Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-04-24
Haig Retires Only After Heavy
Counter-AttaCkS.
ENEMY'S GAINS ARE COSTLY
French Forces Are Now Reinforcing
the EneIish-Germans Claim Cap
ture of PoeIcapelle and
Langemarcke.


schaete-M eteren front.
British Win, Then Lose, Towns.
Out of the chaos of the tremendous
battle along the Lys river, south and
southwest of Ypres, the thunder OF
which may be heard forty or fifty
miles away, there have come during
the past day reports which are more
encouraging to the allied powers.
The British not only have held all
the ground which they were defending
on Tuesday but have struck back so
powerfully that Meteren and part OF
Wytschaete were retaken and held for
q time. Only after heavy attacks did
the British retire again from the vii
lagos.
Huns Claim TWO Towns.
The most disturbing news has been
q report from Berlin that POelcapelle
and Langemarck, north of Ypres, have
been taken by the Germans and the
admission from London that the Brit
ish have retired from certain of their
lines in the Ypres salient.
Just how far the British lines have
been withdrawn is not known. 1t may
be, however, that the German claim OF
taking Poelcapelle and Langemarck
was the result Of the British retire
ment.
British Defense Solid.
On all the rest of the front from
Messines ridge southwestward the
Germans have flung themselves against
the granite wall of the British defense.
Official and semiOfficial dispatches
have told of the frightful losses infiict-
ed on the attacking masses of troops
by the British rifle and machine gun
fire.
The line in front of Arras has again
been the scene of fighting, but here
the British took the offensive and
drove the Germans out of British
trenches which had been carried by
the enemy.
Haig Tells of Loss.
London, April 17.-Field Marshal
Haig, in his official report on Tuesday
announces the occupation by the Ger
mans of both Wytschaete and Span
broekmolen.
The war office announced that the
Germans have captured Bailleul on the
northern battle front, following fierce
battle, in which the enemy made use
of three divisions of picked men who
had not previously engaged in the bat
tie.
The British have fallen back to new
positions north of BaiHeul and Wul-
verghem.
Fresh German attacks were then re-
ported developing in the neighborhood
of Wyttschaete.
A German attack southwest of
LVieux Berquin was repulsed.
Part of Messlnes Ridge Lost.
Ottawa, April 17.-German troops
have carried Wytschaete and the great
er part of Messines ridge, according to
q dispatch from the Reuter- correspond
ent at British headquarters in France,
received here.
The enemy also has established him.
self in SpangrokmOlen. The British
are still clinging to the slopes of Mes
Sines ridge, battling desperately to re-
pei the attacks made upon them by
overwhelming German forces.
Huns Win by Surprise Attack.
Berlin, April 1.-THE official COM
munication from general headquarters
says German attacks on the Lys bat
tlefield met with complete success.
The great mine craters of the
.Wytschaete battle Of 1917 were taken
by a surprise attack.
After a brief bOmbardment the Ger
mans stormed Wulverghem in a sur
prise attack, also the British positions
on both sides of the village.
British counter-attacks failed CON-
pletely, says the report.
German troops scaled the heights be-
tween Neuve Chapelle and Bailleul and
captured them in a vigorous hand-to-
hand fight.
British Repulse Seven Attacks.
London, April 16.-Bailleul and Wul-
.verghem were the central points of the
heavy fighting between British and
Germans in Flanders, according to the
report from Field Marshal Haig's head
quarters.
Seven attacks by the Germans In the
'Merville sector on the northern battle
front have been repulsed by the Brit
iiSh, who inflicted heavy losses on the
Ienemy, it is announced officially.
The British have lost Neuve EgliSe,
against which the Germans had
Launched more than ten attacks.
Southwest of Bailleul the Germans
temporarily penetrated the British po-
sitions, bpt were driven out by q coun-
lter-attaek.
French Win In Hanuard Sector.
Paris, April 16.-The French official
report says: In the region of Han
gard the French carried out local op-
Grafton with complete success and took
ten prisoners. Since April II we have
taken loo prisoners In this sector.