The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-04-20
INFANTRY RESTS
IN FLANDERS AS
LINES REFORM
Germans Prepare for New
Attempt to Win Heights
of KENNEL.
EFFORT WILL BE COSTLY
British and French Mass Large
Forces and Await the Ex.
pected Attack.
EFFORT WILL BE COSTLY
SPECIAL catis Despd,ch to Tar Sun from the
London Times.
BY PERRY ROBINSON,

SPECIAL Gable Dsspdich TO Tar Sun from Me
London Times,
BY PERRY ROBINSON.
Copyright, 1918; oil ,ights ,eserrsd.
6RrrIsH ARMY HEApoUARTEns IN
FRANCE, April ie.--lt has been quiet
to-day. as such things are measured
now. All night the artillery thundered
and to-day the guns have been noisy
enough. but nowhere does infantry ac-
tion appear to have taken place on any
scale.
The fighting yesterday- on the northern
sector was confined to small clashes
about Bailleul and Mont KENNEL and
in tho area toward Spanbroekmoien. but
the Germans attempted nothing worthy
of the name OF attack and the chief
lighting. As told yesterday. was In the
southern area from Givenchy to RobecQ.
To-day both sections have been equally
quiet: the north presumably because
the Germans are gathering strength for
new attempt and the south because
their failure yesterday left them breath
less and discouraged.
The threat in the northern sector. OF
course. Is still serious. The Germans
are going to get those heights OF KEN
mel and Scherpenberg IL they can. bu,
Aiic TINN'u nhh INIititb pNVI'ors
to make II very difficult and costly
business for them. The weather is April
with a touch OF January. with alternate
CLEANS of sunshine and showers. which
sometimes are snow instead Of rain. anL
the wind Ia hard and cutting.
sePioss Defeat at Givenchy.
The repulse Of the Germans on tn,
southern eector Of the front from Robecc
to 3ivenchy ycsterday was 40 thoroug hi!
satisfactory that It may fairly be classe,
az serious defeat. I had an oppor
tur!ty to-day OF learning many detaili
OF this operation, all OF which show
how utter and costly the German failure
was. From an eminence this morning
I was able 20 overlook the general ares
OF this ha:t!efeli. IT was very quiet
even the German artillery was con-
paratively silent and there were onl!
occasional shell bursts here and there
while our guns kept steadily pounding
the enemy rear guard positions an,
lines o: communication. OF infantr.
movement there WAS no sign.
The Germans attacked yesterday Will
parts or the whole OF six divisions ant
also drafts containing hotch-potch me,
Intended for different regiments. Th'
whole gain made in their attack wa.
represented py cTc SfI1dll post anu oIlS
short bit OF trench In the Fcstubcrt
Givenchy area. which was no integra
part Of our defences and was ins!gnif
cant.
In the centre OF the attack have tol,
how badly the enemy was handled aloni
the canal. and pm the left lhis right,
the enemy also IN the first attack mad
some ground about the. village of Rie:
du Vinage. which he was unable to re
tain. To-day we hold the ground ant
the enemy seems TO be greatly demoral
ICED by his failure. Our patrols are on
rounding up patches OF prisoners Il
small numbers.
Prisoners Tell Of Slang hter.
l reported YESTERDAY the number o
prisoners was about 600, but this ha
been materially increased. All thos
taker speak in the same terms Of tn
| terrible character OF their losses from
the beginning at early dawn when ou
guns got on them when they were as
sembllng for attack to the last pitiles
hailstorm OF our rifle. machine gun an,
trench mortar fire, under which the,
, We're forced to surrender
II Is fact that for some hours III
, enemy actually swan the canal from thei
side to ours in order to give them selve
| up. The attack on the canal here was
| brave and determined enough effort OF
the part of the Germans From Paaaet
wood and opposite Hinges large partie
| of Germans. covered by machine guns
made rushes to the canal bank and trie
TO build pontoon bridges. The earle
ru.hes were completely broken an
| wiped out. Al last the enemy sue
;n kl.a
| to throw across pontoon bridges. SUP
| ported by balloons"
Surrender Their Only Hope.
! Tao pontoon was not long enough an
/ the enemy party was teIyibly reduced b
our rife fire. Then 1t IL said "a corpora
| OF the Royal Engineers ran down to Tn
canal bank and in the face OF machin
gun fire from the opposite bank Ditchc
! hand grenadea or the pontoon, Will
others OF OUR men jumped into tn
water and pulled the wreckago of IN
pontoon across to our bank. THE fes
OF the enemy tried to recover their ow
| lines. but they We're boxed in by OF
machine gun and trench mortar fir,
| The only way they could save their live
was to hold up their hands in token c
surrender. then dive and swim acros
to give themselves up.
Cflcers who were engaged on this pa
Of the front unite In saying this morn
ing that more Germans were killed ther
yesterday than In any operations sine
the battle began on April Q, and It is nc
improbable. Our trench mortars her
have done especially valuable servic,
and elsewhere In the Same kind OF al
tacks other trench mortars have bs
haved in extremely gallant manne
Our batteries and trench mortars weI
yesterday holding every advanced pos
tlon when the attack was delivered. an
1, was Just at n point where the enem
succeeded in carrying small bit of on
position.
The trench mortar men kept firing Z