The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-03-23
Under Terrific Impact, How
ever, British Bore Up WE'LL
Correspondent Declares.
POSTS DRENCHED BY GAS
100000 Germans Took Part
in Offensive.
No Fewer Than Six Divisions
Employed South of St.
Quentin.

lOnoOn, warren Co HS az h'hS'y
preparation Of the Germans in the
drive against the British lines which
is now in progress is described by those
who took part in it as the most violent
they ever endured, according to the
Daily Mails correspondent on the Brit
sh front. "The thing that stands out
as characteristic OF the fighting up to
the present." says the correspondent,
sis that we did SO we'll under the ter
rifle impact"
Continuing, the correspondent says:
Upon one corps front there was
gun every fifteen yards. The strength
Of the mortars which the enemy
brought up in such great numbers sent
over such an overwhelming weight of
iron and high explosives that in most
parts of the front wire ceased to be
an obstacle and trenches were obliter-
ated At the same time all of our
known battery positions were drenched
by gas, but their gas shells failed to
reach all of our batteries, nor did they
succeed anywhere in breaking down
our wire. At one point where the Ger
mans found our wire unbroken they
set to work with scissors until they
had made a way through All of this
was done under our machine gun fire.
Wore New Uniforms.
"a curious fact reported by our air.
men was that the Germans composing
the special assault divisions wore new
uniforms. Our relayng corps did val
liable work despite adverse weather !
conditions. One of our men in the |
arlN v,onrpjpO snOtfnd /
several thousand Germans moving |
westward south of Bullecourt and re-
ported 5000 of the enemy in sunken |
road in the area waiting to advance.
Few enemy machines were seen |
and they merely flew low, pepperinS /
our trenches with their machine guns.
This is the first battle where Brit
ish gunners had to serve their guns
in gas masks and 1t was a difficult
task. Fortunately practices with
masks have been taking place fire.
quently for an hour daily.
Il found every one j saw pretty con-
fident. At first they did have hard
lob to meet the masses of Germans,
who came in denser formation than
ever before. yet all reports show that
they fought magnificently. For exam
pie. south of ST. Quentin. one of our
divisions had 10 bear up against the
repeated assaults of no fewer than six
German divisions, possibly 10000 mon,
and only when the assaults ceased
with darkness did our troops withdraw
to strong positions behind the canal
system between st. Quentin and the
Disc.
Advantage in Positions.
at is estimated that altogether
nearly 100000 Germans participated in
the offensive. The enemy fought well
and his gunners did good service. The
uuickncss with which the guns were
brought forward into No Mans Land
after the infantry had advanced was
marked. He had in many places the
advantage over us in positions and he ,
was at all points largely superior in
numbers"
Statement Follows.
The statement follows: ,
Heavy fighting continued until
late hours last night on the whole
battle front. During the afternoon !
powerful hostile attacks delivered ..
with great weight Of infantry and
artillery, broke through our de-
fcnsive system west OF st. Quen-
tin. Our troops on this part OF
the battle front are falling back in
good order across the devastated
area to prepared positions further =
west.
"Our troops on the northern -
portion OF the battle front are
holding their positions.
Very heavy fighting with fresh
hostile forces is in progress"
For the first time in the war on the
western front since the opposing
rmies established themselves in their
rench systems the defensive zone has 1
een broken through. In other great
ttacks, the British. French and Ger
mans have been able to bend back the
me, but not 70 strike through the zone
z defense. Many military critics had
cached the opinion that on account Of
he strength OF the lines IL would be
impossible 20 break them until one
ide or the other had been worn down
. such a point that IL would be no
1nger able TO mon It strongly
Unless the British are able TO re-
tore the situation by a counter-attack
Withdrawal on a wide front may be
ecessary with open field warfare.
he point At which the British line
as been broken IS near the southern
nd OF the German attacking front.
hich extends from Arras TO La Fere.
fteen miles below 81. Quentin. Below
IFS sector is the great arc in the front
here he line, approaching nearest TO
aris. turns sharply 10 the east
The German offensive has developed
ith almost unparalleled rapidly. one
,as0n for this is indicated in Field
Iarshal Haigs reports showing that