The sun., 1918-03-31
Tenth Day of Battle Marked
by Fierce Fighting at
Three Points.
DRIVE ON ARRAS FAILS
Attack Aimed at Amiens.
However. Results in
Gain by Enemy.
FOE WEST OF TIE AVRE
Efforts to Turn British
Flank There Are Averted
by Moving Up Of French.
FOE WEST OF TIE AVRE

LONDON, March 30---Sharp hghtins
was resumed on most OF the seventy
mile front to-day. the tenth day OF the
great battle in France. To the south q
Arras, IN the region between Boiry
and Boyelles, which has been compare
lively quiet for the last forty-eight
hours, tho attacks were delivered
in considerable strength and with fresh
troops. Field Marshal Haig reports to-
night, but all were rcpuised with heavy
losses to the enemy. and the British
position remained intact.
There was stiff fighting also in the
middle district, along the Somne and
between 1t and the Avre. in which the
Germans forced their way into the vii
lage Of Demuin. but the British still
hold It's western outskirts. Near
Albert, between Thiepval and La
Boiselle. the Germans are reported to
be digging themselves in fevcrishly.
Mezieres. south Of the Sommc, was
gress also west of the Avre. below
Amiens.
The chief fighting of the day was
near the southern end Of tho battle
front. In tho Montdidier region. A
terrific struggle between the French
and the Germans over front Of about
forty miles. extending from MoreuN,
ten miles north OF Montdidter. south
ward and then eastward beyond Las
signy, continued all day.
Six villages Are Taken.
Assault after assault OF the most
violent kind against tho French po-
sitions finally forced the poilus to re-
tire further westward, enabling the
Germans to take the villages of Aubvil-
liers, Grivesnes. Cantigny, Mesnil-St.
Georges. Monche! and Ayencourt. The
first named Is five and half miles
northwest Of Montdidier, the last two
miles south all the others are in the
same vicinity. Heavy fighting is now
in progress east of Ayencourt, al
though rain Is falling.
berlin reports the capture OF Me-
zieres and Beaucourt and asserts tina,
/ troops between the Sotnme and the Avro
! have been driven from parts of their
| foremost positions. which means the out
, posts were forced to retire. Ayette also
! WAS taken.
Tho situation in the south has become
! OF absorbing interest. The Germans ap-
| parently are repeating the tactics o:
! their grand drive for CALAIS when Field
| Marshal French. then IN command OF
| the British forces, turned them 20 the
north and kept pace with them step b\
| step as they made repeated efforts to
! turn his left flank That operation
| failed, hut the Ge, mans who are given
| 70 repeating in Their military efforts,
| despite failure. tried again almost
| exactly the same operation when they
found an opening at Montddier
Enemy Got There First.
| II develops that In tho retirement OF
the British lines this important position
| at tho juncture Of the British and French
| Lines was left uncovered, and that when
| the french came rushing up to aid the!r
allies they found the Germans already
In the town. besides It's strategicRl i'm
po-tancr tho terrain is Of such na.
ture that II is easily defended against
an attack from the east, I, Will be re-
raled that when the Germans announced
,
reference 10 any Aghtins Immediately
preceding their entry.
Having obtained Montdidirr so eae, ~
the Germans began repetition OF thelr
tactics in the Calais drive, but the
French grasped the situation instantly
and repeated the man'ruvrc of Ger
| French. They threw heavy reinforce
mcnts across the German front. forcing
the invaders to swing to the north, and
loa hA u nj r,
in an effort 10 turn the French hank
retain's men moved with them, OF Just
little more rapidly. The result WAS tina :
the German drive, Ike that for CALAIS
WAS failure.
To-day's operations show. however,
that the Germans arc trying Il again
and in the same way The new cx'en-
sion Of the Montiidier salient which
they accomplished by the capture OF six
villages In that region is almost an
exact duplicate OF their line when ths
point OF the salient WAS at Montdidier
only It IL now a few miles further west
That the French kept pane with them
az they moved westward goes without
J saying and II their objective is Paris.
they are now moving further and fu'
ther away from the direct road TO the
French capital, down the valley Of III"
: Disc, just as in the Calais drive they
, were forced 10 move further and fu',
.her away from ,ha direct road g.
Calais The advance of tue Gcrmar
to-day was about three miles
Object OF Arras Drive.
The sxpiana ton for the movement o.
Arras. according to French critics -
that the Germans felt that the shape oi
tho salient driven INT" the British line
e>plSed them to flank counter attack
and they extended their offensive toward
Arrae. However. although tho enemy