The sun., 1918-03-24
MILLION MEN IN
ARMIES HURLED
AT ALLIED LINES
Fresh German Divisions
Stream Forward Trying
to Smash British Line.
BATTLE \ REAL INFERNO
Eyewitness Gives a Graphic
Story of Terrific Struggle
and Awful Slaughter.

BRrrlsH ARMY Headquarters IN
FRANCE. March 23-The British. gal
lantly fighting, are stu presenting a
mans, although the defensive troops
have withdrawn their lines in certain
places for strategic reasons.
All day yesterday and mach of last
night the conflict cout,url to raSc with
| Increasing violence. AS f.cs German d.
visions were hurled into the fray in an
attempt TO mash through the British
desences More intense fighting Is ex-
pectei.
The operation is SO vast and is chang
ing with such Kaleidoscope rapidity as
the line surged backward and forward
that ii is impossible To visualize the
scene sufficiently to give connected
| and accurate account II 1t at present.
Forty-n!ne Gcrmlu divisions t5sS.000
men) have been identified thus far on
the battlefront and prisoners have been
taken frcm eighteen OF them. Some es-
! Inmates place the number OF German di-
visions engaged AZ high as ninety
~ Y! \ RsieeS rs Y, WY
able strength into the assault. and fSeAh
! troops are constantly appearing
The fighting yesterday was Of the most
| sangUlnary character and the enemy
continued to lose great numbers Of men
| through his system o. massed attacks.
! Thai does not mean that the British
have not suffered casualties. They nee
| II t',.h hlt h,,t II.
smaller than those OF their opponents.
Gunhre Is Unprecedented.
The visibility became excellent late
| yesterday and the whole battle front
| was turned into veritable hell with
! the artillery acton. as the unprecedente |
concentration nf guns on both sides cut
loose their freight OF death.
Men who lad fought through the
great battles o; the SOmme. Flanders
ana Arras say they, never before nave
seen anything to approach the awful
| gunflre OF the pre- sent conflict The ex-
preston drum fire intensity" loses its
Significance In this instance for there
/ Is not even an infntesimal space be.
tween the explosions as the thousands OF
guns Of all calibres work to their ful!es,
capacity.
Especially bitter fighting occurred las
J nigNt in the regions Of lboscl Mory
/ Moohy tMorchies') and Beaumetz
About Mory also the battle has been
fierce, and when the story of the British
defence can be told Il will be IA record ot
a magnificent stand The fighting here
began yesterday morning. when the Ger.
mans attacked with superior number
of troops The British held on during
the day. but last evening the enemy
gained a foothold in the village after a
sangNinary struggle at close quarters
The British air service has been doing
| valuable work with its machine gunt
against the advancing enemy,
1t was reported this morning thai
enemy infantry had pushed down across
the Canal de Ia Somme and had driver
forward against the position to which
the British had retired.
TeutOns Pres~ Attack Hard.
The Germans this afternoon were
pressing the attack hard on the British
right flank, near Ham. while on the
northern end of the battlefield there ha.
been desperate fighting since yesterda!
about Mory. which changed hands sew
era times.
Taking the situation as a whole, tn.
COn f{nucd on Second poos