The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-15
TURNING POINT
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Continued from Page One)
along the front held by Portuguese
and British units they may be able
t. roll the British towards the sea
and effect a break thru. This is the
operation attempted this week in the
region of the famous battle-ground of
the early days of war in front of
Lille.
British Fought Hard.
Here en- a frontage of $4,000 yards
str etching from ArmentiereS to the
Labassee canal the segment held by
either side by British divisions, was
penetrated after an intense lombard
ment.
The hostile attack was favored by
a Tick mist and in spite of the fact
that the British fought tenaciously.
they were compelled to give ground
after the Portuguese positions had
been broken thru. and have since re-
tired, abandoning Armentieres and
other points. On the first day of the
assault tire enemy was able to pene
trate to a depth of from two and a
quarter to four miles on a front of
eleven miles.
ION the second day the front of
attack was extended to 20 miles,
while the impetus of the offensive was
considerably slowed down and only
a BILE to reach a maximum additional
depth of two and one-quarter miles
The front of attack has since been
further extended and the British have
been forced to abandon positions to
the north and south of the Lys and
west of the Lave.
Now 40 Miles From Calais.
The enemy has made Roadway
along the LaBaSsee canal to within
the immediate vicinity of Bethune
while other points northwest of the
city of considerable tactical impor-
lance have fallen into the hands of
| the enemy.
1.-The enemy now finds himself with
in forty miles of Calais. The main
| lines of communication to channel
ports radiate vertically from this bat
| tie front and thus facilitate the Ger
man advance.
IF the enemy can muster the dr1V-
| ing power he will in all probability
continue his assaults, hoping that by
an enveloping attack on an obllque
| front to use the classic Prussian de-
| finition he may score a complete an
| Inhalation victory.
| .sThere has been less activity along
the southern flank of the Picardy sa-
lient Here the line taken over by
the French is now fully consolidated.
! THE Germans, by stubborn and
costly driven thrusts were able to
force the French out o. the triangu-
lar area formed by the Disc, the All
cite and the old line stretching from
La Fere to Amy lie Chateau On an
approximate twelve miles front the
enemy advanced to a depth ranging
from three to six miles The French
contested every foot of the ground and
were able to check the enemy on
slauSht and carry out their carefully
arranged plan for the occupation of
the line which they now hold south
of the Ailette.
Active in American Sector.
"In the sectors where our own
forces are fighting considerable activ-
itv prevailed. After protracted artil-
lery preparations the Germans
launched an attack against our posi-
tions northwest of Toul. our artillery
was able to dispense the assaulting
columns and checked the attack be-
fore our lines were reached. OuI
own infantry counter attacked and
drove off the remnants of the enemy
units a number of prisoners were
taken Our casualties were relatively
slight.
Lively Smelling took place along
the whole Italian front and the allies
l executed a number of minor raids in
the Asiago region. The re-grouping
of forces has been going on and the
continuation of concentration of hos
tile units is reported. The probability
of an enemy offensive in this area TAX
ing place as soon as the weather be-
comes more favorable is increasing