The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-25
HUNS IN VAIN HURL
TROOPS upon ALLIES
Five Times Attacks re Thrown Back
in Bitter Battle on Western
Front.
BRITISH TAKE PRISONERS
Only Slight Gain Made by Foe After
Day OF Terrific Efghting-Allies
Make Number Of Successful Raids,
Bag Fifteen Airpianes.

London, April 24--An inferno Of
German shellhre yesterday evening
definitely broke the two weeks lull on
the Picardy front and early today
Hindeuburg's legious surged forward
in a new drive toward the coveted
Franco British railroad and base
Amiens.
Measured by the scale Of the prepa-
rations and the numbers employed, the
assault again was a failure The net
result of days continuous massed
onslaughts was the occupation by the
Germans Of Niliers- Bretonneux, nine
miles almost due east of A miens. and
the capture by them Of the eastern
outskirts of lanyard -Santerre. ten
miles southwest of Amiens. wood
north OF the village also was taken
by the foe
Fighting Of the hercest sort con-
tinued far into the night. The new
drive is expected 10 be continued IN
til its force is spent. The procedure
Of the attack was similar to that of
March I'll and the aims were again
the same--capture of Amiens and dis
junction of the French and British
armies. The chief weight Of the as
saults was thrown against the
FRA nco- British junction south OF the
Somme. The allied line. however,
while slightly bent back at Villers~
Rretonneux and Hsugard. remains alb
solutelv intact
simultaneously with his reopenfng
OF the drive on Amiens, the enemy
launched powerful local thrusts in
! FLANDERS. All these were rePulsed.
according to Field Marshal Haig's
night bulletin. The Berlin war Of
fee claims the capture OF strate-
gically insignificant hill about four
| miles northeast of Bailleul HaiE says
| the German attacks there were beat
en- of by the French who hold that
sector now
In picardy the penetration OF the
eastern outskirts of lanyard and oc-
| cupation of the wood to the north
: ward is admitted bv The French night
communique. while Haig comedies the
I loss Of Nillers- BretonneuX,
/ Altogether the day brought five
/ separate attacks by the Germans
some OF them being repeated agair
and again after the initial efforts had
met with a bloody check. They were
launched south Of the Somme, north
OF the Somme. north of Albert, eas'
Of Robecd -four miles southwest o.
Merville1 and northeast Of Baflleul.
North Of the Somme and north o'
. Albert the bIttiSh iAnP met NitE FIi'
emy's onslaughts with the same firm
ness that saved the day for the Halls
Picardy forces during the first often
sive The British even took prisoners
on this front.
East Of Robecq. where the Germans
tried desperately to break through tr
order to gain elbow room for Their
drive on three great railroads anc
gates to the coast-Bethune. Lilerf
and Haze hrouck-they failed com
pletely Not only did the British line
remain intact hut eIehty-four prison
ers were taken
The British on their part carried
out a number of successful local on
erations Northwest of Festubert tir
the La Bassee sector) they retook :
post lost 10 the Germans two DAYS ago
lnficting heavy losses on the German
garrison. Prisoners and machine
guns were taken here.
East Of the forest Of Eieppe. TN
great natural obstacle in the enemy