Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-05-02
GERMANS DRIVEN
BACK BY ALLIES
WITH BIC LOSSES
Enemy Dead Cover Flanders
Battlefield.
FRENCH WIN AT N0YON
Franco British Forces Not Only Hold
Positions, but Reclaim Ground at
Several PIaces-Capture of
KENNEL Hill Costly
to Huns.

London, May 1.-The correspond
ents with the British army agree that
the enemy Monday suffered nothing
less than disastrous defeat. 1t was
the first phase of the battle in his des-
perate attempt to capture the line of
hills held by the allies. which endan-
ger his possession of Mount KENNEL
With the British Army in France,
May Further desperate smashes by
Won Arnim's army against the allied
lines on the Flanders battlefield met
with no more success than the enemy's
futile and costly attempts earlier i'll
the day to break through and capture
the hill positions west of KENNEL.
Allies Regain Ground.
Not only did the British and French
maintain their positions at virtually all
parts in the face of furious OnslaughtS
but during the night they reclaimed
several bits of territory on which the
enemy had succeeded in getting a hold.
Locre had again fallen into German
hands, but the French once more made
daShing counter-drive and thrust the
enemy out of this important place.
The allied lines in Flanders in the
morning were to all intentS the same
as when the Germans surged forward
Monday.
Huns Pay Fearful Price.
In front of the defending positions
gray uniformed men lay in great num-
bers, representing the awful price paid
by the Germans.
Foe Make cElavy Sacrifices.
Fierce fighting continued about LO-
ere all day and the enemy sacrificed
great numbers of men in an attempt
TO push through here.
In the meantime the fanks were
holding brilliantly against successive
shocks. A particularly bitter battle
was waged astride the Keme-La
Clytte highway, near the junction of
the French and British. Here the enc
my tried his favorite trick of dividing
the two forces, but he found no weak
spots.
At Ridge wood, west of VO0Tme
zeele, heavy fighting also continued
throughout the day, the Germans los
ing great numbers of men, both killed
and wounded. 1t is impossible to say
how many attacks the enemy made at
this point during the course of the day;
they came forward in waves through
out long hours.
Allies, Outnumbered, Victors.
There was no cessation of the ter
rible battle. The wonder is that the
allied troops were able to hold in the
face of such onslaughts by superior
numbers.
The German artillery, which had
been greatly augmented for this at
tack, pounded the back areas inces
sanity, and the duel between the Op-
posing guns of all calibers from Sat
urday evening until Monday night was
appalling.
The British improved their position
slightly before Villers-Bret0nneux The
enemy artillery was very active in this
region, and the enemy guns were in
creaSingly busy from Nimy nOrthward.
Thus far the German capture of
KENNEL has done them little good, for
the allied artillery has kept the crest
of the hill so SmOthered with shell fire
that it has been impossible for the enc
my to occupy it in force.
British Statement.
The war office issued the following
statement: Successful countcr-at-
tacks carried out by French troops
drove the enemy from the remainder
of the ground gained by him during
the morning in the neighborhoOd of
Locre and captured number of priS-
Oners. The whole village is in the
hands of our allies.
after the heavy repulse inflicted
on the enemy the night passed com
paratively quiet on the northern bat
tie front.
ION the remainder of the British
front there is nothing to report be
yond artillery activity on both sides
In certain sectors"
French Statement.
Paris, May 1.-The war office ISSUED
the following statement: THE regior
of Hangard was violently bombardeC
during the course of the day.
In the Noyon sector a German at
tack resulted in spirited engage
ment Our troops drove the enem,
from advanced elements where the,
had taken foot in the first assault ant
re-established their line. Patrol en-
counters occurred on the left bank o
the Disc.
THE artillery battle was wage,
with considerable violence north an,
south of the Ayre, in the sector o
Noyon and on the south bank of tn
Disc. French patrols were activ
along all this front and brought bacl
10 prisoners.
ION the right bank of the Meus
(Verdun 'front.' and in Upper Alsac
German detachments were repulse
by our fire, leaving prisoners in on
hands without obtaining result"