The sun., 1918-05-07
Canadians Strike South ol
49,
Arras and Take Prisoners. A,
in Brilliant Raid. .. g.
AUSTRALIANS ALSO WIN
Line Advanced on Front Of
$500 Yards by Two Dar!sse..' .
ing Assaults. s% :s's
" Flfr
GERMANS PREPARE DRIVE
| tNe,.
Possibility They Will mt
simultaneously at Ypres,s,i
Arras and Amiens. a.
GERMANS PREPARE DRIVE

forces took the offensive to-day IN eAo
fighting In Flanders and Picardy nd
at two points made important i0Aal
gains. The German artillery was active
At many points. but his infantry sitAst
was held back or was on the defenSlte.
Hard rains have delayed any sttempte1
enemy advance. but there Is no resseA
to believe that the offensive is halted.
The allied gains to-day made BY Apl.
traiians and Canadians we're In vieai
sectors. The Australians advanced neAF
Morlancourt. between the Ancre and ne
Somme. east Of Amiens. to a depth of so
yards on a front Of 1000 yards. t1si,a
executing an advance over . sec0on
which for the two days operations to.
tails $500 yards. and at one point IT.
tained a depth OF more than 4 third ~
a mile. They made two furious -.
saults
The Canadians struck in the Arras
sector at a point further south tAAA'
they had been for nearly seven weeks.
This region Ia particularly vital to the
allied line. containing as It does the
towns Of Nouville-Vitasse. Mercatel and
Boisleaux-St. Mare. where there have
been many bitter engagements In the
course Of the enemy offensive launched
on March 21.
Gain Also n Lys Salient.
In an attack between Locre aAA
Drancourt the British gained 500 yards
on a front OF 1000 yards. The German
counter attacks were especially vigorous
in this Flanders region. but were rs-
pulsed with losseA However. the Berlin
official statement asserts that the British
| lost more than 800 prisoners. Berlin
also reports incrsassA artillery activty
south Of the Somne.
The Germans last night attempted to
carry out local attack on the FfNA1h
lines at Anchin farm. southeast o.
lAmiens. but were repulsed with consid.
cradle casualties.
There are indications that the Ger
man drive may he renewed In the Ypres
Arras and Amiens regions at the same
lime. the three attacks forming part Of
a general plan TO cut through the allied
| line in the Somme sector. A German
success in the Arras region probably
would be essential to an advance Of any
extent in either Flanders or Picardy. an
! otherwise the enemy would lay himself
open to dangerous hank moves. This
fact may account for the allied activity
In improving positions In this region.
Work of the Australians.
An Associated Press correspondent.
describing the Australian attack. says
the colonials gave the Germans west
and southwest OF Morlancourt between
tine Ancre and the Somme rivers an.
other druhbing and advanced the
entente line to a depth of 500 yards
along front OF 1000 yards The enemy
offered strong resistance. which was en-
tirely to the liking OF the hardy Aus
tralians who inflicted heavy casualties
and came back with moro than $50 pris.
oners' The losses OF the attacking
troops were light.
This operation was a continuation Of
one started Saturday night southwest Of
Morlancourt. That time the Australians
drove in against the enemy and smashed
them back seven hundred yards along .
front of fifteen hundred yards. Lar
nights push resulted In the line further
north being swung out to conform With
the gain made saturday. ,
Most Of the contested positions lay an
the crest Of a considerable ridge running
east and west below Morlancourt Tho
ridge not only overlooks that place but
gives observation for a long distance in
the valley Of the Ancre and the Somme
BY their two attacks the Australians
greatly improved their situation on this
high ground.
Importance reported, but last night the
Germans still were working to complete
their arrangements for the renewal Of
their attack and hard fighting appar-
emily will be under way again very
shortly,
Canadians In New Positioa.
The Canadian army has taken over
trenches in the vicinity Of Neuviiis-
Nitasse. Mcrcatel and Boisleux- st. Mare.
in addition to its front from Hill 70 to
, Gavrellc. to the southwest Of Arras and
is about three miles In length.
In their new quarters. az we'll a.
, north OF the Scarpe. they have besn
keeping the enemy constantly on the
alert Prominent In the operations in
? this area was the raid last Friday
morning when tho Saskatchewan troops
) under the cover Of artillery and machine
post line on 800 yard front to depth
, OF 900 yards.
, The raid which was carried out on
: the Arras road north of the Cojeul was
conducted at only light cost, but both
sides OF the road were marked with
! enemy dead. His casualties could not
be less than one hundred and the Cana
, dians captured seven prisoners and four
machine guns, On the extreme right OF
the Canadian attack the enemy offered
very little resistance. but heavy fighting
= took place on the left.
I Again on the morning Of April 20 \
Z very successful raid was carried out by
, Ontario troops against enemy positions
q In the vicinity OF Ncuville- VitaSe. They
/, captured ten prisoners and four machine
D guns. The Canadians remained In the
enemy lines twenty minutes. infiictiug
. numerous casualties on the foe. who. In
k places, offered stubborn resistance. Do
y spite the hand to hand lighting, the ca
h nadians returned to their lines with only
r nine killed or missing.
Another feature OF the minor activity
Of the Canadian forces In this sector