Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-03-29
Great GERMAN
DRIVE BEGINS
Hindenburg's Guns Start Battle
by Pounding Haig's Line for
Length of Fifty Miles.
MASSED FORCES GAIN GROUND.
kaiser's Men Suffer Heavy Losses In
First -Bombardment Pre-
cedng Offensive Unprecedent-
ed-Guns Heard in England.

London.-The much heralded Ger
man grand offensive has begun. This
is the beliefcof the correspondents at
British army headquarters in France
regarding the blow struck by the Kai-
sers forces in the Cambria sector.
The bombardment extended over
front of more than fifty miles, and the
infantry attack more than sixteen
miles.
The German claim of penetrating
portions Of the British positions is ad-
mitted, but Field Marshal Haig's re-
port declares that on no part Of the
front did the Germans attain their OBJ
jective, and that their losses were ex-
ceptionally heavy.
1t was by employing masses Of
troops, supported by great weight of
artillery, that the Germans penetrated
the British lines, says Reuters CORE
spondent at the front.
sour counter measures have not yet
developed" the correspondent adds.
'Therefore it is difficult to define the
position. Apparently the enemy's pur-
pose has been to launch conyerging at
tacks upon the two tlanks Of the Fles-
quiereS salient, in the hope of cutting
it off.
"There are unconfrmed rumors that
the enemy has employedtanks."
Although the battle Is likely to de-
velop into the greatest struggle of
modern history, and perhaps settle the
result of the war, the British people
preserve the same quiet calm that has
characterized them during the last
four years. There are no signs Of un-
usual excitement or nervousness in
London, no crowds outside the news
paper offices or elsewhere.
AS soon as news of the battle was
received extensive preparations were
made by the hospitals to receive the
trains of wounded from the channel
ports. Long lines of ambulances be-
gan forming at the Charing Cross rail-
way station when the first of the
wounded arrived from the front.
Scenes not unlike those during the
battle of The Somme were enacted, the
line of ambulances stretching away
from the station for four city blocks.
For hours German heavy guns pour
ed an ever increasing stream of steel
into the positions of the British,
against which the great drive was di-
rected. The preparatory bombardment
was of unprecedented intensity and
extent. so terrific that the rumble Of
the guns was heard in England, where
houses were shaken.
Infantry Attack.
This was followed by infantry as.
saults on a grand scale.
In one sector of the front German
infantry attacked on a width of 16
miles, with Bapaume as the immediate
objective.
Only these general details of the
mighty battle that is raging have been
received. But with such terrific
bombardment, followed by such desper-
ate infantry fighting, the losses run
high.
The German attack against the Brit
ish lines was on larger scale than
any made thus far during the war
on any part of the western front, An
drew Bonar Law. spokesman of the
government, told the House of Com.
mons.
Our outpost troops, he said, havt
been withdrawn on one part of the
line which was very lightly held. ThN
was nothing more than was expected
and was in accordance with instruc~
tions. There was nothing in the ma
ture of a surprise about the attack.