small advance. The British Immediate
ly counter attacked and restored the
original line. Heavy casualties were
inflicted on the enemy, especially by
the machine guns, which found excel
lent targets.
The enemy also formed for an at
tack northwest of Mervile, but the
British artillery cut up the concentra-
ton and the attack did not materialize.
Two small enemy attacks in the neigh
borhood Of Messines Ridge yesterday
were driven off.
On the southern battlefront the AL
lies on Sunday carried out small but
EucceSSICl operation, WnlCh resulted In
the reestablishment Of some of their
positions north and east of Hangard.
The hand of war is resting heavily
on the towns and hamlets in the north
ern battle zone, and they are rapidly
going the way OF devastated places in
the other sections OF the front. The
quaint old town OF Bailieul is already
a mass Of ruins.
Many of the beautiful buildings have
been smashed by shelldre, and the
famous hothouses which supplied won
derful g5apes to people in all parts Of
the world have been entirely demol-
ished
Enemy Transport Held Up
The Germans have been having q
bad time with their transport on the
Armentieres battlefront because Of the
wet nature OF the ground, which Is
very low and threaded by many
streams. Considerable quantities Of
supplies have been stuck in the mud.
and the enemy have been working over
time repairing railways and highways.
In the last few days they have cca-
Etructed and rebuilt network Of high
ways IN the Bailleul- Merville sector
The British unwittingly furnished a
= small force Of Germans with q feast
AInc day the enemy broke through the
Tor'uguese and got round the British
= right flank at Bac st. Maur A supply
train loaded with rations was sur
fOundc0 Tho .poro,,