The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-13
With The Exception of
Merville These Have
Not Been Attained
ASSAULTS NOT
YET ABANDONED
Virtually No Cessation In
Fighting Since the Bat
tie Began Tuesday
(By Associated Press.l

With The British Aarmy in
France. Friday. April 12.-With the
exception Of Merville the Germans
thus far daave not reached their OBJ
jectives for the present drive north
and south Of Armentieres. but todax's
Developments indicated that the enemy
had no intention OF abandoning the
assault. A captured German docu-
ment reveals. that there were to be
three smashes on the front north and
south Df ArmentieFes. One had
Bailleul as It's main objective, the
other MerviIle ana Aire and the third
Bethune.
Not less than twenty eight enemy
divisions had been employed in this
program and at some places the Brit
ish have been very heavily outnum-
bered. A German division aggregates
Is, 600 to $4,000 men.
st. Venant. between Merville and
Aire, was being heavily attacked to-
day by strong forces OF Germans.
The enemy seems desirous Of reach
ing Aire, a railway center and were
employing large numbers OF troops
in an attempt to drive the British
back. The German threat in this
direction undoubtedly is Of consider
able importance.
The lighting today continued TO be
of the bitterest nature. not only in
the Merville neighborhood, where the
main assault was made. but also
northward from Givenchy.
Yesterday and last night the enemy
continued his pressure from
Wytschaete southwark and gradually
forced the British to fall back from
PlOegsteert until the battle was being
fought near Neuve Englise. to the
west.
Steady pressure was maintained in
the Estaries sector beyond which Law
Merville and Aire. During the night
the enemy pushed back the defenses
at Lestrem and captured Calonne-
Sur-Lys. southwest Of Merville. At
the same time they pressed down
through Neuf Beruuin. little above
Merville, and these two converging
forces hurled themselves on the town.
The British fell back toward st.
Venant. fighting doggedly all the way
against the closely pressing Germans.
"A sanguinaTy battle was proceeding
today east OF st. Venant with the
British making a determined stand.
During the night the British counter
attacked west of Steenwerck. and re-
occupied La Bacque.
The German attack about GiYenchy,
on the southern end Of the battle line
was being pressed BY some nine divi-
sions. There has been virtually no
cessation in the fighting here since
the beginning OF the battle Tuesday.
Thus far. the British have maintain
ed stone wall defense against which
the Germans have flung themselves
with heavy losses. Today the casualty
list OF the attacking troops was
sWelled appallingly as the British
artillery and machine guns pounded
points and troops
in close formation.
The work OF the British gunners at
has been noteworthy. on
the first day. when the Germans
swept forward in masses and the
very grave. many artillery
men worked for hours shooting point
blank at close range. One gunners
lieutenant stood by his piece firinE /
With open sights at a range of 200
Yards and held the enemy of for a /
time before he was COM |
oelled TO fall back.
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