Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-19
EFFORT TO BREAK
DEFENSE Is DEFEAT
--An Divisions used BY Germans on
/ Ten-MiIe Line Between Givenehy
and St. venant-Enemy Compelled
to Desist From Attacks During Night
Because Of Severe Losses-British
Still Hold Mount KENNEL.

British line from Givenehy to Ypres
has bent back the British front
badly badly ;n .hi. entire area; the Of
fensive here stands checked today
and in imminent danger Of utter
failure SO far as the larger re-
suits aired at are concerned
Field Marshal Haig's troops yes
terday had to meet one of the Sc
verest strains yet put upon them in
a German attempt to broaden out
4 salient. They came thru the or
deal with coIors flying and COM
pletely stopped the German onrush
+ From Givenehy to st venant, an
eIeven-miIe sector on the southerIy
side Of the salient, German troops
were hurled in masses at the Brit
isl, positions in an effort to break
thru behind Bethune and compel
the British to fall back from Given
chy and along the front southWand
toward Nimy ridge and Arras.
s The defensive line held firm de-
spite repeated desperate assaults,
which caused the Germans enor-
nous losses Last night tho battle
had died down to an artillery duel.
IA correspondents At the front now
dSssars the British front 10 more
secure than il has been for days.
Further desperate attempts by
the Germans may be expected, as
they are too much exposed to en-
filading qunfire in their narrow
salient for an extended rest.
Indeed, they resumed their at
tacks in the Mont KENNEL region
on the northeriy side Of the battle
field southwest Of Ypres, where
they are fighting the British, who
are firmly installed on dominating
heights. These assaults also were
failures.
on the somme battle front tho
French have held to their gains OF
Yesterday near casteI, where they
drove tho Germans off from the
line Of the Paris Amiens railway.
German machine gun nests were
wiped out by the French during
the night.
British troops are standing firm
before strong enemy attacks on tho
front north Of Arras, while south
east Of Amiens the French have
driven the Germans back in the re-
qion Of castel.
The heaviest fighting on the nor
thern front is on the southern side
of.the salient from st. venant, west
Of MerviIIe, to Givenehy. ON this !
eleven mile front tho Germans are
using ten divisions, or about 49,
600 men.
Capture Of most Of the Messines-
-Wytschaete ridge by the Germans
did not seriously weaken the Brit
ish position, as Field Marshal Heig
soutwitted the enemy by withdraw
ing his lines east and northeast Of
Ypres.
In this region the Germans are
fiounderins in the mud, while ef-
forts ito turn the British line in
Flanders by taking KENNEL hill,
have failed with severe losses.
Twice Thursday tho Germans
threw largo forces against this hill,
but each time they were thrown
back in sharp encounters.
Intense fighting and artillery
dueIs continue here and westward
toward Meteren. In switching their
strong efforts from the north to
tho south the Germans have not
yet gained any success.
Their. evident desire on the front
northwest Of .Givenehy is to cross
LaBassee canal and outflank
Bethuns and with It probably Lens
and Arras.
The elimination Of the Lens-Ar-
ras salient would make less SECURE
tho allied line in Picardy.
Heavy attacks have been de-
livsrsd east Of St. venart and near
Givenchy, but the enemy has gained
no advance, being checked every
where with large casualties. Civ
enehy 10 again the center Of a
fierce struggle as il was ten days
ago. but the British there are still
.as firm as formerly. It is an i'm.
portant position in it's bearing on
The defepsss Of Bethunc and Lens.
Berlin, for tho first time since the
northern operations began, an
nounees that the situation is un-
changed"
The French success on the Pic
ardy battlefield was gained on =
three mile front running from the
north tosthe southwest Of Moreuil.
The apex Of sharppointed salient
west Of casteI was within three
miles Of the railway running out
from Annisns, and that in the
nearsst tho Germans have got to
\ sAmiens in the offensive which be-
ean more than four weeks ago.