The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-20

alton OF the terrlHc losses SUSTAINED
by the assaults during yesterdays
sanguinary struggle. Between Given
chy and Festubert the ground this
morning was strewn with German
dead and at many other points on the
long front of action excessive cas-
ualties were inflicted by the British
artillery and machine gun fire which
moved down the unhappy storm
troops in countless numbers The
British machine gunners worked theii'
weapons in many cases until the en-
envy was only fifty yards away
Point Blank Targets.
There was no chance Of missing
these point-blank targets. Time and
again the enemy line wavered and fell
back, unable to withstand the deluge
of bullets and where they succeeded
in getting to close quarters they LETT
a heavy trail Of dead and dying be.
hind.
In the neighborhood of Robecl
many Germans threw away their rifles
and SWAN the canal to the British
side to surrender when they could no
longer bear up under the stream OF
machine gun bullets which was sweep
ing through them. The British trench
mortars also did great eecXution
throwing their high explosives into
dense enemy ranks at close range
Intense Bombardment.
The German artillery bombardment
about Givenchy and from La Bassee
northward along the canal yesterday
morning perhaps set new high
water mark for intensity Veterans
Of many battles declared they had
never seen anything like it. although
many records have been broken since
the offensive began, March q.
1t was the Germans intention tc
wipe Givenchy off the map, and in
order to accomplish this they increas
ed threefold their already great con
centration of artillery Guns of all
calibres, up to eleveninch monsters,
took part in the preliminary bomb
bardment, and continued throughout
the day to hurl thousands of shells
into the back areas. Undoubtedly
this BON bardment did much damage,
but this morning all the Germans had
to show their expenditure of ammuni
ton, and subsequently their sacrifice
OF life was one of forward trench.
10y ASSOCIATED PREss.)
Over the battlefelds of France and
Flanders, where terrific struggles
have been waged almost without in
PERMISSION since March 81 there has
come what appears to be a lull.
Official reports tell little of actual
conditions. They say that the situa
ton Is unchanged, which may indicate
that both sides are exhausted by Their
exertions in the engagements that
have been fought or that they are
busy bringing up artillery and fresh |
troops to renew the struggle.
Correspondents at the front tell Of
miserable weather, cold and rain and
sleet. to add to the already known |
bad conditions of the lowlands. which |
are virtually uagmires through which |
men and materials can be moved only |
with difficulty !
Ground impossible. !
The opposing armies have beer
fighting in a fiat. marshy country |
since April s, and this ground, difficult |
enough under normal conditions has |
been made still more nearly impass |
ible by rains and the tempest of higf |
explosive shells that has blashd |
roads and fields. \
1t appears, however, that the Ger I
mans have not repeated their thrusts |
along the line running north of Be
thune, where they met with sanguin |
airy repulse Wednesday and Thursday |
They employed about $4,000 mer
along a line variously reported to be
from six to ten miles in length, bu !
gained little or no ground. The Ii
Bassee canal front is still in British 4
hands and brigades flung across i 1
by the Teutons have been swept away i
by the allied artillery fire.
Counter Offensive Soon. \
The blow aimed by the French
the very apex Of the German lines il y
Picardy, in front Of Amiens, apparent |
" has not been followed up. It il
difficult to believe that the allied
counter offensive, when it comes, vii: |
be launched in this sector Advice |
from France would seen to indicate |
that the blow will be struck at an |
other part of the battle line.
The southern end of the battle from |
in France has shared in the quiet tina |
has enveloped other sectors Of thu
line. Only raiding operations and ar
tillery duels are reported here.
An interesting dispatch tells of tn !
moving Of Italian troops to France. !,
This would point to one of two devel- |
opments. Either the Italian front is
in no particular danger at the present |
moment, or else General Foch. is call !
ing every available man to swell the
army that he will hurl at the foe when
the moment for battle arrives. 1t Is
possible, however, that the force Of
Ita1isns enroute to the French front
Is comparatively small,
The German torpedo. boat FI6t51fa
HSS6 UeeM xct1ve x10nk ~ coast SEC
H6SSr1 1Sn t.aft1S ffss6 sNxs4 3&WS q x96S4fkE