The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-12
HUNS DRIVE
[continued From Page On".1
The ground was strewn with their
corpses.
PUSH WEDGE DEEPER
(Ry Associated Press)

With the British hanging grimly on
the great bulk of Messines ridge. their
hulwark in Flanders. the Germans to
the south are pushing their wedge
deeper into the British lines northeast
ard north of Bethune, one Of the Brit
ish advance bases.
The Germans TODAY were continuing
what appeared to he their heaviest
pressure in this region and had made
some progress when the noon official
report was issued in Londan.
The southerly side Of the salient as
it runs southeast toward Giuenchy is
being strongly held by the British.
They We're standing firm TODAY at
Loisne. three miles northeast of Beth
me. and along the line northwest to
Merville region. Further southeast
likewise. they repealed a German at
tempt to advance northwest OF Given.
chv. the high ground about which the
British right flank before the Bethuna
The British task here apparently is
to prevent sides of this salient from
being materially widened out as the
tin cannot be pushed in much further
without grave danger to the attacking
forces from flank attack unless thew
succeed in broadening their advanced
frcnt
Norwest Of Armen'ieres. abandoned
Yesterday nv the British the line was
straighteped out by their withdrawal
from Ploegstreet. whence they fell
hack fighting to the vicinity of Nueve
Felise close to the southerlv end OF
Messines ridge, which protects their
new noeitin-s
Thu Pritieh limos arparertlv are he
ing firmly maintained along tho high
grcunde in the Messines and Wytsch
aete regions ard to the north towards
Ypres. No material change in the sit
uation is reported here. The battle
however. is continuing along the whole
front from LaBsssee canal north to
Hollebeke. the Germans hammering
hard in their desperate ATTEMPT to
win something substantial out of this
new ambitious effort of theirs. So far
its only definite result has been the
piline up OF casualties on both sides,
notably their own.
In the Somme battlefield there has
been no RESUMPTION of infantry action
on a large scale.
Having pushed back the British po-
and south OF Armentierres. to an av-
erage depth of little more than two
miles. the Germans are struggling
desperately to increase their gains
the brilliant defense of Field Mar
shall Haig. however. is beginning to
tell and the enemy advances has
slowed up greatly. although the Ger
man attacks have not diminished in
intensity, especially On the north and
in the center
Messines Ridge and Wytschaete are
the vital points on the battle field and
the Germans in two days have not
been able to reach the crest OF the
hills.
Repulsed along the ridge from the
southern tip to Wytschaette the en-
envy has thrown heavy forces against
Hollebeke. where the ridge declines
and the Ypres Menin railroad and the
Ypres-Comine canal cut through. At
Hollebeke and Wytsctaette howeve,
the British ninth division has repulsed
the enemy with heavy loss. On the
southern approach to the ridge about
Ploegsteert and Ploegsteert wood the
Germans have made small gains.
BY abandoning Armentieres the
British have Strengthened out their
line Evidently the Germans have not
yet occupied the town as the latest
official statement from Berlin reports
sighting in the suburbs. The British
withdrew Wednesday afternoon, their