The sun., 1918-04-11
DRIVE IN NORTH
SECOND PHASE
OF BIG BATTLE
Germans Attach Great I'm.
pOrtancc to Attack i'm
Southern Flanders.
GlNENCHI Is HELD STILL
Fifty-fifth Division Twice
Lost Village and Twice Re-
took 1t With BayOnet.
Ry pERCINAL PHILLIPS.


Sptridl Cobis Despo;ch 70 The SrS.
'cpsHgit. .als in rhc rtat.d States. Gv tie
London Daily E.-ErssS.
British Headquarters ~ THE FIELD
April 1O.--There can be no doubt tina,
tie battle which began yesterday morn
Ing between La Bassee and rmentieres
and spread nc:thward to-day 10 Mes
sines Ridge is the second great effort.
which we expected. The weight Of
the initial attacks. the intensity OF the
bombardment and the determination
with which the enemy tried to develop
his FIRST Sign, successes suggest that
he attaches as much importance 20 this
venture III southern Flanders az to the
first advaac, westward across the
Soinnle.
Fighting has continued almost without
interruption for tie las: thirty hours.
and the situation this afternoon is very
obscure In places. Between La Basse.
and ArmeEt!eres we are holding the
Germans we'll or tne line Of the River
Lvs after throwing them back across the
bridge lead at Bac -Maur. on the
right. and out of the suburbs OF Estailes
to the eastern bank.
This morning tho Fifty-ffta Division
WAS harsins like grim death 20 Given
chy. beside the La Bassee canal. having
lost 1t twice and twice taken IL back
WITH bomb and bAyonet .>,mentieres is
still full o; Eas. but there IL no hshtiny
there.
There was sanguinary struggle on
the slopes OF Mesaines Ridge. where
sone Of IN" enemy seem to have rea led
the village Of that name, only to be
hung out. There are German shock
troops dribbling through the broken
trenches in the region o: Ploegs.eeri
and around the north side OF Armcnt.erss
toward the Balieul road. We have held
the enemy firmly in check on all :ae
front he chose FOR Yesterdays break.
The latest news from the extended
battlefield above the mud flats OF the
River l.ys gives no cause for alarm.
Again the British army has fought
glorionsly against heavy odds. Eight
German divisions formed the arrow head
for the thIust through the FOG yester-
day behind barrage OF unprecedented
density. The maps that guided the van
guard pointed the way to Bethune. The
close OF the first day found the most ad-
vanced detachment a little moro than
three miles from the old front lire.
Aimed to Break Portusuese.
The aim OF the German attack at the
beginning was TO break the front held
by the Portuguese on both sides of
Neuve Chape!le, then to make room by
drivin, up to the Lys al Bac 50 Aiaur
and the adjoining crossing and down on
Givenchv. then toward Eethune This
explains why the heaviest bomba riment
was first concentrated on the Portuguese
front.
The German yunners laid down bar
rage which, in the opinion Of British
officers, far exceeded anything seen on
the Somme. They searched increasingly
for the various headquarters. roads and
| railways, At quarter past in the
morning the barrage was lifted from tho
first to tho second Portuguese line and
the enemy infantry appeared. They oc-
cupied the first trenches. although the
Portuguese made a st.n resistance until
they were literally overwhelmed.
BY o'clock the enemy was in F'au-
quissart. and a few minutes the bar
rage again lifted and the second line
was attacked BY II the Germans
were in Layentie. The Portuguese ar
tillery was we'll served. but some OF
the guns had to be abandoned. AZ the
! teams could not be taken through the
were nearly wiped out. but the suryl-
! vors brought away the breech blocks
! and scarcely any aerriceable pieces
were left.
Germans Use BayOnets.
I One body oe Portuguese infantry ae.d
! out near La Couture unit, O'clock in
! the afternoon. when they sent word ask
ing tcr more ammunition. 1t was sent
to them. but I, is doubtful it It reached
1.-THE little band OF men. Their com.
randing Officer refused to. retire and
! they stuck on until the German infan-
try charged, which is the first instance
of .in enemy bayonet charge. Very few
survivors returned.
While tho Portuguese retired the
British troops on their right formed a
defensive hank from Glvenchy bach
along the Festubert road, toward tina,
. extinct village, The Fifty-hfth Divi.
sion was the immediate object Of a fu,
| rious attack bv some four German divi.
s'ons (about 10000 men), for the high
ground nj G.venchy undoubtedly was
! desired IN order TO widen the breach TO-
! ward Bethune.
As the Germans swarmed across the
furrowed ground Of our portion OF ths
hillock beside La Raasee the Ian.
cashirc battalions met them with ma
chine guns and bayonets. They frs,
attacked about 8 o'clock In the morning
when the Portuguese had been hghtinf
nearly three hours. Every sh, ,cll .yai
withstood. Tho German observers saw
that their mon could not proceed ant
fresh waves we're poured out.
La Bassce and the Givenchy ruin
were pounded until It seemed they woult
be fiattened like tho fields behind then,
u An.,
men In grey appeared. The Lanca
shires stolidly cut Il into raSgs,
strips. passing forward fresh supplle