Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-08


stoned officers have been very heavy
since the beginning of the offensive.
The situation is So bad regarding nom
commissioned officers that the higher
command has been bringing back into
the lines those previously combcd out
because Of age or wounds.
/ If the Germans were to start the
second phase Of their great offensive
now they would encounter tremendous
! difficulties in maintaining satisfactory
communication across desert lines
lying back of their front lines. They
need high ground on the edge of their
sector before they can begin a big at
tack SO that they can get their guns
/ forward, for otherwise the artillery
| would be- e~outdistanced and everything
would depend on the infantry.
Battle For Dominating Ridges.
1t was because of this situation that
attacks were made last Friday by the
Germans. Four, more OF less, fresh
divisions were brought up for this OPP
Grafton and a huge number of guns
were brought into play. Considerable
quantities~of gas also we're thrown
T into the vicinity Of FonQuevillers. in
tend to try to advance to great
deptht, since this gas hangs about for
long time. The enemy was simply
trying to get hold on the dominating
ridges.
They failed to advance at most
points about the salient and even lost
q considerable stretch of ground in j
counter attack between Hebuterne
and Rossignoi wood, where the Brit
ish pushed forward some 500 yards. At
Bucquoy the Germans had some sue
cess and got footing: in some places
but their attack as a whole was big
failure. The enemy casualties were
very heavy because of the dominating
positions held by British machine
guns and rifiemen.
- Rossignol wood was found filled
with Geman dead and the low lying
ground in front Of the ridges told an
awful story. It seems certain the Ger
mans will try again to capture the
heights for they can not sit where
they are.
British Regain Lost Positions.
The British counter attack at Ave-
! 10y wood, south of Mesnil, yesterday,
was an entire success and the old po-
sitions were regained. The men who
went thru this fight declare that the
Germans lost three killed to one for
the British. 1t was desperate fight.
The British stormed the wood after
/, bat thing forv:afyts with machine guns
and rifles ana athen continued The
battle with hand grenades and bombs.
The Germans clug to their positions
but were gradually forced back leav-
ing many dead.
British Artillery Smashes Attacks.
One of the attacks last evening was
delivered southwest of Albert, where
the enemy had been battling so de-
terminedly to get hold on the Albert
Amiens railway. Under cover OF a
heavy machine gun barrage the Ger
man infantry surged forward against
the British line, but was met with
PEELED to retire.
The other onslaught was attempted
near Serre, south of Hebuterne. Two
short but intense periods of barragc
fire were put down on the British de-
fenses. At 1880 o'clock the German
infantry rushed forward in heavy
forces. AS they advanced they were
caught in tornado Of British artil-
lery fire which completely smashed
them.
Battle For Hansard Wood.
Further fighting occurred today at
Hangard wood, which has been the
scene Of much cruel fighting in the last
few days. The British in the early
hours delivered counter attacks by
which they forced the enemy back
somewhat and took a few prisoners.
According to the latest reports the
British are holding on to the western
edge of this wood.
German prisoners have stated that
the enemy planned strong attack in
Hangard wood today.
German efforts today at BucquQy
and yesterday at Serre were continua-
tions of their strenuous attempts to
get themselves out Of a nasty position
in which they find themselves in this
region and in which they have been
since the big drive was stopped.
At this point the Germans are hold
ing a very sharp salient along line
roughly represented by Bucuuoy He
buterne, Auchenvillers and Hamel.
British Hold High Ground.
This salient is somewhat saucer
shaped, the outer edge being on high
ground. On these elevations the Brit
ish sat down at the end of their re-
tirement and have since defied the en-
emy to dislodge them.
In the salient in an inhospitable zone
which formed a part Of mo mans
land" in the first battle Of the Somma.
Not only is the ground bad but the
whole sector is dominated by British
machine guns which send never-end-
ing streams OF bullets swirling down
into the enemy camps.
A German airInan just taken prison
er has proved most interesting. He
formerly was schoolmaster He said
the British had more and better aero
planes than the Germans and this ac-
counts for the fact that the British do
more work over the lines than the en-
emy.
The soldier -sohoolmaster was con-
vinced firmly that the war would end
this year. While he did not say SO
directly he implied that he thought
l the Germans would wear the allies out
for he declared the Germans would
keep on attacking.
FLYING CADET KILLED,
EA.-L> >e 0au~I EIu:nn rnrns ae>s