The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1918-04-20
PROGREss or THE WAR

into lSOldtcu, diehOee"
the Germans launched a second of
fensive, selecting the front south of
ynres as their base line. They con-
tinued to smash vigorously against
the British and French lines in the
triangle between Arras, Amiens and
La Fere.
The subsiding waves of the first
offensive took the Huns southwark
in the La Fere region as far as the
river Ailette. In narrow zone of
triangular shape south of the Disc
river and west of the forest of St.
Gobain the French found it neces-
sary to retreat to strengthen their
front. In falling back to the Ailette
river at Coucy-le-C Chateau they took
their time and inflicted serious losses
on the enemy. Two French battal-
ions. 1000 men, were cut off and
captured.
Near Noyon, Hangard. Albert. and
along the line from Albert to Arras
there was severe fighting. The lat
est battle of the first offensive was
fought at Hangard. which the Ger
mans took after repeated attacks
last Friday. On Saturday the vii
lage and the cemetery near by were
recaptured by the British and French.
The German objective in striking
along the Somme valley toward
Amiens is clear. They are seeking
to separate the British and French
armies. From the allied line east of
Amiens to the town of Abbeville on
the Somme is only about 20 miles.
II the Germans can reach that town
they will have succeeded in separa-
ting the two armies, for the last
bridge over the widening Somne is
at that point. Beyond. toward the
sea, the river has an estuary too
broad to be bridged.
The country in which the Germans
are conducting their second offensive
may be described as practically all
lowland. None of the elevations is
more than $50 feet high. AZ the end
of five days of fighting the British
continued to hold most of the rising
ground. In other words the Germans
had made most of their advance
through river and valley land. inter-
sected by numerous canals.
The drive began on front of about
eleven miles between Givenchy on
the south and Fleurbaix on the north.
In this sector the Portuguese held two
or three miles of front about in the
center. They were fianked on both
sides by the British.
Taking advantage of the mist on
the morning of Tuesday. April 8. the
Germans. who had been bombarding
furiously for 4S hours, launched their
assaults. They were behind the
front trenches before the Portuguese
knew what was in progress. Thus
they duplicated their offensive, when
they played the same trick on the
British.
The advance was made rapidly for
the first two miles and in this narrow
strip the Portuguese and the British,
their ally, lost fifty or seventy-five
guns and about 5000 prisoners. There
was fierce fighting as the Allies fell
back in the center and even more
furious fighting at the two extremes
of the front, where the British clung
tenacious!y to the old front-at Civ
enchy and Fleurbaix. The line held
we'll at Givenchy and Festubert, just
to the northwest. the Germans taking
Givenchy. but being held up before
Festubert. At Fleurbaix the line
gave way slowly. In the next two
days the enemy penetrated as far as
Estaires, a distance of about five and
half miles.
In developing their offensive the
Germans did not attack Armentieres,
Immediately north of Fleurbaix. but
began an assault still farther north
against Messines ridge and Wytscha-
etc, meaning to pocket Armentieres.
Tho;. u.o-~o.r - Mooc;noo ridUa