Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-12
.QU|TS ARMENT|ERES
TO AVOID POCKET|NG
!. BY TEUT0NS' FORCE
Germans Unable to Capture
Wytschaete, Messines
and Hollebekc.
NEW BATTLE DEVELOPS
INTO MAJOR OPERATION
No News to Indicate That Amer
leans Are Yet Engaged
in Big Fight.
REPULsE ATTACK NEAR TOuL
United States Marines Reported TO
Have Landed at N1adiyostok
With Those Of Two Allies.
REPULsE ATTACK NEAR rouL
United States Marines Reported TO
Have Landed at H1adiyostok
With Those Of Two Allies.

Swinging his heaviest leS.ons and
mightiest guns far to tho north of the
Picardy battle field. Field Marshal Won
liindenburG now is driving attack
between Arras and Yprcs Charging
across the level country behind
tempest of high explosive and gas
shells. the Germans have succeeded bv
terrific lighting in penetrating the
British defcnscs a points over front
! OF nearly thirty miles to depth of
almost six miles just to the south OF
/ Ypres
7 The loss OF Armcnticres is admitted
by the British, but this was expected
from the trend OF events in that sector
during the last few days. The enemy
had driven in on both sides of the
town, and holding cut longer by the
British would have imperilcd the whole
line. SO TAR a known the withdrawal
OF tho British forces from Armcntieres
! was orderly and wass only for the pur-
pose OF strengthening out tho line In
the region whcro the German pres-
sure is the heaviest
The British have stood firm az vital
points along the line. Wytschacte Is
still held by Field Marshal HaiEs lncn.
who also maintain their grip on Mes
sincs ridge, Lcstrcm, Plocgstccrt and
B Plocgstcert wood and Hollcbckc,
against which furious assaults have
been launched only to break down or
BE- nulliticd by British countcrattacks
terrific attack made against Holle.
heke and Wytschaetc was completely
repulsed, with great loss to the Ger
mans.
NEW BATTLE FIELD IS
SCENE OF FORMER BIt. FIGHTS
/ This particular part OF the battle
/ line in the west has been the scene or
/ furious lighting for nearly four years.
ArmcntirreS marked the farthest re-
tiremcnt in this region OF the French.
British and HclGians in August and
September 1914. Just TO the nGrth,
near Yprcs. the Cicrma MS, April 90,
1915, first looscd the Canadian
troops their poisonous gas. and here on
December 10. the same year they
drove hard at the thin line OF Cana
dians in desperate effort &c reach
Calais. On both occasions the Cana
dians beat back the enemy and held
their lines intact.
Nearby the British launched their
counterodensivc in February. 1915. and
withstood furious attacks during April
and May. the same year.
The drive south of Ypres has de-
veloped into a major operation. x
would appear. and the Germans usins
their massed attack system, are not
! ha n -
in their advance. So far, they have
gained little of great tactical value
The high ground along the front Is
still held by the British forces. and
the retrcmentS here and there have
not as yet endangered the integrity OF
the line from ArraS to the North Sea (
While this battle is going on, there
is lull in the struggle before Amiens
Since the announcement that Ameri-
can troops had made their appearance
i'll the sectors occupied by the British,
there has been nothing TO show thai
they have actually entered into the ,
battle.
In the Toui sector. however. the
American troops have again been fight
ing. The Germans have absolutely
failed in an attack on Pershing's men,
the excellent artillery work of the
AlilcTlCtNS prcaklnS up an assault by
special shock troops before they could
reach the Americans barbed-wire en-.
tanglcmentS The attack was evident
iy intended TO drive out tho Ameri.
cans from their positions as there
had been rain Of shells poured upon
the Americans for Scventy-two hours
before the German infantry Launched
its attack. The German losses are be-
licved to have been heavy
In The Italian thcatcr there have
been only scattering artillery engage.
ments.
The British have once more advanced
north OF Jericho. They have swep'
the Turks back for mile and half
over IL front OF five miles
GERMAN FORCES ADVANCE
SLOWLY IN FINLAND
The Germans are slowly advancing
in Finland, the land and naval force,
working in conjunction, having reach
ed i.orisa. midway between Vibors
and Hclsinsfors.
1t is reported from Tokyo that tn,
situation in Vladivostok Is much re-
lteved. and that the Japanese forces