Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-25
BRITISH REL|NQU|SH
P0RTANT CITY
IN TEUTONS' PATH
No Notable Retirement by
Allies in Face of New
Hindenburg Drive.
FURTHER BLOWS STRUCK
AT LINES IN FLANDERS
Slightly Increased Activity by
Enemy Artillery in Amer
lean Sector.
ZEEBRUGGE MOLE DAMAGED
Virtual Cltimatum to Holland De
livcrcd by Germany, Accord
ing to Report.
FURTHER BLOWS STRUCK
AT LINES IN FLANDERS
MOLE DAMAGED
Virtual Cltimatum to Holland De-
lircrcd by Germany, Accord
ing to Report.

The battle on the whole front south
of the Sommc and on the Avrc lasted
all dag. ana still continues. according
TO the War Office announcement in
Paris last night. Tho Germans gain
cd footing in the woods to the north.
ward OF Hangard EN- Santcrrc and also
in the eastern outskirts OF the village
which the French arc desperately de-
Tending.
Several enemy assaults were shat
tered near ITailles. and attacks at Sene-
cat wood ana hill 81 also failed
After three weeks of preparation in
the Sommc. during which time they
launched an offensive in Flanders. the
Germans have resumed their hammer
ing at the front door OF .\micns l'cI
days there has bccn heavy artillery
firing along the northern sectors OF
the Somme salient AMI finally the
German infantry began their attcmpts
to advance on the line passing Vilicrs-
BrctonneuX. IIagard. Haillcs .,uG cas-
tel. The iirst attacks were repulscd
l,put' subsequent attacks ccntcrcd about
Nillcrs BrctonneuN have caused "a Evit.
ish withdrawal from this village. nc.
cording to report from Field Mar
shall liaiG. This marks L German gain
OF about a mile.
MILES FROM ATHENS
Niilers- BrctonncuN is about eleven
miles directly cast of Amiens. ;nd is
on tho northern end of the latest cght-
ing front. 1t is situated between tho
Sommc and Luce Rivers. and whilr |,
is Ranked on the south by low-iyinc
ground. i, is backed by rolling hills
TO tho west aud northwest
The lighting ~ he rest oT
where the Germans have resumed their
drive toward the allied base OF sup
plies In Northern Franco has not. SO
far as known. resulted in any notable
retircmcnts on the part of the allies
The German Official report issued on
Wednesday was silent as TO events In
this sector Of the front.
An attack on this particular mar.
OF the line in tho Sommc region had
been expected. and ii is probable thnt
preparations 10 meet 1t had been made
The British lines held firm in this re-
Eon during tho last days OF the initial
drive. while the Germans wcrn able
to forge ahead further south until They
reached the village OF Castci. abou.
! three miles from the railroad running
TO Paris from Amicns. Recently u
French counteroffensive at c';.stel won
- u
cvdcn. that unless tho linc fur,hcr
north could be advanced matcrially the
. Germans had little chance TO make i'm:
portant gains in their operations to
The south OF .NmlcnS.
GERMANS HAVE S'rORMED
HEIGHTS At DtILI.EUL
This new drive has been made at tho
same time thar another blow has been
{ III
south OF Ypres. Savage hghting is re.
ported at various points along the line
from Bailleul to Mcrville and Berlin
ella inns that heights to the northeast OF
Bailleul have been Stormcd Coiuctdcnt
with these attacks. there have been as.
saulta in tho British forces. near
RGthunc. along the Lave River, but
these have been rcpulsed
Some Of the uncertainty as 10 the sue
cess of the British exploit in attempt
ing to seal M the hnrbors Of Zeebrugec
aud Ostcnd has been cleared up
by observations carried out by aviators.
Grave damage was done to the mole at
ZccbrugGc. while the hulks OF sunken
steamers arc said to at least partially
block the channel leading out u tho
sea from the port of Ostend.
ON the front in France, with the cX.
ccption Of the Sommc salient there hiss
been little hghtinS OF an unusual
nature.
nEroHT SAYS DUTCH AND
GERMAN MINISTER'S HAVE LEFT
Tho situation between Germany and
! Holland Is still obscure. II has been
reported that virtual uitimatum was
delivered 10 the Netherlands govern
mcnt by Berlin, but this is not as yet
known 10 be TACT. Dispatches from
The Hague insist that Holland viii not
depart from her attitude OF neutrality
I'm unofficial report says that the Dutch
minister has left for The Hague, and
that the German minister has started
for Berlin.
Congress. which has been considering
Il declaration Of a state OF war with
Bulgaria and Turkey. probably will not
take any action IN the face Of opposi-
ton on tho part of President Wilson.