South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-26


were holding the hard hitting en-
envy strongly.
The battle today on the historic
/ ground about LOngueval was per-
T haps the most spectacular of ans
along the front 1t was a day for
/ machine gunners and infantry. The
\ Germans were pursuing their tao
I tics Of working forward in massed
\ formation. and the British rapid
\ firers squads and rifemen. were
reaping horrid harvest from the
positions on the high ground. Not
/ withstanding their terrible losses
the Germans kept coming on. hlling
I in the places of those who had fall
\ en- and pressing their attack. The
| British artillery in the meantime
/ poured a perfect rain Of shells on
the enemy. carrying havoc into the
ranks of the enemy. In this section
/ the Germans were operating with
! out the full support of their guns
| because Of thei- rapid advance.
MOrey, Scene of Conflict.
In the north. in the region of
Ervillers, the British last night were
/ forced once more to abandon Morey,
/ which had changed hands several
| times in the last few days. They
\ fell back for a short distance and
/ the battle this morning was staged
\ largely along the Bapaume-Ayras
/ road. The Germans employed a
/ large number Of divisions in this
| assault, which in the early hours
/ vroa hold off h,- Tho Drifieb rrtnpar-
For the last four days French ref
| ugees have been streaming back
from the evacuated towns in large
numbers. Everywhere along the
roads leading TO the front were 10
/ be met and men, women and chill
dren. all trudging stoically behind
their horse drawn carts of house
hold furniture, or even packing a
few belongings in a bag on their
backs.
Attack I'm Fog.
Ii is possible today to give details
of that most important phase of the
battle fought in the sector between
GOuzeacOurt and st. Quentin. The
country here was shrOuded in mist
Thursday morning. and the Ger
mans advanced without being seen.
Strong forces of infantry flung
I themselves against the British front
line and after fierce struggle
/ broke through il at several places.
| They then continued driving hard
/ for Templeux. near HargicOurt.
Just in front Of the former vii
\ lage were quarries in which the
/ British had taken up positions anc
here a battle of great ferocity was
waged. The Germans repeatedly
/ tried 10 take the quarries by storm
i but so gallant was the defense OF
\ the comparatively small forces that
I the attacking troops were unable 70
/ push their way through.
Five Divisions Charge.
While this struggle was in pro-
I gress the enemy flung five divisions
against the line in front of Hargi-
court and compelled the British 70
fall back from that place. This
automatically ended the struggle in
the Temple Quarries and the defen-
ders fell back a little on Friday
a fierce engagement was waged
/ about Laverguier. which the Ger
. mans captured but not until the
/ British infantry holding the place
had fought 10 the last man and in
hicted extremely heavy losses on the
/ enemy. The British again fell
back. this time TO a line through
Hervilly. just east of Boisel and
/ Vermand.
Tanks Dash Into Action.
The Germans captured Hervilly
but the British came back with the
help of tanks in "A dashing counter
attack which forced the enemy 70
withdraw. The Germans however
in an attack further down the line,
had forced the British line 10 swing
back and the whole front of this
sector was compelled 10 give way,
I falling back TO the line of the
Somme. Every inch of ground was
contested as the British withdrew
and some Of the most magnificent
work OF the war was done by the
I shock troops who fought the rear
guard action and allowed the main
force TO retire in an orderly and
moderate manner.
The hghting southwest Of Roisel
was especially severe. on Saturday
the Germans were tired and there
was no very heavy fighting in this
section. The enemy forces pushed
forward 70 occupy the evacuated
territory and as they came they
were deluged with shells by the
British artillery.
shoot With open Sights.
No finer targets could have been
offered 20 the defending artillery
men who shot all day with open
sights and covered the ground in
front of them with dead and dying
on sunday the Germans advanc-
ed against the Somme defenses and
having pierced some OF these. are
/ seemingly pushing their ADVANTAGES
20 the full in the hope OF overcom-
ing all opposition 10 the objeCtives
I which they have planned.
Liberty bonds bought and sold for