The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-04-25
British Yield a Mile After
All Day Battle at Villers-
BretOnneux.
FRENCH ALSO GIVE WAY
Germans Again Gain Foot
hold in Much Contested
Village of Hangard.'
HAND TO HAND FIGHTING
Resumption of Battle Accom-
panied by Strong Attacks ,
on Lys and at Albert.
HAND TO HAND FIGHTING


LcxpoS. April 2+.--Aftcr vtolent
which lasted all day yes
terday and most Of last night the Ger.
mans launched attacks In great
strength against the British ana
French lines in Picardy at $3.50 o'clock !.
this morning in n renewed effort 10
break through to Amiens and thence
to the coast. i'''
In the French Official statement to.
night reference Is made to the
Franco o-American positions south OF
the Somme and on the Avre." This
may indicate that American troops
are fighting with the French in the
thick Of the battle. as reference was
made In an official report almost two
weeks ago to their presence In this
region.
Tho first attacks we're repulsed. but
little later in the morning the Gev-
mans came back In even greater force.
concentrating the assaults on the sup.
posed weak points Of the line. villers-
Bretonneux. at the upper tip Of the
salient and the nearest point to
Amiens, from which It is only eleven
and . half miles away. and Hangard.
on the Luce River. the junction point
Of the British and French armies.
Fighting Of the most desperate
character ensued. much Of II of the
hand to hand variety. and the oppos-
ing troops swept back and forth over
the contested area practically all day
In the evening the British. unable Ia
withstand the pressure longer, retired
from Villers- -Bretonneux, while about
four miles to the south. at Hangard.
the Germans forced their way into the
outskirts OF the village despite the ef-
forts Of the French to prevent them,
Lys Fighting Also Renewed.
The maximum German gain was
made at villers-Bretonneux and was
about one mile. Field Marshal Halg
tonight reports the loss OF the village
and adds that fighting there still con-
t!nues. The German attacks on tho
northern and southern ends Of the
British line were repulsed he says, and
only in the centre was any ground
given up.
At the same time as this resumption
Of the battle Of Picardy the Germaps
delivered sharp attacks on the north
bank OF the Sonme and northwest of
Albert; both nf these We're repulsed by
the British. who took some prisoners.
Nor was the Lys battlefield neglected;
in what Gen. Haig describes as a local
operation northwest OF Festubert.
which is little west Of La Bassee, a
post captured by the Germans on Mon
day was regained despite the most oh
sunate resistance. and some prisoners
and machine guns were taken. Early
this morning also the Germans deliv-
cred a strong local attack east Of Ro-
necq. on the southwestern tip Of the
Lys salient. but were driven back.
leaving eighty-four prisoners in the
hands of the British Additional pri.
oners were taken In British assault,
near the forest OF N!eppe and Meteren
Attack Near Albert Rcpulsed.
Iher" was heavy artillery fightins Ia ; :
evening IN the valley Of the Scarpe. lust
cast or Arras and also north Of Bethuns
| ana northeast Of Bailleu,. IN the .I.ys
salient. a rather severe attack by in
fa1try delivered at dusk northwes. OF
Albert was driven back
the German report asserts that ,u
nGhtinE northeast OF Bailleul yesterday
they captured Eleugelhoek Hill together
with some French prisoners. and thst
they frustrated strong British advances
northwest Of Bethune
Heavy hghtins is still In progress To-.
night in tho French sector AZ Hancart.
! The Germans took not only the outskirts
! OF the village hut also the wooded h.,i
TO TIE north. The struggle began al !,
! o'clock In the morning and continued all
day, Other attacks IN the vicinity. near
| Hailles. Senecat Wood and Hill So failed
, The correspondent OF the Associated
= Press with the French army In France
describes the fighting as follows:
The Germans opened an attack in
force early this morning in the vicinity
OF Fillers-Bretonneux and Hangard-
en-Senterre. sending forward forces
which they had been concentrating for
some days. Whether they intend tn
make another desperate effort 70 capture
Amiens cannot tr foretold. but oven n
they succeed the effort would 10 useless
from military standpoint.
ALLIES Greatly strengthened.
A, Their previous attempt was fu.-
| trateI h" the determined and heroi.'
resistance Of rapidly impro'.sc bodies
ri French and British troops, since
then both sides have lad ar opportunitv
to strengthen their positions willis
| awaiting developments
Despite the atmospheric diMcultie,
/ during the last few days the allied
aviators have been able. through daring
tactics. to observe movements by ths
enemy. They reported the arrival ol
large reenforcements OF German guna