Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-08
Heavy Drum Fire Be.
lieved to Presage Next
German Effort.

| LOhuOHs ApAh Cs--Vh AAg
southern bank OF the SOmme
the British last night made
small advance, 1t Is announced
officially.
Paris, April S.-VlOIent artil-
1ery engagements occurred last
night, especially on the left
bank of the Disc river, says to-
days official report
With the British Army In
France, April s.-(By the AssO-
ciated Press Intense ariil-
Iery work has been proceeding
at various points along the
British front throughout the
night and this morning. North
Of the river Scarpe and south OF
the SOmme German guns are
conducting an unusually heavy
! bOmbaTdment- No infantry ac-
tVity has been reported.
(By Associated Press).
Germany apparently is preparing
for another big effort on the wide
battle front in northern France.
| Heavy drum fire, such as usually
! precedes an attack is reported
along extensive sectors he'd by the
/ British, while the Paris war Office
also announces artillery actions
along the French front.
The most intensive German fire
seems to be progressing south OK
the Somme where a direct drive
toward Amiens and north Of the
Scarpe river towards the British
left flank In the Somme sector
| the British have been trying to bet
ter their position in anticipation of
the next German push, and Field
/ Marshal Haig reports today a slight
| advance of his line on the south
bank of the Somme, east Of Vaire-
! Sous-Corbie
VIII Strike at Arrasl
The increase in the artillery fire
north of the Scarpe river mrT
mean a renewal by the Germans
OF their thrust towards Arras,
which broke down utterly earlier
in the battle against the southern
approaches to Vimy ridge. They
have shown their intense anxiety
to push forward their lines in tho
northern part of the battle area 70
diminish the danger of their sa-
lient to the south, in an allied coun
ter blow, but have found the Brit
ish line virtually immoYable all
along the front from Albert north
west.
Extend Battle Front.
A still further extension OF the
battle northward may be indicated
as well, in the beginning of heavy
attack with gas shells upon the
British lines on the six-mile front
between Lens and Labassee canal
and east of Armentieres, a dozen
miles from Labassee.
The Germans are likewise pound
ing the French lines south of the
Disc, the extreme allied report on
the present active fighting front.
The French have retired from the
dangerous salient here. however,
and are reported well established
in positions which have been pre-
pared along the Ailett river, which
offers an excellent holding point.
No Letup in Assaults.
With the British Army in France,
April S.-Attacks and counter
attacks continue to spring up at
various points along the British
battlefront While none of them has
seemed large as compared with the
intense conflict waged in the trst
days of the German offensive yet
all of them are important in that
they represent the foreign work for
bigger events TO come.
Twice last evening and again this
morning the Germans undertook 10
advance at points in the sector
north and south of Albert and each
time they failed. At o'clock this
l ,{v,sy fnrRn advanced for
an attack in the vicinity OF Buc-
Quoy. north of Albert.
The Germans were seen coming
while they were still mile away
and the British artillery and ma
chine guns put down such an in
tense barrage among them that the
projected assault was stopped.
Some time afterward the enemy re-
formed his forces and made an
other effort but this was checked
without the use Of infantry.
British Guns Stop Huns.
One of the attacks last evening
was delivered southwest OF Albert
where the enemy had been battling
so determinedly 10 get a strong
hond on the Albert-Amiens railway.
| Under cover OF a heavy machine
gun barrage the German infantry
surged forward against the British
line but was met by such rife
| and machine gun fire that it was
compelled TO retire
The other onslaught was at
tempted near Serre. south of Hebu-
terne. Two short but intense per
iods OF barrage fire were tut down
on the British defenses. At Z
O'Clock the German infantry
rushed forward in heavy forces.
When the Germans advanced they
were caught in British artillery fire
and completely smashed them.
II the Germans were 20 start the
second phase OF their grand Oifen-
sive now and were forced to"kick
on" from their present position in
this salient, they would encounter
tremendous difficulties in maintain
ing satisfactory communication
across the desert which lies Just