The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-04-12
GERMAN DRIVE
SLOWING DOWN
ALLIES, BY BRILLIANT COUNTER.
ATTACKS, REcAPTuRE POSI-
TioNs TAKEN BY HUNS.
tindenburg Lost Large Numbers OF
Men In Killed, Wounded and Pris-
oners Taken BY the Allies In Vain
Effort to Crush His Foe.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
London.-On the southern battle
front the French have recaptured
Ayencourt and Monchel and gained
considerable ground in the region OF
Oryillers. according to the official COM
munication from the War Once.
The text Of the statement reads:
"The Germans, exhausted by their
sanguinary check, made violent local
attacks only at certain. points on the
front. North of Moreuil the enemy
Gained no success except in the region
OF Hangard en- Santerre, where AFTER
stubborn lighting he succeeded in gain
ing a foothold in that village.
Between Moreuil and Lassigny our
troops, according to the latest lnfor-
nation. recaptured Ayencourt ana
Monchel, taking about 100 prisoners
and IA machine guns. In the course OF
spirited engagements they made
notable advance in the region or Ut
villers.
ION the Disc front enemy detacn'
ments. consisting of a battalion OF
storming troops, after having crossed
the river near Chauny, attempted to
establish bridgehead on the left bank.
In a vigorous counter-attack this pat
TALON was completely annihilated or
taken prisoners.
"Our long-range guns caught under
their fire and destroyed an enemy
train Of heavy artillery in the region
OF Laon."
The battle is slackening, according
to news reaching Paris. The attacks
OF the Germans have been less violent
and less numerous, and it has been oD-
served that the enemy is feverishly
digging himself in, particularly In the
neighborhood of Lassigny. The gen.
eral impression is that the situation
is most satisfactory.
From the region of the Somme south
ward to where the battle line turns
eastward, furious fighting has, contln-
ued on various sectors, but every
where the enemy has been held and
even pushed back at some points. No
where has he been able, although ne
continued to throw great masses OF
men into the fray, to gain ground ex-
cept an infinitessimal tract from the
trenches north of Mareul.
British and French machine guns
and rifiemen, as in days past, again
tore great holes in the ranks of the
field gray as they tried to press on.
Along the Scarpe the British them
selves went on the offensive, and to
the east of Arras captured the village
of Feuchy. On the southern end OF the
line where Won Hindenburg Is en-
deavoring to pierce through to the old
German positions as they stood before
his retreat in 1916, the British and
French troops, fighting together, have
met the enemy in furious combats, but
everywhere defeated him with san
culinary losses.
The town of Moreuil changed hands
four times, but finally rested in the
hands of the British and French, while
the woods to the north of the village
were captured by the French.
The British have restored their line
south of the Somme in the Luce valley.
Not alone has Won Hindenburg lost
large numbers of men killed or wound
ed, but both the French and British
armies have taken a number of new
prisoners and captured machine guns.
That the Germans not only failed to
make gains against the British troops
in France, but lost ground four miles
east of Arras, and suffered heavy cas-
ualties in fruitless attacks is an
nounced in a statement issued by the
British War Office.