The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-22
Attack on 5O-Mile Front.

British Army Headquarters in
France, March 22.-The Germans
launched a heavy attack on wide
front in and near the Cambria sector.
This assault bears all the earmarks
of being the beginning of the enemys
grand offensive.
A heavy bombardment by the enc
my of the front from a short distance
below the Scarpe river to the Brit
ish right flank, from east Of Arras
to the region of La Fere, was begun
ut five o'clock in the morning.
At the same hour the Germans be-
gan a display of artillery activity in
the Messines sector. At four o'clock
they began bombardment with gas
shells along the Fleurbaix-Armen-
there's sector.
German forces advanced behind
smoke barrage along the ridge run
ming northward from Gouzaucourt and
Gauche wood.
The German attack in this region
was not unexpected.
Infantry fighting is proceeding from
a point to the northward Of Lagni-
court southwark along the front to
Gauche wood just below Gouzaucourt.
II may be merely coin cidence that
a German prisoner stated recently
that an enemy offensive was to begin
March 20 or p. Numerous other
dates also have been given.
For several days 1t has been indi-
Gated that the Germans have com
pleted all their plans and are ready
for operations if this be within the
scope of their program.
The sky was heavily overcast. OBJ
servation from airplanes was extreme
ly difficult.
The first infantry fighting reported
in what appears to be the inception
Of the great German offensive has
taken place along curved line ex-
tendi>g from Lagnicourt to Gauche
This line is about sixteen miles In
length.
The Germans launched their first
assault along a ridge of land running
north from Gauche wood. This ridge
extends about three miles to the
northeast and ends near the southern
end Of the village of Gonnelieu
This attack was apparently direct
I'd at the angle formed with the for
mer British line by the new British
lines as they were established after
the sudden offensive led by General
Byng on November %, 1917. The
fighting extends around the arc of
circle into which the British lines
were pushed after the German coun-
ter offensive, and continue for dis
lance of about four miles to the north
west of Moeuvres, the northern limit
of Byng's offensive.
From Vendeuill north to the river
| Scarpt is a distance of nearly fifty
miles. The preparatory work for the
offensive was about due to begin, II
the advance announcements were to
be taken at their face value, Judging
from the news OF a day or two ago
that a party of neutral correspond
ents had been invited by the German
high command to start for the west
front on Wednesday ito witness the
offensive"
This area embraces most of the
territory outside of Flanders over
which the British have been fighting,
sometimes alone and sometimes In
conjunction with the French for the
last two years. 1t takes in. for in
stance, the entire field Of the battle
of the Somme, fought in the fall of
1916, ard a great part Of the area
evacuated by the Germans the follow
ing spring.
Within these limits also is the bat
tleield of Cambria, where the Brit
ish and the Germans successfully won
victories in last falls fighting. V1r-
tually all the territory fought over in
the great battle of Arras, during the
spring of 1917 also lies in the area
ander bombardment