Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-06
SURPRISE ATTACK
NEAR ALBERT FAILS
Sudden Switch to Front Twenty Miles
North, Of somme River Intended to
Catch British Nappins-French Re-
sistanee Breaks Hun Attempt to
Advance South Of Somme and Ger
mans Desist! From Further Efforts.

- oeIn9 struck To-Day against inc
British. in the Somme valley, at
most directly east Of the city, from
which the Germans at this point
arc about ten miles distant. The
attack on the center Of the line
comes after the check Of the Ger
man left wing Thursday night in
;:..s ;:..s powerful! tth.m:. at the French:
line between Montdidier and the
Avre and the failure Of the German
right yesterday and last night to
make more than a feeble impress
sion on British positions north Of
the Somme.
The fighting in the southerIy
area has resolved itself into vio-
lent artillery battle, following
which the probabilities are the
Germans will make anoaher effort
to advance from positions where
they have been pinned BY the
French.
this front last night except at
points against the British on the
3AIuss river. The British took the
Initiative hers and improved their
lpesitiens It Hangard by q coun-
ter attack.
9lsprts "a &hs Germans yester-
day 70 enlarge TIRE upper side Of
the salient sdccseded only to
slight degree and struck a rock
like defense Of the British, at At
I bert. Tho enemy was unable to
make any more important prog
ress than he scored in his daytime
effort.
Advices on today's fighting made
il seem likely that the operations
would be an important one.
General Foeh, the commander
in-cnief and under whose orders
more than 1000 American troops
are ready Is aid the French and
British, declares the boche tidal
wave 10 broken. "Ail is going WELL"
hs adds. As proof of his statement
10 the fact that in the past two
days the enemy has made only
slight gains on thirty-eisht
mile front and these have been
equaiized in part by Franco Brit
ish advances at some points.
French resistance broke the Ger
man storm Thursday south Of tho
Somme and north Of the river the
British on Friday showed the same
stern mettIe before furious as
saults, which were renewed to.
day.
The sudden switch in the attack
70 front Of twenty miles north of
the somme may have been made
to catch Field Marshal Haig nap
ping but If so the attempt was flu
tile. As in the attack against the
>E.rs nco- British front, the Germans
sustained heavy casualties in their
fruitIess. efforts against the Brit
ish.
Dernancourt and Albert, along,
the Ancre, were tho positions at.
tackled most heavily by the en-
.emy, on Friday, while strong as
sauit was made near Moyenneville,
! twenty miles north Of the somme.
q For many hours the enemy surged
against the British line but sue
cesded only IN gaining a footing in
The foremost trenches near Derna.
court.
Southwest Of Albert a British
counter attack drove the enemy
from front line positions he had
-pained there. Between Moyenne-
Willie and Albert the Germans were
J unable to dislodge the British from
their defenses. Southeast Of
Commeeourt in the region Of Serre,
north Of MesniI, the British
I. launched an attack and captured
100 prisoners.
Freneh have driven the Germans
from some positions north Of
Montdidier. At MaiIly. RainevaI,
whore he made gains Thursday,
The. enemy was driven back.
Farther south at cantigny, the
French attackers gained and held
the northern and western outskirts
of the town.
ss5I On TIE .=-iany-heycn =:S.e-
che French also made a slight ad-
vance north of Mount Renaud.
There has been lively artillery &C.
tivity here as we'll az around YER
dun. = =. z.
s Japanese naval forces have been
landed at Vladivostok to protect
/ japanese citizens and Ipropert.
This landing Is declared to have
~ connection with the possibility
u Japanese Intervention in ST
4 bsria.
The end of Americas first war
.s.ysar finds more than I, SOC, 900 soil