The sun., 1918-04-19
PRISONERS SAY
TEUT0NS FAILED
IN MAIN OBJECT
Battlefield at Meteren Now
Vast Open Cemetery of
German Dead.
ONE BATTERY WIPED OlT
Mixed British Troops Hold
Line Four Days Under Most
Terrible Gunfire Of War.
u, PERRY ROBINSON.

>Det,aj 'rGie Despatch 10 THE SIS from TIE
London Tin,es.
copyrioI'. 1915; oil ,i0h'' ,sstrred.
BRITISH HEAporARTE IN FIANCK.
April II (dclayed) Hard lighting has
been going on continually in the area OF
Meteren and Wytschaete. with what re-
suit il is impossible 90 define at the pres
cnt moment. At one time last night the
Germans were certainly in Meteren. At
one time this morning We were certainly
back in II again. So IL was at Wytschaete.
from which We had fallen back, then had
reattacked. ana were this morning once
more IN possession Of the village and the
heights by the famous Iosp!ce et
Cauera.
The Germans never seem TO nave lost
a foothold In Wytschaete Wood, and at
loon were reported still about the
stricken region OF Spanbroknolen. At the
moment no man can say precisely where
our positions arc or where the encmy's
are.
Never since the beginning Of the war
has there been such 4 terrible and sus-
tanned artillery fire as that which has
shaken the earth and sky without inter-
ruption for the last thirty six hours.
There has been a perpetual drumfire.
sometimes diminishing and sometimes
intensifying. hut ALWAYS terrible. A one
approaches the lines It In rs deafsnirE
a. the short, hsrce concentration pre-.
ceding . grand attack. But II goes on
without ceasirg, and where ] am writ
Ing. well behind the front. are buildings
that have been shaken altogether.
How the guns and gunners stand /. |
do not know. The consolation !s that
as the enemy is now pushing over open
ground arordng little shelter he suf-
, frTS worse than we do
Reasons for Retire nent.
You know that we have fallen back
! from our position at Passchendaele and
| in that area. We have given the enemy
! most OF the ground he los. in last sum-
! mers lighting in Flanders. ft you will
| look at the map you will see why this
retirement was compelled by the changed
situation in the area Of MesSnes Ridge
| and below there. We here have known
| that the retirement was in progress. but
! Il was obviously indiscreet TO report Il!
! 1t was made without any enemy pres
/ sure and an outpost line was left to
check the Germans as they felt the!'
! way and followed this morning 1t
| must in any circumstances. be unpleas s.
! ant TO give up ground that has been won
| in hshting at the cost Of gallant ives.
but /, cannot be too often repeated or
too clearly grasped that local ;opo-
graphical gains have little SIGNIFICANCE
! IN the gigantic struggle no" IN progress
! The Germans now have blasted shell
| hole area behind them over which they
! must bring up their troops ald transport
| and from abundant experience In former
advances We know what that means
! To-day ] heard the details o. the do
, incs Of the troops which did stubborn
| lighting in the defence Of Neuve t'giise
when Ave separate German ATTACKS II!
! strength were beaten back. For TWO
DAYS some Worcesters and kings RoNa!
Rifles held on at the Neuve EG'ise posi-
.ions against grea: odds When the en-
emy more than once broke into the VII
. lsre they counter attacked ard drove
! him back.
| The last man TO leave NeuVe Eglise
was the commanding ofiicer OF the
| Worcesters who declares that the Ger
man dead were literally piled IN heaps
before his position. and We know from
many sources that the German casual
| ties were terrible.
In the area south OF Metcren, from
| the west OF Baiileul toward Sirazelie'
mixed English and Scotch troops. In
Guiding the Scottish Rifles and the High
land Light Infantry, held the Germans
ba ck from noon ot April 1o until midday
Yesterday without giving yard al
though We know the attacking Germans
had imperative orders three days ago
| to seize the line OF the Railleul-Meteren
/ road. and KENNEL and wytschaete have
+, fallen long ago.
| Countless German Dead.
In the nsht.ng hero al one time al
! sorts Of miscellaneous units were en-
+, ployed in the fshting line and helped
! doggedly 10 hold the enemy back. The
whole country below Meteren Is one
German cemetery, except that the dead
are still unhur!ed. One hears OF ma
| chine gun barrels having been again and
again renewed as day after day the
Germans continued to come on over
open ground.
Under tho terrific shell flre that has
been going on. others besides the ac-
| tual combatants In the NEhting line
have been tested to the uttermost. The
| gallantry of our transport in bringing
up ammunition could not have been sur
pa ssed Runners and s'retrher bearers
showed as always perfect heroisin and
the Officers G, the Army Medical Corps
worked indefanigahly under fre. Great
| credit Is due certain detachments OF
| cyclists,
One Of the finest counter attacks was
delivered by the Royal Engineers Com
pany with rifles when the Germans
forced their way into a position and
the counter attack recovered Il and took
nearly half a hundred prisoners. Other
troops OF whom I hear have done bril-
llantly. Fighting In one part Of the
northern sector OF the battle are some
West Surreys. who have fought With the
iSContinued on Second Pogo.