The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-04-18
GERMANS REACH
ONE OBJECTIVE
Program Of Drive Found Upon
Prisoners.
ARE A RAILWAY CENTER
Splendid Work OF British Gunners-
Many Artillerymen Work For
Hours Shooting Point-Biank
At Close Range.

British Army in France.-With the
exception of Merville the Germans
thus far have not reached their OBJ.
1ectives In part for the present drive
north and south of Armentieres, but
latest developments indicated that the
enemy had no intention Of abandon.
ing the assault Immediately. A cap.
tured German document reveals that
there were to be three smashes on
the front north and south OF Armen'
there's One had Bailleul as its main
objective, the other Merville and Arie
and the third Bethune.
Not less than 2S divisions had been
employed by the enemy in this pre-
tentious program which has meant
that at some places the British have
been very heavily outnumbered. A
German division aggregates $4,000 to
$4,000 men, including 1900 rifles.
st. Venant, between Meryllle and
Aire, was heavily attacked by strong
forces OF Germans after their success
which gave them possession of Mer.
vile. The enemy seem desirous of
reaching Aire, railway center, and
were throwing large numbers of troops
into the conflict in an attempt TO
drive the British back. The German
threat In this direction undoubtedly
Is OF considerable Importance.
Fighting continues to be of the bit.
terest nature, not only in the Meryille
neighborhood, where the main assault
was made, but also northward from
Givenchy.
Meanwhile, steady pressure was
maintained in the Estaires sector be.
yond which lay Merville and Aire.
During the night the enemy pushed
back the defeness at Lestrem and cap
tured Calonne-Sur-Lys, just southwest
of Merville. At the same time they
pressed down through Neuf Berquin,
a little above Merville, and these two
converging forces hurled themselves
on the town.
Giving way before greater numbers,
the British fell back toward st. Ven
ant, fighting doggedly all the way
against the closely pressing Germans.
A sanguinary battle was proceeding
east OF st. Venant with the British
making determined stand. During
the night the British counter-attacked
west OF Steenwerck, west OF Armen'
there's, and reoccupied La BacQue after
hard fighting.
The German attack about Givenchy,
on the southern end OF the battle line,
was pressed by some nine divisions.
There has been virtually no cessation
in the fighting here since the begin
ming of the battle. Thus far the Brit.
ish have maintained a stone wall de-
Tense, against which the Germans
have flung themselves with heavy
losses.
The work OF the British gunners at
Givenchy has been noteworthy On
the first day, when the Germans swept
forward in masses and the situation
was very grave, many artillerymen
worked for hours shooting point-blank
at close raLge. One gunner sergeant
stood by his piece firing with open
sight at a range of 200 yards and held
the enemy off for considerable time
before he was compelled to fall back.
The British troops who have been
making such a gallant stand Just
above Givenchy also distinguished
themselves by holding the Germans up
for hours at certain point in the
battle before Cambria on November
80, when the enemy counter-attacked