The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-04-19
Seven Attacks in MerviIle Sector
RepuISed by British.
TEUTONS TAKE NEUvE EGLISE
Haig's Men Temporarily Lose Fight
for Town in Flanders After lnflict-
ing Heavy Losses on Enemy
Win at Other Points.

announces the occupation by the Ger
mans of both Wytschaete and Span
brOekmOlen.
The war office announced that the
Germans have captured Bailleul on the
northern battle front, following fierce
battle. in which the enemy made use
of three divisions of pickles men who
had not previously engaged in the bat
tie.
The British have fallen back to new
positions north of Bailleul and Wul-
verghem.
Fresh German attacks were then re-
ported developing in the neighhorhOod
of Wyttschaete.
A German attack southwest OF
Vieux Berquin was repulsed.
Part of Messines Ridge Lost.
Ottawa, April 17-German troops
have carried Wytschaete and the great
er part of Messines ridge, according to
a dispatch from the Reuter- correspond
ent at British headquarters in France,
received here.
The enemy also has established him.
self in SpangroInOlen. The British
are still cIinging to the slopes OF Mes
sines ridge, battling desperately to re-
pei the attacks made upon them by
overwhelming German forces.
Huns Win by Surprise Attack.
Berlin, April 1.-THE official com
munication from general headquarters
says German attacks on the Lys bat
tlefeld met with complete success.
The GREAT mine craters of the
Wytschaete battle of 1917 were taken
by surprise attack.
After Il brief bombardment the Ger
mans stOrmed Wulverghem III sur
prise attack, also the British positions
on both sides Of the village.
British cOunter-attackS failed com
pletely, says the report.
German troops scaled the heights be-
tween Neuve Chapelle and Bailleul and
captured them in Il vigorous hand-tO-
hand fight.
British RepuIse Seven Attacks.
London, April 16.-Bailleul and Wul-
verghem were the central points OF the
heavy fighting between British and
Germans in Flanders, according to the
report from Field Marshal Haig's head
quarters.
Seven attacks by the Germans in the
Melville sector on the northern battle
front have been repulsed by the Brit
ish, who inflicted heavy losses on the
enemy, it is announced officially.
The British have lost Neuve Eglise,
against which the Germans had
launched more than ten attacks.
Southwest of Bailleul the Germans
temporarily penetrated the British po-
Sitions, bpt were driven out by a coun-
ter-attack.
British Hit Huns Hard.
With the British Army in France,
April 16.-The battle about Neuve
Eglise near the Belgian border, which
has been retaken by the Germans, con-
tinues to rage with the same intensity
that has marked it for days, and the
British are pounding the Germans
hard.
Another assault on Bailleul, four
miles west of Neuve Eglise, is begin
ming.
The latest reports show that the
British line was being strongly held as
q whole in this northern zone, and in
some instances had been considerably
improved by counter-attacks.
The British followed up their sue
cess of Saturday when they pushed the
Germans back from RObecq, on the
Clarence river. Local counter-attacks
delivered on the German positions 81
600 yards TO the east of this town were
completely successful, and the enemy
again was forced to fall back some
what.
Push Out Several Posts.
The British in the course Of the af-
ternoOn also pushed out several posts
north of the canal between the Lave
and Clarence rivers.
These operations indicate that the
defense of the entente allied troops
has stiffened.
The battle which has been raging
about Neuve EgliSe has been one of the
most sanguinary since the German Of
fensive began.
French Win in Hangard Sector.
Paris, April 16.-The French official
report says: I'm the region of Han
gard the French carried out local op-
GRAFTON with complete success and took
ten prisoners. Since April L we have
taken $50 prisoners in this sector.
Between Montdidier and NOyon and
in the Champagne, south of Mont Tetu,
we carried out several raids and
brought back prisoners. A German eff
fort north of the Chemin-des-Dames
southeast of Corbeny, was without sue
cess"