The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-04-18
THE SITUATION IN
FLANDERS IS BAD
CAPTURE or wYTscaAETE is Sc.
WE'RE BLOW TO aRITlsH
BITTEREST STRUGGLE OF WAR
Fighting Has Been Of Most Desperate
Character and Allied Troops are
Worn Out. May Have TO
Abandon Ypres.

London, April H.. Germany's Nigh
ty effort on the battlefield of Flanders
has won new successes.
According 10 the fastest reports the
important strategic towns of Bailleul
Wulverghem and Wytschaete are in
German hands, and, more important
still, the Teutons have carried large
part of the Messines ridge by storm.
Probably there has been no more
bitter struggle during the war than
that waged along the battle line
through the towns of Bailleul, Neuve
Eglise, Wulverghem and Wytschaete.
Neuve Eglise was taken Monday, but
Bailleul held out until fresh masses of
German troops were hurled into the
tray and charged repeatedly on the
tired defenders.
Fighting Has Been Desperate.
The same story might be told of
WuIverghem and Wytschaete, while
the battle for Messines ridge must
have been frightful in its intensity.
The Germans have not attempted TO
advance their wedge further into the
British lines, for no new attacks on
Meryiile and further west have been
reported. They have devoted their sole
attention to the work OF widening out
the salient and striking al Messines
ridge and the railroad running about
six miles north of Bailleul, Messines
ridge is the key TO the Ypres sector
and it's possession will give the Ger
mans commanding position in start
ing a new drive
Successes are important
The successes of the Germans in
the last day have an important bearing
on the campaign on the northern bat.
tie front II they are continued, there.
must be British retirement from
Ypres and possibly for some distance.
further north, while the cutting OF the
railroad passing through Hazebroucfs
would be stiil more serious for the
British.
So important are the points won By
the Germans that the British must be
expected to counter attack at once in
an effort to sweep the invaders back
into the lowlands once more. All ac-
counts of the battle along this lines
peak of the small British forces which
attempted to Withstand the attacks
of heavy legions of Teutons, which
were brought up fresh for the assault.
Situation is Alarming. ...
There is higher ground just to the
north of Bailleul and Neuye Eglisc
from which the British can still con
duct a stern defense. Meryille is neld
despite terrific attacks made against
It, while along the southern side Of
the salient there have been no en-.
gagements reported.
The same condition holds true in the
sector before Amiens, where there
have been only artillery duels.
Raiding operations in which both
sides have taken the initiative are re
ported from the French front in the
Champagne.
Germans Say Americans Whipped
In spite of the reports from the
American attacks there have been ut
ter failures, report from Berlin, via
Amsterdam, says that the American
positions near ST. Mihiel were taken
by storm by the Germans who held
them against determined counter at
tacks II is probable that the German
report deals with the battle in which
the Americans administered sound
beating to special shock troops
brought up by the Germans to take
the American positions.