Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-03
Capture Valuable Ground and
Hill so, Between HaiIIes
and CasteI.
ATTACK is DELIVERED
! ALONG MILE FRONT
Excellent Line of Defenses Now Held
. by Allies-British Gain Ground
Near Villers- -Bretonneux.

While a new German stroke on either
The northern or southern battlefront is
still delayed. the French have taken
>livered telling blow southeast of
Amiens.
Attacking on a front of more than a
mile between Hail1es and Caste1. Gen.
Petain's troops yesterday evening drove
the Germans from hill 80. an eminence
Of some $50 feet overlooking the Avre
river, and captured the wood to the
east and southeast. Immediately bor-
dering on the Avre.
4 The ground thus gained is probably
more valuable than any other of equal
area which lies along the entire Somme
line. 1t was at Hailles that the Ger
mans effected their greatest westward
penetration in their Amiens drive and
Mt Hill So they were within less than
three miles. of the important Paris
Amiens railway.
Excellent Defenses.
Adding this new terrain to the other
high ground taken by the French far
ther south along the Avre not long ago,
an excellent line of defenses appears to
have been taken up by the entente
forces in this region.
The positions of the French at Han
gard and those Of the British on the
Villers-Bretonneux ridge preserve the
continuity of the line of commanding
ground of virtually all the vital spots
north to the Somme.
In the Villers-Bretonneux region, as
well. there has been further improve
ment of the entente position, the Brit
ish gaining ground in local fighting
there last night.
The Germans are still holding Off on
the Flanders battle front, and German
newspapers are telling the public that
the high command may decide not to
take Ypres. after all, as its possession
Is not important.
French Gain Ground.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 3.-The French made an
attack late yesterday on the front be-
tween Hailles and Castel, southeast of
Aniens. and CAPTURED Hill 50 and the
wood on the Avre river nearby, the war
office announces The statement follows:
y. "In the region south of Villers-Bre-
tonneux there was violent artillery
well as fairly spirited infantry engage
ments near the monument. in the course
of which the French troops gained
some ground
South of the Ayre the French late
yesterday carried out a local operation
which met with perfect success Our
troops attacked the German positions
between Hailles and Castel Ga front of
possession of Hill 50 and the wood bor-
dering on the Avre. The number of
prisoners taken exceeds 100, including
four officers.
: French repulsed a German raidine
party. French reconnoitering detach-
ments were active, especially in the
Woevre and in Lorraine, bringing back
prisoners
Last Nights Report.
PARIS. May 2.-The war office an
nouncement tonight says:
Both artilleries were quite active
north and south of the Avre. Last
night our troops made an appreciable
advance in Hangard wood.
This morning we carried out local I
operations which enabled US to occupy
Baune wood, southwest of MaiIly-
Raineval- We took about thirty pris-
oners. including one officer, and can
tured five machine guns
,nere was artillery action between
farroy forest and the Vosges."
British Also Gain Ground.
LONDON. May 2.-In the neiehbor-
1ood OF Nillers-Bretonneux. on the
the advantage in local fighting during
the night. the war office announces
on the northern front there was ac-
Giveneby Give aiiefy tSe hshtlns sdras especially uear
Locre and south of Ypres.
The statement reads:
Local nsfting took place to our ad-
vantage last night in the neighborhond
OF Villers-Bretonneux. We carried omt
successful raids south of Arras and
east or st. Nenant. in the course OF
~unc wn,ch zen zen prisoners prisoners and five machine
The artillery has been active on both
sides during the night between (:ivan
ehy ana the Forest de Nieppe. IN the
nelghborhood OF Locre and south of
Ypres.' VI
German Raid Repulsed.
LONDON. May Field Marshal
Haig's report from British headquar-
ters tonight says:
TINS morning in the neighborhood of
Hebuterne was repulsed. Except for
the usual artillery activity on both
sides. there is nothing to report"
LONDON, May 2.-The report on
aerial operations tonight says:
Zone ton of bombs was dropped To-
day at Thionville. Several bursts were
observed on the barracks, railway sta
tiop and sidings. fire broke out in
the Carkshutte works" -
German Official Report.
BERLIN. via London. May 2-The
text OF the official statement reads:
"On the battle front the situation is
unchanged. The artillery duel in
creased in the Mont KENNEL sector
ard it repeatedly revived between the
Somme and the Luce brook. near Mont
didier. Lassigny and Noyon
ihe french artillery was lively dur
ing the afternoon hours on the I.or.
raine front; minor enemy thrusts were