Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-28
Second Week of Colossal Battle, After Intense
Fighting Finds British and French
Holding Firmly
COUNTtRATTACkS BEGUN
British Resume Offensive. Affsr
Resisting Heavy German
Attacks
GERMANLOSsEs ENORMOUS
~ Associated rress ~ rve,v rveplnr

~ Associated rress ~ r very Fveninr
Checked ~ along the front afnore than
20 miles. except ~ fwo points. tho GrF-
man drive is fast slowing up The hr-
ginning of he second week ~ ihr great
battle which opened with probably 'h0
most colossal attack IN history and ron.
tmuee v1th the most ntener lighting.
finds Fhe British and French holding
'cnsciorsly ~ the western edge ~ fhr old
Sornmp battlefield, while infiriing fur
ther losses upon the enrrnv
British counter atfacke have n-Err~
IN the region rf NlHor' which fho rrrv
mans hold. but from which hev have
hrcn unable ~ advance because n th~
resistance nf the British Win dnggrdlr
ropuerd enemy attacks ~ isr Tureda.
From Albert south Field Marshal Halr
hae carried oti several or7'tnteF attack
and has advance hle linz eastward hr
tween the Sornrne and aAn~rr ahofrf one
milr South af tho Srrnvrc Tho British have
rrgainri Prova+ and have rfrulsrd
strong sf'acke ~ Roeieres
Along re Ancrr north ~ Aihert the
British thrnyr thr Germans hack ACROSS
tho rivcr and rlrovr ih~n from two towns
between tlh0ri end Nfonrhv IN this
front winch has held fasf for nore thsn
two days the British also have repulsod
strong enemy efforts ~ other points
On the soufbern flank the French have
held fhr German advance west of Novon
NJ IsSspnv northwest If Novnn after
heavv ighting. the French have retired
slightly toward Montdidler. being oyer
whelmed hv superior plumbers
aERns \ t,nssEs rvoPWous
The notes NJ pessirylisrn N the publishes
statements Of German leaders since thev
failed ~ break through and roll up ono
side If The British line are added ~ bv
the racent German official statements
the latest 0f which says that the German
attack liz sinwly progressing he
German casualties arc estimated ~ hc
between 2n0 On0 and 800 0On 4nd IL Isl
reported hat long hospital trains are
pouring into Belgium and Germany
over al railroad trains.
With the Allied Inc holding against
The enemy onslaughtS. 2 counter blow
may be IN preparation. Premier Clenrn-
reau has declared that the moment is
near when the Allied rrservr force w1ii
he thrown into the fight Ilr 1dded hat
The Germans would not hr able IN hoid
The gains tfrv havr made a. SUCH great
cost
.ERNAEY ACTIVE At SEA
ftn i'}c seas, 3E well ~ on the lAn0
the iierInan offensive last week was mucn
stronger Enemy submarines and mines
lccounted for % British hips rs or
more than 500 tons Ihc total
greater than for any week ince last sep
tembcr s. In The previous week q.
steamers, including 10 oi thc larger ton
mage. were sunk. French and Italian losses
also increased somewhat and the agcTe-
gate Tor these three merchant narDcs
was ~
HEAgY AKTILLgRY FT0BTTNG.
Heavy artillery fighting continues on tnc
American sector, northwest 0f Foui.
but no infantry actions have developed
What was believed 80 be German pre-
naratI0n for an attack vas checked bv
heavy American commandment The
German troops not leaving heir trenches
There is much activity behind the Ger
man lines. but 20 far the enemy hs.s no'
shown what this portends. There has
been no change On be LunevIlle sector
BRITISH ADVANCE N PALEs1TEE.
ia Palestine, north Of nc Dead Sea,
British troops have occupied Is salt
south Of Mount Gilead, and are approach
ing the Hadie5 railway, east Of jericho.
The railway has been ihe Turkish base
N The operations cast Of Jerusalem.