The sun., 1918-04-14
Neuve Eglise Retaken and
Bailleul Still Held I'm.
der Hard Fighting.
FLANKS REMAIN FIRM
Enemy Drive Is in Three
Main Columns Thrust
Fanwise.
SUPER-SEDAN Is SOUGHT
Near junction of British and
French Armies Each Side
Makes Local Gains.
SUPER-SEDAN Is SOUGHT

SpeCtd tdOtc beSp0tCN 70 ihE SSH'
Copyright. 1918: oil riohfs seserred
LONDON. April 13.-The German ad-
vance in the direction Of Hazebrouck,
where they hoped to sever communt-
cations between Givenchy. Hethune
and Ypres. was checked this afternoon
on the ten mile front running from
Wulvcrghem, Steenwerck and Vieux
Berquin TO the extensive wooded
region known as Nieppe Forest. tho
British holding the strong line Of the
railroad from Armentieres to Haze
brouck, wiz, their backs to the higher
ground. against succession Of massed
attacks
The Germans, in their offlcie. is.
port. do not claim any specific ad-'
vances, merely stating that they
gained ground in the fighting along
the whole Lys sector. Apparently
they have worked around to north Of
Merville and also to the northwest
OF Bethune. where they reached La
Bassee Canal mile west Of LOGON.
which they captured after bitter fight
Ing.
The British now have the advan-
ta9e Of position. which may counter
balance the superiority in men whom
tho Germans are throwing into this
sector in desperate cndeavor to
break through to the Channel ports.
Enemy Pressure Increases.
German pressure in the pocket on
tho front before Bailleul continued
through the night with increasing In
tcna!ty. This morning the Germans
! on the north side OF the pocket began
a heavy attack south Of Warneton, In
the direction OF Messines and also
due west Of this position at Neuve
Eglise and Bailleui. where the British
are holding the high ground. North
of Bethune the Germans are attempt
ing to force passage of the Clarence
! River near LOGON.
On the whole. reports from British
headquarters are Of a much more en-
couraging nature than has been the
case since the first days OF the battle
Of .Armentieres. There arc both favor
able and unfavorable features in the
latest developments in this sector. The
urfavorable features are that the
salient driven into the British line has
been widened by the German pressure
50 as TO threaten Bethune and Lens to
the south and Ypres to the north. while
the Germans push westward and are
approaching the high ground and tho
roads leading to HaZebrouck.
The Germans are operating III three
main columns thrust tanwise. one OH
the north against Bailleul. one in the
centre against Merville and the third
through Vieille Chapells southwestward
toward Bethune Each OF these col
unns IS powerfully supported by arti!-
lery batteries and trench mortars.
Flanks Are Being Held.
On the other hand. tho British pos
.ions at Givenchy on one hank and
Messines Ridge on the other are still
being held. Another favorable circum-
stance is that the enemy Is now al.
tackinX across Il fiat. spongy terrain
which impedes the movement OF artii.
!ery and his forces arc greatly con-
gested in the restricted area In which
he is operating. As a result MS aa-
vance is slow and his casualties are
extremely heavy
At the present moment the Allies
front hero follows a concavc line start.
ing from Messines. with its furthest
western extension at Mervillc. at the
junction Of the Bourre and Lys canals
and the Clarence River, thence joining
the old front at Givenchy. While the
Germans have succeeded In extending
the battle 'front.' the British line has nor
been disrupted at any point.
The German papers in discussing
Field Marshal Won Hindenburgs strato-
eic aims. are telling tho people that ne
.s carrying on n great pincher move
ment against the British army. one arm
? OF which Is to stretch from the north
around Ypres to Calais. while the other
il to fold back the British front from
tho SOUTH around Arras, Am!ens and
Abbevill. Tho German high command.
l say these papers. Is aiming at super
/ Sedan.