The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-04-12
|EyEnEN
|c|AMT WAVE
FRONT
\ Line Pressed Back by
haIg's Defenders

~ luE ohiiioft NNhi ~
~, Thursday April R'-De-
- enemy attacks continued to-
niast points Of sirategieal value
~ ~ new battle front north and
cf Armentieres. from which the
- have withdrawn, the Germans
- placed Il in a pocket by driving
else on either side Of II,
otsihs ct Messisss Ridge.
= the extreme right, the Germans.
~ were pounding away against the
lIeh deienses at Givenchy, which has
oord hands numerous times since
initial enemy onslaught Tuesday.
IN Of Armentiefes the Germans we're
uvina IN equal desire 10 possess
boIqIs Ridge and Wytsehaeie, which
eliminating positions and which
nGed hands several times yesterday
last night The Germans got a
m In Messines village and they
g Still there this morning. but the
AInh were elineing TO the west ridge
we're keeping the enemy from Wyts-
= Tie neighborhood OF ploegsteert
ssemy again sursed forward and
~ fighting was proceeding in this
la late today. South Of Armen-
~ the enemy also delivered violent
ysrcsd From One Town.
a IN British this morning made a sue
coful counter-attack and forced the
iDov from Paradis, southwest OF Lest.
1'n This Is on the front between
beAifrs and Givenehy.
I. Asusntierss vas evacuated yes
! orday. but II is still rssking today
fv1lA eiouds Of poisonous gas and
4 ~ . nest iphospitabls place for
I ~ sssny The British withdrawal
$1sesns ssesssary when the Ger
&7naas y Tie north drove forward to
~ vlsinily Of Steenwerek, bottlinr
- ~ city. BY their operations the
ognaas had gradually thrust for
yVoSd nnss On either side Of the city
t1DooSo ~ vest until at noon yes
nB1ay ASmsntisrss lay at the bot
( ~ & . sack-shaped salient whose
~ vers 1900 yards long and
VGeeo mouth nsar Stesnwerck was
~ 400 yards across.
The withdrawal does not mean as
lnuch from a military standpoint as
l1ht appear from a first glance, but
y Germans undoubtedly will make
~ Of the capture, for the moral effect
Aome. Any distress over the aban-
1 kgsent OF Armentieres 10 due more to
ooDtjmental than tactical reasons.
View Battle a. Whole.
y b order to appreciate fully the trend
r the present fighting, the offensive
lnrations must be viewed asa whole,
q they 20 to make up what undoubt-
Z b Il the crucial conflict Of the war.
! v loss OF 4 city here or there or the
nndonment Of five or ten miles OF ter
1pry in any sector does npt mean dis
4 he battle has got beyond such con-
= erations> and has settled down to a
I'm race to determine whether the
Iosman man power Is enough TO make
- the threat 10 annihilate the Brit
y army aud force its capitulation. II
~ cold proposition Of which side can
u he most men 10 the next few weeks
- al the same time find more re-
oits 10 fill the depleted ranks.
Mist Hampers Artillery.
|fyhe mists yesterday continued to IA
~ the enemy and TO hamper the de-
ding sunners. 1t was partly on ae-
lit Of these fogs that the Germans
creased as far as they did above
Asufieres. The situation here today
n0e appear to be critical The enc
Yesterday did not attack with the
re forces employed on other sectors
We the opening Of the offensive, al
GuGh he undoubtedly used more mer
10 were holding the line attacked.
|}k5 Foe Pushed Back Twice.
oouth Of Armentieres the British yes
y sna ~; ,s'' s, n,s"' .ssS.sas,or,,v .Gou " % Th,
komy crested the River Lave and OBJ
/ lned footing In Lestrem, but wer,
&5ckly forced out again Last nigh
considerable German force crossed
w o oa en-. s sao,. .aO,o.chs, I
|h ss,s,r @ hm, u ,oe;n am w.rs % ,hrr.t bacl
voAn A''"'o'o
H throughout the day German aviatori
much flying at low heights and alsc