Evening star., 1918-04-23
Successful Local Operation
Gives Haig's Forces a
Better Position.
CANADIANS KEEP UP RAIDS;
SHARP FIGHTING RESULTS
Artillery on Both Sides Active,
While Contending Forces Wait
for Next Big Move.
By the Associated Press.

LONDON, April 23.-The British at
tack last night north Of Albert was car
ried out on front of about 1000 yards.
Reuters correspondent at British head
quarters reports that an advance was
made to depth of 250 yards.
British Improve Position.
On the Somme front north Of Albert
the British last night improved their
line by q successful local operation. it
prisoners.
On the Flanders front in the Robecq
sector and near Wytschaete the Brit
ish took prisoners.
The statement follows:
LAS result of q successful local
operation carried out by us last night
north Of Albert we improved our posi-
ton and captured sixty prisoners. A
number of prisoners have been taken
by US also in the Robecq sector and
near Wytschaete. in both of which
areas local lighting occurred to our
advantage.
Penetrate Support Lines.
I'm the neighborhood of Fampoux one
Of our raiding parties entered the enc
mys trenches and penetrated his sup
port lines.
THE hostile artillery was active yes
terday afternoon and during the night
west of Albert and on the greater part
of our front from south of the forest
of Nieppe to east of Ypres. Concentra-
tons of hostile troops observed in the
villers-Bretonne@ sector and north Of
serrs were engaged by our artillery"
reports Artillery Activity. 49,
PARIS. April 23.-Active artillery
operations on the Sonras frent ana east
of. Rheims are reported in today's ofa-.
cial Communication.
The statement follows:
Rather spirited artillery engage
ments. occurred on the Somme front
and east of Rheims.
German raids between Lassigny and
Noyon, northwest of Rheims, and in the
Fosges were without results. Prison
ers remain in our hands.
Everywhere else the night passed in
quiet.
Canadians in Seven Raids.
By Canadian Press. Limited.
y CANADIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS
IN FRANCE, April 23.-The Canadians
during the last twelve hours have
raided the German lines at seven
ands Of lachrymatory- and lethal shells,
harassed him by special artillery
shots. swept his trenches with machine
gun and rife bullets, and hammered his
front line with trench mortars.
In some of the raids sharp fighting
developed. in one instance protracted
hand-to-hand fighting taking place.
this struggle being SO intense that the
oners. The seven raids together net
ted five prisoners and two machine
guns. Two Of the prisoners have since
From dusk until dawn the whole
front has been lively north and south
Of Lens. The ceaseless rumble of our
heavies. which are neutralizing hostile
batteries by calculated and continuous
the sharper chorus of our field artil-
harassins re program. oer Periodieal1y
our artillery fire has reached a bar
rage intensity IN support Of raiding
parties
Germans Are Nervous.
Regularly the boche lines have been
lit up with scores OF flares, oetrayinz
the nervousness which has been pro-
uuceu aihoiis tie enemy by Such activity
as he has not known on his front for
weeks: The enemy has been forced to
hre his guns under gas.c clouds and in
gas masks. He has betrayed the effect
OF our tactics by the diminishing VOL
ume of his fire, but he has made answer
to our general raiding and gas activities
by projecting much tear gas against our
positions north of Lens.
This projecting was bigger in volume
than anything ever attempted against
the Canadians by the enemy. It's effect.
beyond discomfort, was slight. The
weight of evidence gathered from enemy
sources gives every ground for belief
that 1t must be far otherwise with the
boche. His gas is. not so effectual and
his masks are not nearly as good as ours.
OF the batteries bombarded by our
gunners during the last twelve hours
many will not be heard from for some
such a protracted period on lethaI and
tear gas. mixed with high explosives.
has proved too successful before to
doubt its destructive virtue now Tn
able to Obtain rubber to give the masks
that close fit which In essentia, for
full protection the Germans protective
measures fall short of our own and
the enemy Eunners must have suffered
heavily under our bombardment. for
We used nearly 5000 shells against
some thirty battery positions. Our as
howitzers secured six direct hits on
concrete shelters in the Avion district.
Fight in Hun Trenches.
Encountering gas in raiding opera
tions one of our patrols. consisting of
one oficer and ten Of other ranks, don
ned masks and proceeded into the en-
emy trenches until they encountered |
hostile party of fifteen. A lively fight
ensued with bombs and rifles
Early In the morning another one
hour battle occurred between patrols |
under cover of smoke. barrage from
grenades. Our men entered the en-
emys line. bombed dugouts and killed |
two and wounded one. and also secured |
valuable information.
With fair weather succeeding the |
cold. dark days of last week. our air |
planes were busy. With reckless dis |
regard tor this regular machine gun or |
rifle bullet barrage. patrol OF four Of |
our machines new up and down the en- |
envy trenches, for fifteen minutes at al |
titudes Of from nfty to . hundred !
yards. emptytnE machine gun drums |
work was. carried, out IN other parts Of |
the in6 and at midnfght one Of eur
Af~ hos saH 49, 49, A.a-