New-York tribune., 1918-04-27
French Tank, Whole
Cre,u Disabled, Saved
By Heroic Dash
tBy The Associated Press'

WITH THE FRENCH AKIN I'm
FRANCE. Thursday. April 25.-Infantrry
cased off to-day after bloody encoun-
ters through the night. The Germans
now hold both ngard-en-Santerre and
Nillers- Bretonneux, to which tney
are holding with desperation, but can
not put foot outside in the face Of
the stern determination of the Allied
troops, who are working in the closest
cooperation.
An official statement has announced
the recapture of Villers- -Brctonneux
and the western part of Hangard.
The artillery of both SIDES now is
very active. probably as the prelimi
mary to renewed infantry encounters.
Tanks of both the Allies and the Ger
.mans played an important part in the
course of the fighting in the last few
days. This was the FIRST occasion in
shistory when these instruments of war
met each other.
German Made Tanks Few
- The Germans did not bring many
into action, and up to the present it
has been impossible to ascertain
whether those that we're in the fight
were merely repaired British tanks,
which fell into the German hands at
Ca nbrai. or copies of them. or whether
a new model of German tank was en-
ployed.
The Germans possess two kinds of
tanks, the first of which is small and
swift The other is a formidable land
cruiser.
The French tanks already had taken
:, brilliant part in the fighting some
days ago, when they drove the Ger
mans from Senecat Wood westward
from Castel. In connection with this,
two deeds of heroism have Just been
recorded. Lieutenant Domerc, COM
manding a squad of tanks, while ad-
vancing saw one of his chariots sud
d1nly halt An investigation showed
that the entire crew was disabled.
Rescue Halted Monster
The lieutenant, with one OF his own
men as gunner, mounted the tank un-
der heavy fire and sat it in motion and
reached Castel, attacking on the way
with the machine gun .,cverai large
groups of Germans, putting many of
.hem out of action. Eventually they
returned safely to the French line.
Sergeant Mouren, commanding an
other tank. noticing a German field
battery retreating, followed it to attack
yards within the German lines. when
his motor refused to work. The SER
geant dismounted with his crew under
hurricane of rifle fire and detache ed
the machine guns, with which he re-
pulsed a large force of Germans who
attempted to approach, firing until the
last reel of cartridges was spent. The
entire crew, except the sergeant, was
wounded, but the sergeant gathered the
injured men together, and they made
their way through thickets to the
French position. They received the
Gross of the Legion of Honor on the
battlefield.
Foe in Perilous Position
The more they advance along the roat
toward Amiens the more perilous be.
comes the salient the Germans are
forming in the Somme region, cspe-
cially in view of the fact that the
Allied reserves are virtually intact and
the Allied armies are now commanded
by single chief
Lne present moment is less favorable
TO the German plans than when they
started their advance, on March 2l
Then weak point existed between the
french and British armies. Now there
u no sensitive part of the line, since
the unified command has given the op
portunity to make the most practica
use OF all the Allied troops.
An ali-night battle in which the Ger
mans, after gathering powerful col
nmns. hurled them upon Hangard- en-
santerre, resulted in the village chang
ing hands several times. Individua
combats with bayoncts from house /,
house were Of frequent occurrence.
Hangard Smoking Ruin
Fire burst out in all directions unit
the village is now a mere hean q
smoking ruins, which the Germans he
This morning with difficulty. for tn
french gave them no liberty of move
fnent and their repeated efforts to ad
vance further were stopned az anry q
they began. "~O' .
Meanwhile the artillery, extendin
me radius Of its fire, bombarded heay
dly Haiiles. Gastel and senecat WOO,
al' situated on the same plateau Ia m
southwest OF Hangard, which elevate
bars the route to Amiens. The enem
Launched several assaults upon Halle
and even succeeded in reaching In
lower slopes Of Hill SO, Just to tn
south Of this village, but the Frenc
artillery and machine guns put an en-
20 his progress here.
Al the same time the Germans<wer
deyoting great attention further mort
10 the British sector ar0nnd( Cachy
yhere the fighting war yeryS severe
The army Of General von der Narwitz
which includes division III tn