Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1918-04-10

] QoClt attacks IN the west. And in
this expectation of achieving such
complete destruction the German was
substantially justified b. the result.
Now as TO the progress OF events.
! On Thursday morning. March 81 came
the great bOmbardment lasting some
| five hours. II surpassed all previous
artillery actions and ii accomplished
! its main purpose. The whole system
/ OF British defense lines was rendered
untenable by the end of this bonn
bardmcnt, which reached the roads
twenty miles behind the front line
| trenches With the artillery attack
went the most intense gas emissions
that have yet taken pIaCeand the
| British artillery men were compelled
to serve their guns with gas masks.
In no detail was the German prelim.
mary preparation more successful than
in smothering and destroying British
guns.
On Thursday, despite the intense
artillery action, there was it'll, or 10
real infantry advancing on large
scale. But on Friday morning the
flood burst and the British defense
system, their battle positions. all the
intricate and elaborate preparations
against just this moment. were pierre.
ed and penetrated. not at all points
but at so many points that in this day
and the next, they had to be aban-
doned and general retirement be-
gun.
By Friday the Germans were
streaming forward in three well de
fined mass. They were pushing down
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES road
west along the Cambria Pcronnc-
Amiens road and south along the ST.
Quentin-Ham-Noyan road, which is
one of the main highways from the
north Of France TO Paris.
On this Friday the British line near
Arras held, there was a marked de.
! crease in the success OF the German
advance north OF the Bapaume road
but to the south OF this road. along
the Perrone highway and on the St.
Qucntin-IIam road, the German ad-
vance was rapid and the British re-
treat was both swift and becoming
disordcrly.
Haig had now to face the situation
which confronted Joffre on the NOR
row. Of the failure of all French Of
| l"nsivcs in the first month of the
/ present war. Defeated and outnum-
bercd, with no chance of holding his
enemy in any immediate future, the
problem Of TIE British commander
was to retreat, preserving his gener-
nj front intact, escaping envcIoping
movements, which should cut off por.
tions of his armies and avoiding the
Insertion OF a wedge between his ar
mics and the French to the south of
the Disc and between portions of his
own armies further north, until the
strategic reserves OF the allies could
intervene.
On Saturday the British situation
was critical. The northern flank of
Haig's army was holding we'll and had
retired only to its third lines but the
center was crumblinE rapidaly and
the Germans had passed the TortilIc.
were around PerUnne and were
thrusting a deep wedge between the
British armies north and south of the
Sommc. SIN further to the south
the whole British defense was in rib.
bons and making a desperate bu,
hopeless resistance along the St.
! Quentin canal, while the Germans
were rapidly inserting wedge be.
tween the British and the French
Ialong the Disc.
/ The situation did not improve sun.
day. The British were now far west
OF all their prepared systems Of de
Tense on very wide front. The war of
position had been succeeded by tho
war Of movement and the Germans
were still enjoying all tho advantages
incident to a superior concentration
of numbers and OF artillery. On this
day the British hope OF holding the
natural line OF dcfcnscs from Arras
south through pcrrone and behind the
Somme to Ham and thence behind the
I St. Quentin canal to the Disc at Chau.
ny disappeared.
Monday The crisis was not vet past.
Indeed. the Germans. having taken
Bapaumc and Pcronnc. thrust right
across the old battlefield of the
Sommc and took Martinspuich and
/ Courccjlcttc on the west side OF the
/ Bapaumc.Amions road. thus driving
a wedge between the northern and
southern forces of the British com.
mondcr. At this moment a supreme
German success seemed within the
grasp Of the Kuiscr's great IIcuten.
ants. AZ the same time tho situation
to tho south was only beginning TO
improve as q few French divisions
were arriving and going into action
to fill the gap created by tho almost
total destruction OF British forces
between tho Sommo and Disc.