The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-25

ward Villers-Bretonneux apparently re-
suited in the reclaiming of consider.
able part of the territory lost to the
Germans yesterday. The battle still
is raging however, and 1t is too early
to make claims.
.By Associated Press.)
Yielding only slightly at the first
shock of the German assault in the
renewal of the drive In the great bat
tie south of the Somme, the British
and Franco-American lines are now
standing firmly against the desperate
continuing assault of the enemy.
On the 10-mile front south Of the
Somme where the intensive force OF
the blow has been concentrated, the
the French the village of Hangard-en.
Santerre.
Hais's Forces React.
Already Field Marshal Haig's forces
have begun to react strongly in the
vicinity Of the former place an dthey
have regained ground around 1t and
considerably improved their general
position Hangard has once before
been in German possession during the
Somme battle and it changed hands
twice in the present fighting before
the French drew out of 1t and estab-
lished themselves firmly on its western
edge The Geramns have made re-
peated attempts to debouch from the
place, but each time the French were
solidly in the way.
The fighting is continuing today.
with the Germans desperately strug-
Cling to make the considerable head
way they must II they are to gain any
thing but relatively valueless local ad-
vantages Thus the decision In the re-
newal of the battle is by no means yet
with either side. The meager gains
of the enemy, however, after a pause
long enough for him to bring up his
heaviest artillery and when he must
have been at the pinacle OF his
strength, may well be compared with
the sweeping successes achieved In
the beginning of the battle last month
when he won miles Of ground day
and captured tens Of thousands OF
prisoners.
Meanwhile the Germans have not
abandoned even temporarily their ef-
forts on the Flanders front Appar-
emily they are centering their blows
on the sector dominated by Mont
KENNEL with the object of forcing the
defenders from this bulwark. They
attacked the French last night In the
region northeast of Bailleul and after
being repulsed returned to the at
tacks today with assaults in the same
sector and on the British front fur
ther east.
The battle here was still in progress
when the British official statement
was issued this afternoon.
American, British and French troops
on a twenty-mile front in Pfcardy are
withstanding renewed German efforts
to reach Amiens. Battling furiously,
and with the help of heavy artillery
fire, the enemy infantry has gained
but little and on most of the front his
attempts are being repulsed by the
allies.
Having forces the British Villers-
! Brettonneux, south Of the Somme and
eleven miles east of Amiens, the en-
emy is facing the British on Hill posi-
tions west and northwest OF the vii.
lage. American and French troops on
the line from Hangard-Fn-S -Santerre to
south of Castel are holding the Ger
mans we'll In check. The only prog
ress the enemy has made here nas
been in Hangard where heavy fighting
is progressing in and around the
village.
South of the Somme, the Germans
were hurled back by the British except
on the center of the line around VII
lers-Brettoneux, while north OF the
Somme attacks near the river and
north of Albert, were repulsed. the
British taking prisoners.
| sitions. the Germans, although In large
hn cd WI mn
a footing in Hangard and in the woods
to the north. Assaults east of Hail
les and against Senecat wood and
Hill 80, in the region of Castel, were
thrown back with no gains for the
fCopt;nuod on Do vo TwalyaN