The sun., 1918-04-14
CAPTURED MAPS
SHOW PLAN FOR
3 BIG THRUSTS
Germans Fail i'll Two OBJ
jectives. Gaining Only
in Centre Drive.
$4,000 MEN IN ATTACK
TeutOns Overwhelm Defend
ers in Waves That Flow on
Like SeashOre Tides.
$4,000 MEN IN ATTACK
By PERRY ROBINSON.
Special CaJs Despo;ch 10 The SrS from Ee
london Timer.

Specio! '1tfs DespO;Ck 10 The SrN from fhe
london Times.
copyright. 1878: oil f;ohts reserved
BRIrIsH ARMY HEApoJ ARrERs IN
FRANCE. April II tdelayed) From pris-
oners and captured documents We know
now what the German objcctives in this
battle are. The attacking forces are d.
vided into three groups or divisions. of
which the northernmost. the weakest, in
Guiding so far not more than six di-
, visions tabout 1000 men). was to strike
through Baileul in the direction Of
| Hazebrouck and north Of there, pro-
tecting the larger operation in the
| centre.
This central thrust, employing already
some eleven or twelve divisions (about
! 10000 meD. was to go through Mer-
willie to Aire via st. renant. The third.
/ or southernmost, push, which was equally
strong possibly. was intended to reach
Bethune on the first day. whence IL was
to penetrate to Lillers and spreading
south Of the coal area west OF Lens to
| Bruay.
1t is the central thrust only that 40
!
jects. but much less rapidly than the
Germans expected. In this region this
morning lighting was going OH acr oss
| the Clarence River and by Colonne and
| Robecq. in the direction OF ST. Nenant.
. The situation here Ia undoubtedly )
threatening. slthoush II the defence both
In the south and the north continues to
be as fine as II has been so far 1t is
yet to he seen how much advantage the
Germans can reap from an advance on
80 narrow n front.
OF the northern fighting about Mes
sincs the official communique has al
ready told that the troops nf which
| spoke yesterday as having reattacked
so gallantly at Messines Ridge were the
, Ninth Division. containing Scots anC
South Africans These were the men
| who put up such magnificent fgh'
against enormous odds at Gauche Wood
near Gouzeaucourt. in the battle O.
March 81. even ~ thew fought at Del
vile Wood on the Somme.
Fight Hard Despite Losses.
They seem to have been jus. az fr,
YESTERDAY, in spite of all their recent
, labors and losses. thrusting the German.
back from the high ground on tho ridge
to Messines and the Wytschaeie roat
and holding them there aga!ns. repeated
! counter attacks.
Equally fine was the fighting which
retooi Ploegs,eert Wood after the Ger
mans had broken through in their FRS
attack in the early morning. even though
we have again had to fall back from
there in order to keep a continuous lin'
with our troops 10 the south
These latter troops have contested bit
terly every hi, OF ground that they hav'
given up After the Germans had en-
tered Estaires and had been driven ou
again. they again forced an entrance
swarm!ng all around. and fierce hand L
hand lighting went on IN the streets
Our machine guns are said to hav'
killed great numbers OF them as the!
swarmed up.
Just below here tho troops who had bee,
pushed up TO hold the Laventie position
when the Germans by sheer weight ha'
broken the Portuguese front had an in
tense and incessant struggle agains
odds, always under very heavy machin
gun fire and field gun barrases II ha
already been told how slowly we CAV
way here. fighting at every stage to tn
last possible moment.
ON the right. as have explained be
fore, was the Fifty-flrst Highland Divi
, sion, which so recently covered itsel
with glory In the lighting last month
: |
holding the line OF the Lave and caus
ing such tremendous casualties to tn
enemy while they did so. only by tn
, constant trickling on Of wave after wav
: of the Germans and by leaking throuE
on the left. nearest Estaires. did the en-
emy force the abandonment OF the lin
> OF the half dry canal.
GordOns Make Fine stand.
8 Especially fine is said to have been tn
stand made by party of Gordons nea
= Vile Chapelle. who. after the German
, had been around them for six hours. hel
D on and went on killing them until earl
this morning a magnificent defenc
also was madc on the line Of the narrO'
r ditch or rivulet known as the old Law
n which flows by LOGON to Join the Law
proper below Lestren,. where again III
Q losses OF the Germans are believed
= have been extremely severe.
The headQuar arters staffs Of both brigade
. which held the forward line here wei
). engaged with rifles and In hand to han
y hghting, and when last seen one OF II
o brigade commanders was railying
u small party Of headquarters orderli,
: and others In centre attack against Il
I. oncoming masses. x third dIvI1I6N
n the same brigade at noon to-day WI
II still holding the Germans In the regiC
70 Just beyond that point.
Very fne work Ia said to have bee
9 done by the feld gunners with the FIT.
10 frst Division, the batteries continuing
n FIRE until the enemy with machine gul
70 was close up. then falling back. eat
10 battery leaving one gun to cover
m withdrawal. which gun kept the enen
Comttm.sd on TAsrd Pses.