New Britain herald., 1918-06-11
FIELDS STREWN WITH HUN DEAD:
 ALLIES FIGHT FOR EVERY INCH
Hand to Hand Combats Ere quent as French and British Make Desperate Resistance to Enemy.

With the French Army in France,
 June 10 (By The Associated Press) ).-
 Undiminished severity marks the
 fighting between Montdidier and Noyon. The situation tonight is rath-
 CT satisfactory for the Allies, whose
 obstinate resistance and frequent
 counter-attacks have caused great
 consternation to the Germans. Enemy
 losses under the direct fire of the
 French artillery have been horrible.
 Every time the Allies counter attack
 they find the ground covered with
 German dead.
 Throughout the day the enemy
 threw his greatest pressure toward
 the center of the Allied line in an ef-
 fort to gain as much ground as possi-
 ble southWard in the direction of
 Compiegne. Under the powerful push
 of the continually reinforced enemy
 columns, the Allies were forced to
 give little, but they fought tenacious
 1y for every inch of ground
 An epic struggle occurred in the
 vicinity of Plemont where the small
 garrison of dismounted cavalrymen
 possibly may still hold out. French
 soldiers who managed to get through the German lines late yesterday de-
 clared that before they left the Ger
 mans had delivered terrific assaults
 which have been repulsed with heavy losses for the enemy.
 Several small villages, including
 Mery, Belloy and St. Maur, changed ownership a number of times, but this evening were in German hands. At no
 moment is it possible to say positively that this or that place is occupied by
 the enemy or the Allies, such is the terrific nature of the conflict. Ebbs and flows occur everywhere. On tho Belloy plateau fighting went on con- tinuously for several hours, man tackling man in single combat. The artillery is engaged more ac- lively than in any battle in a long while. The Germans have been able to bring forward field guns in consid erable numbers. The French artillery fire is most violent and very destruc- tive especially when turned against attacking enemy troops.
 The difficulties confronting the enemy are very great in the nature of the country he has now entered in his new drive The terrain comprises sharp hills, deep valleys and thick
 woods Where his most pronounced I ter of the battlefield, the ground forms a sort of hollow through which runs | the main road from Senlis to Rove and the Compiegne-Roye railroad. Germans Ignore Losses. The Germans are apparently try | ing to increase the rapidty of their ! advance by entirely Ignoring the los-
 ses they sustain, the object being to acquire possession of as much terri tory as possible before the Allies are
 able to stabilize the front. Each di- vision seems to have received orders to go ahead needless of what the i others are accomplishing.
 While attempting to do this, the l Germans are coming under the fire l of the Allied batteries and groups of machine guns which possess the ac- | curate ranges of all points.
 This fierce opposition offered iby ] the Allied troop appears to have dis l concerted the German high com
 mand, which expected to be able to reduce the Allied salient around Noy 1 on much moro easily.
 i The enemy guns were very busy i throughout yesterday and last night l but were well countered by the Allied 1 artillery. In addition the wind l changed it's direction and tens of 1 thousands of poison gas shells fired by 1 the Germans did more damage to ] themselves than to the Allies 1 Indications show that some of the l enemy divisions which started the at l tack are already being withdrawn
 from the line. because of the severity
 of their casualties, and are being re l placed by fresh units.
 The armies are fighting it out foot 1 by foot and it cannot be claimed up to 1 this writing that the enemy has ! gained any definite advantage, despite ! the fact of the indentation he has mado in the Allied line. This was very natural result under the
 tremendous smash