Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-05-03


Sodays reports from the Flanders battle front only
to emphasize the completeness of the victory by the Anglo
French forces yesterday in wthandng the tremendous
sau by which the Germans hoped break into the Allied hill
positions southwest of Ypres and begin cutting their way on
toward the channel ports.
The situation to have been of the Entente high
command deciding to make stand after having
forced the Germans to tens OF thousands OF men IN light
ing their way desperately forward far they have The
decision made the stand taken, and the Germans were
stopped they have been previously other fields since the
great offensive opened on March 81
The enemy is it estimated threw many $4,000 men
the this ~ mile 'front.' but despite continued
furious assaults, was held everywhere
During last night the French in dashng counter blows
drove Gerncns the of the small stretches
ground they had gained in their initial drives of the day.
most welcome view of the current from the French
the that the French the crucial part
of the line ocre have not lost part of their hold this
dominating ground They have undputed possession of
the first time several days and apparently
killed off all the enemy efforts to edge in around that
place and force its abandonment
South of the Somme front the British carried out local
operation last night further improving their position before
by advancing the line east of Vlers Breonneux.
The long range bombarment of the region of Paris
resumed this morning.
Against the British around Voormezeee French in
region the Germans making their heaviest
strokes but each assault has been thrown back brilliantly E
pecay bitter the fighting in and around the villages of
VoormezeeIe and Locre.
the 12 miles between Bailleu and Zlebeke the
enemy has extended his attacks the north of Ypres against
the Belgans along the User. But he is meeting with
elsewhere in Flanders the Begians hurting
the Germans from positions they had occupied by counter at
tecks
Ypres yet to be attacked directly the east
the intensity of the assaults south and southwest is
evidently the German desire most to take the hill positions west
of Mont KENNEL To hold these hills would not only
the entire Allied position in Flanders and eastward toward Dun
kirk but would virtually compel the evacuation of Ypres
German progress westward from Voormezeee would if
carried any DEPTH outank positions of Mont
KENNEL which must be taken separately The attacks against
the French Locre attempt get between Scherpenberg
and Mont Rouge and ouank them done Mont
mel Held by the French at ocre the Germans essayng
frontal attacks against Scheenber and Mont Rouge but these
also have been disastrous.
This morning the Allied lines in Flanders were to all in
tents the when the Germans surgd forward yesterday
In front of the defending positions gray uniformed
great numbers representing the awful paid by the Ger
mans.
At time yesterday the appear actually
had the lower slopes both Rouge
Scherpenberg after they had succeeded in driving small
wedge into the French lines between these two elevations
The situation appeared critical French counter at
tackled deerminedy and reeablshed virtually all the old po-
stions.
The artillery was increasingly busy this morning from
Vimy northward
the German capture of Mont KENNEL has done them
little good for the Allied artillery has kept the crest
cred in shells that has been impossible for the enemy
cupy it in forcer
The correspondents with the British army agree that
enemy yesterday nothing less than disastrous de-
feat 1t the first phase of the battle in his desperate
tempt to capture the hills held by the Allies endanger his
possession of Mount KENNEL The Germans probably
USED Is divisions from the east OF southwark the line
of battle with two northward and the violence the gun
fire greater unceasng any period
The successful Allied defense made the day the bloodies
yet undergone by the enemy attack after attack
led by artillery and infantry fire. The Germans had already
suffered heavily Sunday when their concentration of troops
caught and shattered by gnr Their yesterday
moved down and the British wings and French
neither broke bent.
The London office statement follows:
Successful counter attacks carried troops
yesterday and evening drove the enemy from the
mnder of ground gained by them in the morning
eghborhood of Locre and captured number prisoners
The whole village is in the hands of allies.
Aer the heavy repulse inflicted the enemy yesterday
the night passed comparatively quiet the northern battle
front
"We advanced line slightly during night east Of
Villers Bretonneux.
"On the remainder of the British front artillery activity
continues both sides in certain sectors"