The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-04-19
BRITISH DRIVEN
FROM Pant Of
MESS|NEs RIDGE
Situation Such That
Further Retirement
Would Be Fatal

IL" ASCAN, EAPhh Af-NFAoT
~ ISOLATED Press) - Bringing
a huge force to bear and driving
it forward against the blasting
fire of the British, the Germans
yesterday forced the defenders of
the Wytschaete section of the
Messines ridge to give ground
and the greater portion of the
Messines ridge last night was in
the hands Of the Huns.
The British fought desperately
for these most important posi-
tons but could not hold in the
face of the overwhelming force
driven against them in utter
abandonment of all tactics save
those of massed strength. The
British poured shot and shell into
the gray masses, raking them
back and forth with machine
guns and graphing with the sur
vivors in hand to hand conflicts,
but the Germans came on.
FORCED BACK FIGHTING
Early in the forenoon the Bri-
fish were forced back from Bail
leul, before which the fighting
for three days has been severe,
this retirement necessitating the
abandonment before attack of the
town of Wulvergham, between
Bailleul and Wytschaete The
British drew back to the high
ground north of these towns, I'm.
der cover of their artillery, while
the Germans pressed forward
along the valley of the Steenbeck
SllSdlH dllu SSldDllSlCu lllCIH'
selves at Spanbroek Mills, less
than a mile south Of Wytschaete.
This brought the Germans into
position to attack the Messine'
ridge from three sides. For hours
the German field guns pounded
the British lines along the ridge.
while their infantry fought its
way from point to point, clearing
the greater part of it of the Tom
mics, who, in most cases, helt'
their trenches and craters until
they died, fighting to the last.
In a number of places isolated
numbers of British are still hold
ing out, defying every effort O.
the Germans to capture them and
nHlcting severe punishment Oh
the "mopping up" parties of Ger,
mans now swarming over the
greater part of the ridge.
HOLDING HIGH GROUND
On the highest sections of the
ridge, just east Of Wytschaete
the British are holding strongly
and have beaten back repeated
efforts of the Germans to tighten theiI
hold upon their newly won positions
At only one other point of the Ger
man salient was there fighting of con
sequence yesterday. This was south
west of Vieux Berquin, about five
miles southwest of Bailleul and about
the same distance southeast of Haze
brOuck. Here the Germans were de
feated and thrown back.
The location Of these two centers Of
fighting yesterday indicates that the
Germans are concentrating along both
the north and south sides of their ga
lient and endeavoring to widen it ratn.
er than drive the wedge still deeper
towards Hazebrouck.
British Must Hold
Any further success Of the Germant
towards Wytschaete or north of Bail
I"ul or Wulverghem would be very Sc
rlous. Should the Gerrhans drive ahead
along this front it would place them
in position to cut off large part
of the British army or force the re
tirement or General Haig from Ypref
and possibly from all the important
positions farthe. north towards Dix
nude. From thu present battlefield
the British line stretches nearly twenty
miles northeast towards ROulers, with
its line of retreat over many miles of
low, partially flooded country.
So serious is the British situation
that it is expected that heavy British
counters will Immediately be launched
to drive back the Germans along the
Mossnes Baillcul front. The British
are still holding the high ground back
of this line and also the commanding
positions on the southern side of the
salient, between Ilazebrouck and Mcr
vile.