Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-18
BUT POELCAPELLE
. AND LANGEMARCK
FALL TO GERMANS
Struggle Grows More Fierce
Between Messines Ridge
and Meteren.
BRITISH EXACT HEAVY TOLL
FROM ATTACKING TEUTONs
Turks Capture City of Batu-1
Following Fight With
Russians.
BURIAN FOREIG MINISTER
Allied Troops Capture Seven VII.
iages on Macedonian Front
Along Struma River.
BURIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
FBy Associated Press. !

By Associated Press
cut OF the chaos of the tremendous
battle along the Lys River. south ana
! southwest OF Yprcs. tho thunder NJ
which may be heard forty or fifty miles
away, there have come during IN.
past day reports which are more ON,
courasinE to the allied powers. The
British not only have held all ,hs
ground which they were defending q,
tuesday, but have struck back so pow
erfully that Metercn and part 81
"EtSchaetc were ret zen and held for
time only after heavy attacks did
.he hrltiSh retire again from the viii
lagos
Ihe most disturbing news has becn
, a report from Berlin that PoelcapclIe
and l.angemarck. north Of Yprcs. have
been taken by the Germans. and the
admission from London that Tho Rrit-
ish have retired from certain Of their
lines on the Ypres salient. The re-
tiremcnt here Was expected for the
advance OF the Germans at Ncuve
Egiisc and Bailleui left the positions
IN front OF lprcs open 10 a flank at
| tack. 1t is officially stated tha, the
retirement was orderly, and it is prob-
able that IL Will have more of a sem
timental than strategic effect Just
how far the British lines have been
withdrawn is not known II NAV be.
however that the German claim of
taking Poelcapellc and I.anEemarck
was the result of the British retire
mcnt.
The battle now in I;s NTH dav. has
deepcncd in intensity at many points
along tho curved front from Mcssincs
Ridge to Metcren. There have been
reports that tho Germans have occu-
pied the village OF st Eloi, which
lies less than three miles south oc
Yprcs. but these have not been con-
tirmcd. II also was said that they have
taken Positions on the south slope OF
Mount KENNEL which is about two and
Il half miles north of Wulverghem
This also has not been confirmed
On all the rest of tho front from,
MeSsines Ridge southwcstward the
Germans have flung themselves against
The granite wall OF the British de-
tcnsc. oniciai and scmioliicial dis
patches have told OF the frightful losses
inflicted on the attacking masses of
troops by the British rife and ma
chine gun fire.
On the southern side of the salient
there have been cnga gem cnts of some
magnitude, cspc tially east OF Robecq
five miles northwest of Eethune. where
the Germans were caught by the Brit
ish artillery fire and scattered.
LINE: IN FRONT or ARRAS
AGAIN SCENE or FIGHTING
The line in front OF Arras has again
been the scene of lighting. but here the
British took the offensive and drove
the Germans out Of British trenches
which had been carried by the enemy.
In the Picardy sector there has been
lively artillery engagements between
The Sommc and Oise Rivers. hut only
patrol encounters are reported Official
ly.
Further south. only raiding opera
lions have been going on.
the Turks announce that they have
taken the city Of Eatum, on the east.
crn shore of the Black sea. They re-
port strenuous hehting before the Kus-
sian defenders OF the city were driven