Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-10
BY EDWARD w. PicKARD.


Monday of last week was a bitter
day for the Hun-the day Of his worst
defeat since the great spring drive be-
gan. Under orders from General Won
Arnim to take Sc~herpenberg, Mont
Rouge, Mont Noir and all the high
ground back of KENNEL, the Ger
mans hurled themselves time after
time against the stone wall of Brit
ish and French defenders, only to fall
back In disorder, leaving thousands OF
their men dead and wounded on the
field. The enemy employed about
thirty fresh battalions, in addition to
the numerous divisions already in po-
sition on that front, and his onslaughts
were so frequent as to be almost con-
tinuous throughout the day.
When. the morning of Tuesday came
the great numbers of gray-uniformed
dead In front of the defending posi-
lions showed the awful price the Hun
had paid. Moreover, he had nothing
to show for this expenditure of life,
for the allied lines were virtually in
tact at all points, and the British late
in the afternoon counter attacked
north of KENNEL and regained consid-
cradle ground previously lost. Just
to the west of this position, about
Locre and at the cross roads between
Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge, the
French met the 1ercest assaults of the
day. Changing hands several times,
Locre was held by the Germans at
nightfall, and they had pushed ahead
until the situation was most critical
for the defenders, but he French
came back with such irresistible dash
hat the advance was stopped, and af-
ter dark they pushed the Germans out
of Locre and back from the positions
they had won between the two hills.
Ia
In this, the most ~pretentious attack
on the Ypres salient, the British and
French, largely outnumbered, fought
with equal gallantry and determine
ton. At the same time the brave
Belgians, farther north, repulsed an
other attack, not yielding a foot OF
ground. The kaiser had just visited
the German lines and exhorted his
troops to push the British back to he
channel, where they belonged" but
the stubborn Tommies didn't wish to
be pushed, and they were not. The
big attack probably had the double
purpose of capturing Ypres and di-
verting large numbers of allied troops
from the Amiens salient so the Ger
mans could make another drive there,
but neither object was attained. The
artillery fire from both sides was con-
ttnuous and very heavy, and the Ger
mans, despite the excellent work or
the airmen, improved their transport
and brought up many Of their large
guns. The British batteries west or
KENNEL devoted much of their efforts
during the week to deluging the top
of that hill with shells, so that the
Huns were unable to obtain any bene-
fit from its capture.
The intense activity observed be-
hind the German lines indicated that
Won Arnim was preparing to resume
the attack on the Ypres salient imme-
diately. Except for KENNEL hill, his
troops are occupying lower ground
than that held by the allies, and they
cannot continue there long under the
smothering fire of the British and
French artillery. If they cannot gain
the line of heights they seemingly
must soon retire.
Ia
Following their disastrous repulse
In Flanders, the enemy made two at
tacks In the Amiens region. The first
was directed especially at the Ameri-
can troops, now revealed as holding
positions In the vicinity Of Villers-