The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-30
Thousands of Fresh Germans
Hurled in Desperate Effort.
Heaviest Assaults Are on Hills
Southwest of Ypres.
FRENCH RECAPTURE VILLAGE
LOcre, West of Mont KENNEL.
Again Falls to Allies.
Artillery Active in Picardy, but
No Big Attacks.

Today's reports from the Flanders
battle front emphasize the complete
ness of the victory won by the Anglo
French forces yesterday in withstand
ing the tremendous assaults by which
the Germans hoped to break into the
allied hill positions southwest of
Ypres and begin cutting their way on
toward the channel ports.
The situation seems to have been
one of the entente high command de-
Gliding once more to make a stand
after having forced the Germans to
use up tens of thousands of men in
fighting their way desperately forward
as far as they have. The decision
made. the stand was taken, and the
Germans We're stopped, as they have
been previously on other fields since
the great offensive opened March 21.
The enemy. it is estimated, threw as
many as thirteen divisions, or about
$4,000 men, into the attack on this
twelve mile front. but despite con-
tinued furious assaults. was held al
most in his tracks everywhere At
few points there was slight enemy
penetration. but the line was largely
rectified late yesterday.
During last night the French, in
dashing counter blows. drove the Ger
mans from the remainder of the small
stretches of ground they had gained in
their initial drives of the day. A most
welcome feature of the current news
from the front is the announcement
that the French, in a crucial part of
the line at Locre. have not lost any
part of their hold this dominating
ground. They now have undisputed
possession of Locre itself for the first
time in several days. and apparently
lave killed off the enemy efforts to
L
abandonment.
LOcrc Is Important.
The inn ortance of Locre lies in the
fact that it guards the approach to
Mont Rouge. one of the most valu-
a BILE hills of the defensive line, which
csnnot be taken in flank as long as
LCcre -emains ir allied hands. SINH
lsrly the allied troops have stopped
the drive towards Scherpenberg by
holding at La Clytte. while the Bel
Fians. WA had two additional Ger
man divisions to face north of Ypres,
dealt with them successfully and pre-
vented any breach in the line toward
the sea
All the evidence points to the prob
ability that the Germans suffered
well nigh the heaviest casualties of
any day of the fighting on the north
ern front as wave after wave of the
attacking forces was moved down
10y artillery and infantry fire.
They were so exhausted by their
fruitIess efforts that they remained
virtually inactive all night. while no
reports have come thru today indi-
eating any resumption of major ac-
tivities On their part. South on the
SoInme 'front.' thS British carried out
? local operation last night further
Improving their position before
Amiens ny advancing their line some
what east of Villers- -Brentonneux.
Great Enemy Losses.
With the British Army, April 80
Fierce fighting continued about Locre
all of yesterday. The enemy sacri-
ficed a great number of men.
At the right wood west of Noor-
mezeele. also. heavy fighting cen
tinued thruout the day. and the num-
Der of German casualties in that re-
gion was great. 1t is impossible to
say how many attacks the enemy made
in the course of the day. They "ame
forward in waves thruout long hours
In front of the defending positions
gray uniformed men lay in great
numbers today. representing the awful
price paid by the Germans in their
attack.
No Change in Line.
This morning the allied lines in
Flanders were to all intents the same
as when the Germans surged forward
yesterday.
At one time yesterday Germans ap-
pear actually to have had some men
Rouge and the Scherpenberg after
they had succeeded in driving small
wedge into the French lines between
these two elevations.
Things looked critical but the
French counter attacked determinedly
ana re-esta blished virtually all the old
positions.
The artillery was increasingly busy
this morning from Vir1y northward-
Thus far the German capture OF
KENNEL Hill has done them little good
for the entente allied artillery has
kept the crest so smothered in shell
fire that it has been impossible for
the enemy to occupy it in force.
A Disastrous Defeat.
London. April SO (via Ottawa).-
The correspondents with the British
army agree that the enemy yesterday
suffered nothing less than disastrous
defeat II was the first phase of the
battle in his desperate attempt to cap
ture the line of hills held by the al
lies which endanger his possession of
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