The sun., 1918-03-29
ALLIES READY
TO MEET NEW
ENEMY THRUST
Reserves Rushed to June
tiOn of Two Armies in
Disc Valley.
FOE MASSING CAVALRY
Shock Troops Also Concen-
tratcd Between Albert
and Nesle.
FOE MASSING CAVALRY
Special Cable DespdtcA to THs SuN.

Paris.
by PERCIvAL PHILLIPS.
BRITISH ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. March ., tdelayed) Both the
British and French STATS are throwing
reserves to the Junction of the two
armies IN the valley OF the Disc with the
purpose OF preventing the German staff
from driving a wedge between the two
and buckling the British army back
against the North Sea. Ten div:sioIA
have come down from Flanders four
have been switched from Lorraine and
one from the Lens sector to strengthen
the allied forces that are striving to
meet the gigantic offensive that Gen.
Won Ludendorff has launched against the
Allies.
The German Genera! STAFF has ap-
p..ren:ly reached the conclusion that the
most satisfactory result can be obtained
from a concentration Of forces In the
area OF the army OF the Crown Prince
Of Germany. which 10 directly opposed
10 Paris. More and moro In the anemy's
strength being felt In this sector and
there had been corresponding decrease
IN the pressure Of the German troops by
the centre and left armies.
1t Is quite obvious that the Teutons
wish to throw in new infantry and TO
bring UP the artillery support that has
been lacking in the last twenty-four
hours o. the offensive. The infantry
had gone ahead OF the artillery sup
port by some distance and the loss of
the supporting shells was badly felt.
Rent on Driving Wedge.
But 1t il equally plain that ,ien. Won
Ludendorn and his fellow workers OF
the Great General stan are giving their
attention TO the project OF driving q
wedge between the British and French
armies. Shock troops Of infantry. espe-
cially trained in making attacks under
the most modern conditions. have been
massed between Albert and Nesle. and
German cavalry, formerly used but lit
,lc on the western front. 10 observed by
our alrplanes behind the same sector.
There is but one explanation to the pres
ehce OF the cavalry it is that the Ger
man staff is looking for an opening
through which the boot to boot mounted
attack may be made against troops de-
nioralized BY the slower and heavier at
tack OF tho infantry and is artillery
support.
The British battle front has auctuated
little In the last twenty-four hours Al
number Of points between the River
Somme and the River Scarpe we have
repuised the enemy. The fighting has
Stacked perceptibly in this region. The
lull that was imposed upon the Ger
mans yesterday came from the necessity
Of relieving the wornout German div,.
sions. and the moving forward OF the
heavy guns that continued throuEhou;
the day.
Save at isolated points, where the
enemy. particularly toward the south
has been able to improve his position
he has been terribly punished. Alons
the old battlefield of the Somme oul
batteries have been threshng out the
biliowed slopes of the Ancrc valley. A
broad expanse has been ruined. TIL,
trench crater land. where the big gum
have been ploughing the earth. ha,
| lifted to the Heights Of Thiepval and |.
| extending to the dead villages that were
hitherto swept by the opposing guns,
Won Bellows Army Harassed.
Around Dapaumc our guns have bee
giving the massed armies of Gen vor
Below no rest. His men can find II,
, shelter, The shells that fall thiclus
about every open patch between tn.
| nests OF rolling German redoubts have
half obliterated the refugees OF the Ger,
| mans. II Is the same scene where theii
comrades. under the first Somme bonn
| bardment, died two years ago.
British nirplanes. which ewarmed oveI
the Germans all day. came again BY
| night. breaking the rest Of the attacking
troops with their showers o! bombs
Bapaume has been fayed with explo
| sives from our guns and from bomb.
! sent from the air.
| A halted army in the open never ex
perienced a more destructive FIRE from
modern artillery than these weary div
sions which seek few hours rest be
| tween their blows upon our determined
| line. They are kept, at the highest ten
| sion all OF the while. 1t must be re-
menfbered that the German armie.
which have occupied the old battlehelt
| Of the Somme and the Ancre by .colossa
feats Of endurance have been unable Il
rest to any extent since they launche,
the attack against the British front ri,
days ago.
The prisoners that we have taken ar,
most weary. Yet the regiments from
which We plucked them. after nghtini
for a week, are being steadily Hogged
In the fresh endeavor which has beer
| made by their troops the divisions whic!
began the renewed offensive appeared Il
be unrefreshed and unrested. The br.e
withdrawal OF these troops Is yet ex
pected. The enemy is withdrawing
| mobile forces from other parts Of tn
western front to continue their hamme
blows