The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-19
hun DRIVE
IS FAILING
SAYS REPORT
FROM HAIG
Although British Line from
Civenchy to Ypres Has
Bent Back British Front.
Offensive Is Checked.

LINE HOLDS FIRMLY
Although the great German
thrust launched last week
against the British line from
Givenchy to Ypres has bent
back the British front badly in
this entire area, the offensive
stands checked today and in i'm
minent danger of utter failure
so far as the larger results
aimed at are concerned.
Field Marshal Haig's troops
yesterday had to meet one of the
severest tests yet put upon
them in withstanding a German
effort to broaden out the salient
created before the early impetus
of the German drive in the Lys
battle field was spent. They
came through the ordeal with
colors flying and completely
stopped the German onrush.
HURLED IN MASSES
From Givenchy to St. Venant, an
-. &l@ ~
ly side of the salient, German troops
were hurled in masses on the British
positions in an effort to break through
to the southwest behind Bethune and
compel the British to fall back from
| Givenchy and along the front south
ward to Vimy ridge and ARA.
The defensive line held firm despite
repeated desperate assaults which
| caused the Germans enormous losses
and last night the battle had died
down to an artillery duel. Correspond
ents at the front declare the British
front ID now more secure than 1t has
been for days.
Further efforts probably of an equal
ly determined nature may be expected
from the Germans who are In too ex'
posed a position from enfilading gun
| fire in their narrow salient to rest
| comfortably where they are. Indeed.
| they resumed their attacks last night
in the Mount KENNEL region. on the
northernly side of the battle field
southwest Of Ypres. where they are
finding the British firmly installed on
the dominating heights. These as
saults like the preceding ones were
failures.
French Hold Gains
/ m he Cnnono hoft1o front fha
French have held to their gains Of
yesterday in the region Of Castle.
| where they drove the Germans far.
ther from the line of the Paris-Amiens
railway in a spirited local attack. Ger
man machine gun nests on the front OF
+, this attack were wiped out by the
French during the night.
The heaviest fighting on the north
| ern front is on the southern side OF
the salient from st. Venant. west of
/ Merville to Givenchy. On this front
| the Germans are using ten divisions
| or about 1900 men
| Capture Of most Of the Messines-
| Yytschaete by the Germans did not
| seriously weaken the British position.
as Field Marshal Haig out witted the
| enemy by Withdrawing his lines north
east and east of Ypres.
FiounderIng In Mud.
| In this region, the Germans are
| houndering in mud, while efforts to
| turn the British line south of Ypres BY
| taking KENNEL Hill have failed with
| severe losses Twice Thursday the
| Germans threw large forces against
f. this hill, but each time were thrown
| back in sharp encounters. Intense
| fighting and artillery duels continue
here and westward toward Meteren.
In switching their strong efforts
| from the north to the south. the Ger
mans have not yet gained any success.
| Their evident desire on the front
! northwest of Givenchy is to cross the
LaBassee canal and outfank Bethune
and with it probably Lens and Arras.
The elimination of the Lens-Arras sal
i lent would make less secure the allied
line in Picardy.
| Heavy attacks have been delivered
east of st. Venant and near Givenchy,
but the enemy has gained no advance,
| being checked everywhere with large
casualties. Givenchy is again the cen
| ter of fierce struggles, as it was ten
I! days ago, but the British there are
still as Arm as formerly. 1t is an I'm
| portant position in it's bearing on the
defenses OF Bethune and Lens. Berlin,
| for the first time since the northern
| operations began. announces In its
latest communications that "the sit
| uation is unchanged"
Gain on Three Mile Front.
| The French success on the Picardy
battle field was gained on a three
mile front running from the north 20
the southwest of Moreuil. The apex
of sharp-pointed salient west Of Cas-
tel was within three miles Of the rail-
way running south from Amiens and
was the nearest the Germans had got
| to Amiens. In the offensive which
| began more than four weeks ago. Tie
Germans have been driven from Sene-
cat Wood and the French have reached
the outskirts of Castel and progress
also was made south OF Castel. Five
hundred prisoners including Is offic-
i orc uoro pfrrrod hy tho Eronrs