The Washington herald., 1918-04-08
Assaults swing TO Disc.

Assaults Swing 10 Disc
FROM the North. therefore. the mo-
mentum OF the German massed as
sauHs has been swung in the last
hours TO the Disc line.
and tonight, as al day long. and al
last might, and all yesterday. q terri
nc battle, now being the best array
Of guns both sides could bring ur.
now between the infantry legions.
RACES on the thirty-tvo-mile front
from Montdidier TO the region south
west OF la Fere, not far from the st.
Gcbsin Forest. whittier the Teu.rn
monster guns sends it's mammoth mis-
siles into Paris.
More is at stake in this battle than
the fate OF Amiens alone: the fate cf
the entire French army via Rheims
TO Verdun depends upon il, for a
German break-through on the eft
bank Of the Oise would threaten its
rear. A French break through TO the
right hank OF the river. on the other
hand, would bring Foch's forces into
the rear Of the German Amiens'
wedge and spell debacle 10 the Hin
denburg's whole Picardy campaign.
Battle Raging.
Along the twenty-mile front from
Montdidier to Noycn, a terrific bat
tie Of the guns ragged all night,
foreshadowing large scale infantry
battle.
Meanwhile the Germans through
out the day kept hammering away
with picked shock battalions against
the French positions between
Chauny and Barisis, southwest OF
La Fere, where yesterday they sue
ceeded in crossing the river and
establishing a bridge head position.
the French retiring. after exactinE
a fearful toll from the Teutons. to
previously prepared defenses fur
Their southwark.
simultaneously, the Germans have
started to play the same game in
the south that they played. TO their
cost. in the north. Just as they
tried to break through at Arras
while hammerinE the British at A.
bert they are now displaying battle
signs far to the southeast OF La
Fere. north OF the Aisne. The OBJ
Ject is 20 keep the allied reserves
continuously on the move.
While this battle Of the nAnks
is in progress, a new massing OF
forces is taking place all along the
spear-head OF the German wedge.
There the final stroke is about to
be struck, aimed at separating the
French from the British armies
which Hindenburg hopes TO accom-
plish through. or Immediately after.
the capture of Amiens.
Fate in Balance
The fate Of the vital base is admit
tedly in the balance, but as long as
the German tanks are pinned down
where they are, even the fall OF
Amiens. experts point out, would
merely be a temporary reverse TO be
onset when the counter-offensive is
launched.
Realizing this the troops on the Ger
man left are thrown into the fray with
a greater recklessness than ever. On
the right, too. sharp local fighting has
been going on in the last twenty-four
hours. The latest word from the front
this evening was that the British not
only had held their own everywhere.
but were even counter-attaclSing and
making neat inroads into the German
positions.
But not for a moment is the allied
high command losing sight OF the
menace southeast OF Amiens There.
between Montdidier and the Luce
brook. the Kaiser is personally watch
ing the progress Of the battle. His
favorite son, Prince Eitel Fritz" IL
there, personally commanding the
Third Guard which took Douaumont
two years ago in the first onrush at
Verdun. The Brandenburgers and
other famous guard units are in the
front line awaiting the word TO 20
forward. II is near the confluence OF
the Luce and Avre that the French
and British armies now join, and ur-a
that junction, more even than
Amiens. the German stan is iixi' ius
eager eyes.
Outcome Awaited.
Near the Southern pivo' Of this
front lies Grivesnes. the HANDLES
that was once a village. 4 is still
in> French hands, and a. Germsn n
ooNTINUED Oh PAGE rWo