The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-04-26
BRITISH RETAKE
TOWN AND 900
HUN PRISONERS
Australian and English Troops
Drive Germans From ViIIers-
Bret0nneuX.
FRENCH FIGHT IN HANGARp
One Hundred and .TWenty-Eight
Wounded American Soldiers, Who
Helped Allies in Stemming
Teuton Drive, Have Ar
rived at Hospital.

London, April 26.-Australian anc
English troops have recaptured Vii
lers-BretonneuX and taken more than
600 prisoners in that region, Field
Marshal Haig reports from headquar'
ters.
Farther to the north, on line from
Bailleul to Wytschaete, there has been
very heavy fighting and the allied
troops were obliged to withdraw from
their positions.
Hangard, on the French front, was
in German hands at last accounts.
1928 U. S. Men Wounded.
Paris, April 26-American soldiers
wounded in the great battle which now
is being waged are already arriving al
the rear. American wounded and sick
to the number of 12S have reached hos.
pital 25. They are from units en-
gagged in fighting side by side with
French and British in stemming the
German advance.
British Official Statement.
London, April 26.-The war office
issued the following statement: The
French and British positions from
north of Bailleul to east of Wyt-
Schaete have been heavily attacked
all day. There was fighting OF great
severity on the whole of this front,
particularly in the neighborhOod OF
Dranoutre, KENNEL and VierStraat.
I'm the course of repeated attacks
and counter-attackS the allied troops
have been compelled to withdraw from
the positions they held in the morn.
ing, and the fighting continues.
1.-THE enemy'S attack in the morning
on this front was made by at least
four divisions and his ObecttiveS are
stated by prisoners to have included
the villages of Cachy and the Cachy-
Fouiller road. These detectives were
not reached at any point. The number
of German dead found in the positions
recaptured by our troops shows that
the enemy's losses were very heavy.
1.-THE fighting on the whole of this
front was most severe and heavy casu-
alties were inflicted on the enemy by
dI ItllleIy, luldilIs anu lduhS.
North of illers-Bretonneux-S st.
Quentin road the enemy three times at
tackled our positions, and on each oc-
casion was repulsed with loss.
South of the Somme several coun
ter-attacks launched by Australian
and English troops at night against
the positions gained by the enemy Oh
Wednesday in and around Yillers-
Bretonneaux carried our line onward
TO within a short distance of our for
mer front and resulted in the capture
of more than 600 prisoners. The vii
lage now is in our hands.
Heavy fighting took place all night
in and around Villers-B -Bretonneaux,
and still continues. Our troops re-
gained ground by counter-attacks and
have taken a number Of prisoners.
The fighting ON the whole of this
front was most severe and heavy cas-.
ualties were inflicted on the enemy by
artillery, infantry and tanks.
"North of the Villers- -Bretonneaux.
ST. Quentin road the enemy three
times attacked our positions, and on
each occasion was repulsed with loss.
During this fighting the enemy made
use of a few tanks.
French Official Statement.
Paris, April 26-The war office is.
sued the following statement: "The
battle continued with violence around
the village of Hangard, on which the
Germans concentrated their efforts
during the night. French troops re-
sisted valiantly and counter-attacked
several times with success. The vii
lage was lost, then retaken by the
French and finally remained in the
hands of the Germans at the cost OF
heavy losses.
''The French are holding the imme.
diate outskirts of Hangard and the
Germans have not been able to de-
bouch from the town in spite of re.
peated efforts
1.-THE French made several success.
south of Coucy lie Chateau and in Lor.
raine. We took a certain number OF
prisoners"
Berlin Claims Victory.
Berlin, April 26.-The official state
ment issued here follows: ION the
Lys battlefield strong French coun
ter-attack against the height of Vleu
gelhoek failed with heavy losses.
SIN the Somme sector we attacked
the English and French near and tc
the south Of Yillers-Bretonneux. By
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