The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-04-04
BRITISH UNBROKEN,
HUNS SLAUGHTERED
important Incidents Of First Week
of Great Battle Are Given
to Public.
GERMAN AIMS NOT REALIZED
Moved Down by Halg's Heroic Men,
the kalser's Troops Push To
ward the somme by Sheer
Force Of Numbers.

London.-Details Of the first week
OF the great battle In France show
that, while the fighting has been more
severe than In any previous offensive,
there has been no cause for pessimism.
The German losses have been ter
rife, probably 250,000 casualties hav-
ing been suffered by the kalser's hosts.
At such cost they won less than one
third Of the ground on which they had
counted. The morale of the British
troops has been perfect throughout
and they have fought magnlficently.
Million Germans In Action.
These fdcts stand out:
1t is known that at least 100000
Germans were engaged on the whole
front of attack. In the Somme area
not less than 81 army divisions were
identified. The British line suffered
its most severe buffeting in this
stretch, but was firm everywhere.
The Germans believed that a loss
of 100000 would be cheap price for
success in the west, but with loss
already Of 250,000 there is no pros
pect of their attaining the victory they
seek.
They regalned all the ground lost in
the Cambral battle and have taken
back sections of the territory taken
from them in the Somme offensive Of
last year.
The fighting was not by any means
continual German advance. The
British counter-attacked heavily and
fought for every foot of ground.
Details of the Fighting.
In one battle on the extreme left
the Germans employed not less than
nine divisions in an effort to break
through. For three days the three
British divisions held them at bay.
Finally. under weight Of numbers, the
British retired behind the line marked
by the ruined villages of Bullecourt,
East NOgueil and CrOiselles.
The next morning the Germans re-
newed the attack, striking northward
from FOntainelles and CrOiselles and
westward from Cherissy. They drove
In mass formation wave after wave,
toward the heights between HenIn-sur-
Cojeul to Henin hill.
Two hours of drum fire, In which
gas and hlgh-explosive shells were
mingled, preceded the infantry attack.
From eight o'clock in the morning un-
til noon continuous waves of gray-clad
troops stormed the heights.
British machine guns posted on the
ridge swept down line after line OF
Germans. BY three o'clock in the aft
ernoon the Teutons had succeeded In
pressing past Henin hill on both sides
and threatened to cut off the machine
gunners posted on the crests. Not
until then did the latter retire and re.
join the main British force.
Similar fighting was going on at the
same time on the right wing. Tremen.
dous pressure was brought to bear
around st. Leger, Vaux and Vrau,
court. 1t lasted all day.
At times under the German blows
the British line sagged heavily, but at
no point did 1t give way.
Desperate Defense Of VauIx.
A bitter battle was fought for pos
session of VaulX, but British machine
gunners posted in the ruins of the
village held the Germans at bay. A
ruined factory served as a fortress
despite the shelling to which it was
subjected.
Not until late in the afternoon was
It impossible for the British to hold
the town longer. Even then the re-
treat only went for thousand yards
The British rear guard fought every
step Of the way, and, returning to the
main body, a counter-attack was
launched against the Germans in pos
session Of Vaulx and the village was
regained.
The fighting continued all night
Finally Vaulx had to be abandoned
before heavy night attacks, but only
because German forces had pushed
past further up the line and were
driving to the attack of MOry.
Another bitter struggle was fought
around Croiselles. At Mory Scottish
and English troops inflicted tremen
dous losses on the Germans.
Sunday Battle South of Peronne.
The fighting Sunday was tremen
dous. All day long heavy forces Of
Germans endeavored to force cross
ing Of the SOmme south of Peronne
while further along the line they con
entrated their efforts against Ba
paume.
Repeatedly German engineers at
tempted to throw pontoon bridge.
across the river. On the nearby
heights British field guns firing prac
tically at point range smashed every
effort. On some occasions British in
fantry, counter-attacking, dashed into
the water to fight the Germans.
With the object of capturing Or
villers and Essigny, southwest of st
Quentin, the Germans employed al
least six divisions, or $4,000 men ol
storming troops, the 50th, 45th Gre
serves), 11th, 9Sth, 197th and 23Sth
in the proportion Of one division t.
every British battalion. The average
width of each attack was 1000 yards
Ten Tanks Wreak Havoc Amid Foe
Passing through Urvillers, there wal