The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-16
Local Data ours ending at I p. m, April


 tions to the north and south of the Lys and west of the Lave.
 "The enemy has made headway along the Labassee canal to within the imme- diate vicinity of Bethune, while other points northwest of the city of consider able tactical importance have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
 ''The enemy now finds himself within 40 miles of Calais The main lines or communication to channel ports radiate vertically from this battlefront, and thus facilitate the German advance.
 of the enemy can muster the driving bower he will in all probability, con tinue his assaults hoping that by an 'en- yeloping attack on an oblique front, 10 use the classic Prusslan definition, ne may score a complete annihilating vic- tory.
 SOUTHERN FRONT
 .yrhere has been less activity along the southern flank of the Picardy salient Here the line taken over by the French ia now fully consolidated. After the bloody battles which have been raging l in the area between Montdidief and No yon the enemy fearing counter attack along this flank of their new deeply ! curved salient, struck repeated plows to l give themselves elbow room south or the 1 Disc. ..The Germans by stubborn and costly driven thrusts were able to force the l French out of the triangular area formed nv tbe Disc. the Ailette and the old line stretching from the LaFere to Anizy-Le- l Chateau. so "On an approximate Emile front the enemy advanced to depth ranging from 1 three to six miles. The French contested every foot of the ground ana were ape " 1 check the enemys onslaught ana carry | out their carefully arranged pan TOT | the occupation of the line whlch they i now hold south of the Ailette. | ..rhe German higher command also l made desperate attempts to enlarge its 1 gains ,n the area stretching rom Mont' l didier to Noyon and improve the position in this vicinity, but they were every where repulsed by the French. who aoio firm along this important sector
 North of the somme the British re- established their line in the AVeiuy woous and took a number of prisoners.
 Later in the week very heavy pom bardments developed in the region east of Noyon and north of Montdidier'
 AMERICAN SECTORS
 Tn the sectors where our own forces are fighting considerable activity pre- vailed. After protracted artillery prepa-
 rations the Germans launched an attacE iegainst our positions northwest Of Toul Our artillery was able to disperse the as
 saultlng columns and checked the attacf
 before our lines were reached. our cwi
 infantry counter attacked and drove or
 the remnants of the enemy units 4
 number of prisoners were taken. oul
 casualtis ss were relatively slight. Tn enemy also executed q minor raid agains
 one of our outposts in the Woevre. Hos tile artillery has been active throughou the week, both in the Woevre and aIons
 our positions in the Mouse Hills and il
 the Nosges.
 Our counter battery work was verl efficient and we replied vigorously to th'
 hostile smelling.
 'I.ively shelling took place along thu
 whole Italian front and the allies exc 1, cuted a number of minor raids in th'
 Asiago region.
 The regrouping of forces has been go ing on and the continuation of con.en tration of hostile units is reported. Tn probability of an enemy offensive in thi area taking place as soon as tho Weathe
 becomes more favorable is increasing. "While no events bearing directly ol the general military situation took piac : in the vast, 1t is to be noted tut Ger p man and Finnish forces have occupied and passed beyond Tammerfors, and hos tile units are moving northward with tn | object of cutting the Russian railroa' through Finland to Sweden. I Tn Siberia the situation remains Oh { scure. The Japanese landing at vladsvo stol has been followed by the landin < of a British force