Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-08
BRITISH FORCES DRIVE
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If much savage fighting IN the last few
DAYS The british. IN the carly hours,
delivered counter attack by which they
forced ,hr enemy bark somewhat and
took a few prisoners According {" the
laieef reports The British are holding on
~ the western edge 81 this wood In
this section IL is noted that German prls-
ers have stated The enemy planned
strong attack at EanRard wood today.
The German efforts a. Bucquoy and
Hphlterne were continuance OF their
efforts to get themselves out of nasty
position IN which they find thcmseivcs
m this region and in which they have been
since the big drive stopped IN the last
10 days of March
~ this point the Germans arc holding
very sharp salient which bulges out
into British territory along Inc roughly
reprcsented by Bucquoy, Hebutcrne ana
Colncamps, Auchenyilefs and Hamel
This salient is somewhat saucer SHAPED
the outer edge being on high ground
I pom these elevations the British sat
down AZ thc end of their retirement and
since then have successfully deficd the
enemy to dislodge them.
EHgwYs CAMP TARGET YoB BRITISH.
Within the salient Is an inhospitable
zone which formed 4 part of No Mans
Land IN the first battle ~ the Sornmc II
is she'll torn and altogether il IS an un-
pleasant placc over which 10 condurt
operations Not only IS the ground bad
bfIt he whole sector s dominated by
British machine guns nhioh send never
ending streams pf bullets eRiriing down
INTO thc enemy camps Vhtrh present
: excellent targets
L.
/ ond phase NJ their grand offensive now
/ and we're forced 10 kck 80 from their
1 present position IN hls salient hor aouid
! encounter tremendous dfFicultie- in maln-
/ taining satisfactory communication across
/ the desert which lies ust back ui fhe'r
1 front line They need the high ground
I on the edge ~ their saucer before thrT
| can begin Z big attack % that they can
4 yet their guns forward for otherwise the
artillery would he outdstanced and every
/ thing would depend upon the infantry
II uas because Of this situation that
| attacks were made last Friday BY the
+ Germans -Four moro or less tresh dlvi-
/ sions yvere brought ~ tor this operation
and huge number 81 guns we're brought
into piav. especially over the back areas.
! Considerable quantities ~ gas also
F., were thrown into the vtcinty . Eon-
qlevlllers, indicating that the Germans
/ did not intend 10 trv 70 advance 20 q
/ great strength, SINCE the gas hangs about
| for long time.
GROUND COVERED WITH HUNS DEAD.
The enemy was simply try1ng TO get a
| hold on the dominating ridges. ] hey failed
I to advance at most points about the
salient and even lost q considerable
/ stretch of ground in a counter attack by
the British between Hehuterne and
/ Ross. gnol wood where the British pushed
/ forward some 800 yards.
At Bucquoy tho Germans had some
success and got a footing in some places.
but fheir attack as whole was q failure
The enemy casualties we're very heavy
because 81 the dominating positions held
/ Dv Brush machine gunuers and 1fieInen
Ross gnoi wood was found filed with
German dead ana the low lyIng ground
OF the ridges told an awful story. l.
seemed certain the Germans wiN Try
/ sga.a I'd capture the heights, for they
cannot 81 where they are.
The British counter attacks al Ayeluy
wood south of Mesnil. Yesterday, waS
an entire sucress and the old position,
we're returned The men VINO went
through this tght declare he German:
lost taree illled 50 one Tor the British
Ii Was q desperate fight The British
stormed the uood after battling Tor
ward with machine guns and rifles, ano
then continued the battle with hanl
grenades and bombs. The German,
chung desperately 10 their positions, but
were gradually orced 70 ial back, leav-
ug many dead
HEAVY CASUALTIES AMONG OFFICERS.
Prisoners captured by the British when
I Ayette Was taken Wednesday, say the
casualties among the German officer,
and non-comnHssloned officers have been
very heavy since the beginning OF tbs
/ offensive
The situation Is 50 bad regarding
7 nou-comIuiSsioned officers that the higher
command has been bringing back into
line those previously combed out be
cause 0f age or wounds
\ German airman just taken prisouei
said the British had more and better
airplanes than the Germans and TIN:
accounts for the British aviatorS doing fal
more work over the enemy lines than IN,
Germans did He said ne German.
could NOT run the risk OF wasting ma
chimes IN this sort of warfare