The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-18
INTENSE BATTLE
CONTINUES WITH
BRITISH HOLDING
Fresh French Troops Coming
To Help in Struggle.
Enemy Bringing Up Fresh
Troops for Thrusts.
BELGIANS TAKE 600 HUNS
Desperate Fighting Rages To
Save Ypres Salient.
British Have Counter Attacked
Successfully.
BOCHE IN CRAMPED POSITION
Germans Gain No New Ground
Since Tuesday.
American Troops Are Active III
Lorraine.
Desperate Fighting Rages 10
Save Ypres Salient.
British Have Counter Attacked
Successfully.
BOCHE IN CRAMPED POSITION
Germans Gain No New Ground
Since Tuesday.
American Troops Are Active in
Lorraine.

With the British Army in France,
April 1s.-The Germans brought up
fresh divisions for the hard thrusts
which they made yesterday Altho
the British were unable to hold Wyts-
chaete and Meteren, which they had
retaken by a brilliant counter attack.
they beat off the enemy elsewhere
The British maintained their line
thruout the night.
\ renewed heavy bombardment of
the British front between La Bassee
canal at Givenchy and the Nieppe for
est suggests the Germans contemplate
another heavy drive in this region in
the hope of taking Bethune and Gre
ating a new salient
All the areas back of this section
of the front were sprinkled with gas
shells thruout last night. At 6 o'clock
this morning the bombardment was
nearly of drum fire intensity between
LOGON and Robecq, where the enemy
has tried repeatedly to advance his
line to the canal. An effort made by
the fourth German army, which holds
the enemy's right flank to the sea, to
drive in the front of the allies from
the coast was extended Yesterday to
the User region held by the Belgians.
At $3.50 O'Clock in the morning. after
an All HiSHl Commandment, the Ger
mans attacked on a front of four miles
between Iaugemarck and kippe.
The Germans gained a footing in
the Belgian advance position but they
were thrown out after fight lasting
nearly all day. The BelgianS took 500
prisoners. including many officers be
longing to seven different regiments
which represented one Bavarian, two
PruSSian and one marine infantry di-
visions.
Enemy in Cramped Position.
six heavy attacks were delivered by
the Germans yesterday afternoon be-
tween Bailleul and Ypres in an at
tempt to bend back the British front
Still further and to create another dan
Se~ous salient in the Flemish marshes.
KENNEL Hill was assaulted by three
waves of Germans about | O'Clock in
the afternoon but the enemy was
thrown back with heavy casualties and
a counter attack completely restored
the British line. Other attacks were
broken by British machine gun fire.
The enemy is finding himself
cramped on the southerly side of the
wedge he has pushed into the British
lines and seems on the eve of an eff
fort to widen it out here. Further
more, at LOGON, the Germans are only
some three miles north of Bethune, an
important railway center. and at
Robecq are within six miles of Lillers
junction point on the railway from
Bethune to Haze brOuck.
Enemy After Vimy Ridge?
The British have been holding this
sector of the front as strongly as they
are the northwesterly edge of the
salient, where they have held up the
German attempt to advance further
toward Hazebrouck, as was indicated
anew in the repulSe of fresh German
attacks last night in the Merris sec
tor. along the Bailleul-Hazebrouc
railway. 1t seems not unlikely that
the entente high command has fore
cas- 2 possibly larger German pur-
pose t. drive determinedly southwark,
enveiOp BCthune and push on to a
British to fall back from Givenchy
anG the region north of Arras, where
the dominating Vimy ridge is the
German objective.
Whether this be the larger German
strategy has not yet been shown. The
development of the enemy demonstra-
tiop on the Locon-Robecq line. how
ever. will be followed with close at
tention in view of this possibility and
its bearing upon the great struggle
on the Somme front to the south,
whore the firm hold of the British
on the Arras region and the line south
to Albert has held up the enemy
push on Amiens.
The French are heavily in action
on the northern battle area.
French RepuIse Attacks
Paris. April 1S.-After a prelimi-
nary bombardment, strong German
detachments attempted to advance
last night near Corbeny on the Aisne
front Todays official statement saws
the attack was broken up by the
French fire.
The statement follows:
In the region of Corbeny, the
French caught under their fire and
dispersed a strong German detach-
ment which attempted to approach
the French lines after artillery
preparation.
The Germans undertook several
raids in the Champagne and on the
right bank of the Meuse, especially
to the east of Caurieres wood and near
Damloup. All the enemy's efforts
were repulsed and prisoners remained
in our hands.
Northwest of Roize, in Lorraine
We succeeded in several incursions in
to the German lines and took prison
ers"
The French apparently are concen-
trating the heaviest artillery fire since
the German drive started, on a So