The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-26
TURN CAPTURED
BRITISH TANKS
AGAINST ANCLOS
''Take Leading Part in Break
ing Up British Resistance"
Huns Desperately Fight On, but
Advance Stacks Up.
GERMANS ACROSS THE S0MME
But Unable To Advance Rapid
ly After Effecting Crossing.
From Bapaume Huns Drive
Long Wedge for LOngueyal.
FELL 81 GERMAN PLANES
But Unable To Advance Rapid
ly After Effecting Crossing.
From Bapaume Huns Drive
Long Wedge for LOngueyal.
FELL 67 GERMAN PLANES
British Flyers Doing Effective
Work on Battle Front.
Huns Have Regained Two
Thirds of Devastated Zone.

Berlin, Monday, March 25.-Ger-
man tanks reinforced by captured
British tanks. says a semi-official
statement today on Sundays fighting
in the west, took a leading part in
breaking the brave enemy resistance"
Tanks attached to the German di-
visions fighting below st. Quentin
stood the test brilliantly, the state
ment says and their mobility was uni
yersally praised. All the tanks which
took part in the fighting are said TO
have returned undamaged III was
mainly due to their intervention, the
statement continues, that the tena-
cious resistance of the British espe-
ciaIly the machine gun nests was
broken quickly, Troops manning q
concrete redoubt near Urvillers are
reported to have been overpowered
Immediately by the tanks.
stood Test Brilliantly.
Amsterdam, March 26-German n
tanks fought southeast of st. Quentin
and 'stood the test brilliantly, ac-
cording to a semi official Berlin state
ment received here today.
Their speed and mobility were uni
versally praised, All returned IN
damaged Mainly due to them the
tenacious resistance of the British ma
chine gun nests was broken"
Resistance Stffcning.
British resistance to the mighty
blow west of Cambria apparently is
stiffening The Germans, despite the
new masses of reserves which are be-
ing hurled into the battle line eontln-
uously are slowing up on some parts
of the attacking front before the de-
fense of Field Marshal Haig.
On the extreme north and in the
center the German progress has been
appreciably slower while around Ba-
paume on the old battlefield OF the
Somme and east and north OF Noyon,
the enemy has made gains but only
at the cost of fearful toll exacted by
machine guns and artillery The
fighting on these sectors continues
of the most severe character.
Only Miles From Arras
Southeast of Arras the British line
has yielded only about three miles at
the greatest depth since Saturday.
Immediately west OF the Somme south a
of Peronne the Germans suffered
heavily in forcing a crossing of the
river and seemingly have not been
able to advance as fast as they did be-
fore the river was reached
In the Bapaume region the Ger
mans have driven a long salient in
toward Longueval and have widened
it somewhat southwark in the direc-
ton of Peronne. However. unless
the salient is widened still more ii
may prove a menace to the enemy as
the British line is still holding well
to the north and south.
Continue Orderly Retreat.
On the low-lying ground between
the Somme and the Disc, where the
French have come to assist the Brit
ish the Germans have reached Nesle
and Guiscard, the British and French
falling back under orders but resist
ing the oncoming enemy forces strong
w Around Chauny the Germans 9p-
parently have made no effort to cross
the Disc and strike south and the
French north of the Disc probably are
falling back to it, toward the old line,
as it existed before the German re-
treat of last March.
In their original attack the Ger
mans made their strongest efforts i'm
mediately west of Cambria and be-
tween St. Quentin and La Fere and
fContfnued on Page TwoJ