The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-04-06
Sole Gain by Enemy Is at
Junction of SOmme
and Ancre.
MILE ADVANCE THERE
At All Other Points Above
Montdidier His Heavy
Assaults Fail.
FRENCH WEDGE wIDESs
Brilliant Counter Attacks on
Avre Salient Result in
Progress There.
FRENCH I WEDGE wIDENs

LONDON. April THE great battle
which began yesterday on a front Of
about thirty miles, extending from
Grivesnes. near the tip Of the German
salient, to north Of Albert. was con.
tinued through the night and into to-
day. but aside from the capture Of
a couple OF small villages by the Ger
mans the honors tonight, at the Gloss
of the fifteenth day Of the great strug.
rle. rested with the Allies. The En-
tente forces made more gains OF
ground to-day than the Germans did,
but without paying the same enor-
| nous price in life.
The fighting to-day was not of the
same intensity as that Of yesterday.
| The German official report to-nigh.
says indeed there were only local in.
fantry engagements on both sides OF
the Somme on Friday" but it notes
increased artillery activity about Yer
dun. which may be significant, since
American troops are reported to be in
| the Verdun sector. The German day
report asserts that between March 81
and 90 the prisoners taken by the
Germans numbered 51,2lS and the
guns '29. 1t adds that the whole
booty up to the present has risen to
more than 10000 prisoners and morS
than 1900 guns" These figures are
I - t,1y ka
are impossible. II Is reported from
Berlin that the Germans gained sue
cesses south of the Somme and OH
both sides OF Moreul on THURSDAY
Important Gains by French.
Paris reports that the Germans did
not resume their attacks north Of Mont
did!er. but tho FrePch. by vigorous cour-
ter attacks, improved their positions 1t
several points, especially at Mailiy-
Tameval and Cantingny, near the tip OF
the salient. in both of which villages
they regained a footing. They recap
tured also the greater part OF Epinetts
Wood, north Of Orv.llers-Sorel. on the
south side OF the salient. and a farm
southeast 0: Grivesnes, where the
heaviest fighting centred yesterday, bu.
were compelled to withdraw from their
positions to the west OF Castel, which is
west OF Moreul.
Large masses OF German troops were
hurled to-day against the British front
between the Luce and the Somme and
north OF tho Latter river as far as But-
quoy and Moyen willie, a few miles south
OF Arras but the only gain made by
them was the capture OF the village of
Dernancourt few miles south OF AL
bert. The heaviest fighting was In the
sector extending about fve miles north
OF this place This. the Associated Pres,
correspondent at the front points out
brings them little closer TO the Albert
AmieHs railway and also to the Amiens-
l'aris railway. whcl, seems to be their
immediate objective.
They arc still three miles from this
railway. about one mile nearer than they
were when they began their new drive
Yesterday This Is about all tho advan-
, tage the Germans can claim as the re-
suit or the enormous expenditure Of the
lives or their troops. aggregat!ng many
thousands. yesterday and to-day.
100000 Men Used in Attack.
Tho correspondent at the from, of, ths
Evening Stondard says: Fighting yes.
terday Was on considerable scale. The
Germans employed twenty divisions
t24o.0o0 men), their attacking force
being twice as great as that OF III.
Anglo.French armies defending the line.
| Thus there was much larger draft on
the enemy reserves than on those of the
Allies.
North Of the Sommc AZ Albert tue
enemy attack failed completely, and on
the, British front the enemy was held
everywhere except at Hamel. South of
the Somme the French were driven out
OF the angle formed by the rivers Avre
and Luce.
ry,t..
as'rde %: the railway south OF Amiens
30 far he has failed and. considering the
large forces employed by him. the re-
suits cannot he considered as encouraR.
ing 20 tho enemy. At the same time tho
British position covering A'n!ens is at no
greater distance from the town. Thus
any loss of ground at this point must be
! regarded as serious
No Austrian or Bulgarian troops are
engaged on the western front. but AT
examination OF she'll fuses shows that n
few Austrian guns are being used. 1t Ia
known that some German troops were
brought from Salonica. which may have
given rise to the report that Bulgn rians
and Austrians are fighting IN France
About the time Of the assault deIiv-
cred against the British on the Albert
sector the Germans also sent strong
forces against the defences north OF
Itblaiazeville. This offensive move was
shor. lived, however. for the British
threw the enemy back with heavy Losses
II e believed that the German opera
tions about Albert we're undertaken
mainly for the purpose OF getting hold
OF the railway running southwest to
Amiens, but that IL had the additional
object OF Strengthening the enemy's lines
In this zone the correspondent adds.
The attack was launched at & o'clock
after an intense bombardmen, OF the de-
Tending position, Six enemy d!vislons
were employed IN the early hours oy the
Nght!nE which was exceedingly bitter.
North of Albert the British clung terra
! riously to their line but Just TO the yo,lth