The sun., 1918-05-20
Australians Capture Ham.
let on the Ancre and Take
800 Prisoners.
SEVERAL MINOR RAIDS
Germans Report Their Bat
terieS From ArraS to AL
bert Under Heavy Fire.
FRENCH ALSO ARE ACTIVE
They Improve Positions BE.
fore AmicnS. Where Main
Blow Is Expected.
SEVERAL MINOR RAIDS
FRENCH ALSO ARE ACTIVE

IOSpoN, May 19.-With tho con.
tinued inaction Of the Germans on
the battle front In France and Bel.
gium--it Is now three weeks since the
last important infantry fghting--tho
Allies are becoming more aggressive
and while infantry action still Il con.
fined to patrol clashes and raids. tho
scale on which the latter are under
taken Is becoming larger.
The other day the French ma
terally improved their positions be-
fore Amlens hy sharp attnck In
which they took many prisoners.
which was preceded by a similar cp-
Grafton in the KENNEL region. In a
brilliant drive last night by Austra!-
ians Ville-sur-Ancre, hamlet about
mile from Morlancourt and three
miles southwest Of Albert, was CAP
tured. together with 500 prisoners and
twenty machine guns. Field Marshal
Haig reports tonight
IN TINS operation, as in all the recent
raids by the Allies. the casualties on
their side were very light. while the
German losses were comparatively
heavy. Similar raids. but on a smaller
scale. were carried out by the British
Yesterday northwest of Albert and in
the neighborhood Of Beaumont Hamel.
which Is In the vicinity. There was
some fighting OF a minor order to-day
southwest Of Meteren, which Is on the
western side Of the Lys salient.
More Activity In somme District.
There is stu no indication in these
raids OF the point where the impcnd-
ing German blow is expected, although
there Is more action now in the Sommc
district and before Amiens than in tho
sector north about Ypres. French opin-
ion has long hold to the view that
the Germans will strike when they
are ready IN the Amiens region rather
than in the north. because there is so
much more for them to gain in the
lorner II they are able To gain any
thing.
the operations:
BRITISH iNIGHT--A local opera.
ton during the night at Nille-sur-
Ahcre was completely successful
Australian troops carried the German
positions in and around the village,
"hich is now in our possession, and
captured $50 prisoners and 90 ma
cnlne guns. Our casualties were light.
we carried out successfully a raid
to-day on hostile post southwest Of
Meteren and inflicted casualties on
the garrison.
On the remainder OF the front there
was only artillery activity on both
sides In the different sectors
BRITISH DAYp-A minor enter
| prise was successfully undertaken by
us last night in the ne,ghborhood Of
Nllle-sur- Ancre. northwest Of Nor
| lancourt. Our positions in this local
| ity have been improved and number
| or prisoners and machine guns have
! teen captured by our troops
Successful raids. in which We cap
| tured few prisoners and four ma
| 'hine guns. were carried ont by us
also northeast Of Albert and I'm the
| neighborhood of Hamel
A raid attempted by the enemy
| northwest of Bethunc was repulsed
| by our fire before reaching our lines
GERMAN tSIGHTI-On the south
ern bank of the Ancre British local
| attacks sanguinarily collapsed
! GERMAN tnAn--West of Hull
| luch the British attacked with several
| companies but were repulsed with
heavy losses.
Between Arras and Albert the en-
| cmy was especially active and our bat
! terics there were many times sub
jected to violent fire.
; Elscwhcr" the infantry activity was
limited to reconnassa noes
There was lively firing activity on
, the battlefront. which continued until
| early morning, diminished later and
| only revived toward evening