The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-04-03
FRENCH READY
FOR NEW BLOW
They Are Well Equipped and
Are Supported by Ade-
quate Artillery
SITUATION BETTER DAILY
One of Petain'S Divisions Re-
takes lie PlcmOnt From
Two Of Ememy'S.
SITUATION BETTER DAILY
n, GERALD CAMPBELL.

Spec.f 'nbie Despa'ol 10 Tnr sr> tram ne
Loado" Times
|opyriyLt 1918; al rivhis rsssrred
FRrScH ARMY HEADQUARTERS. April
,dela >edI The French forces to-day
made some gains and suffered slight
losses. but both were OF small impor-
tance compared to the main fact that
the enemy has been foiled IN his des-
perate attempt to break the line and
get through to the railroad running
south fom Amiens. II meant every
thing to the Germans 10 make breach
before the arrival OF French reinforce
mens. which keep coming up day by
day. .-s. -
No longer is it the case. as it was
In the !nltai stages 81 the great Of
fensive, that some OF the French are
short OF materials and ammunition ex-
cept what they can carry without help.
Now the baggage wagons and caissons
are fully equipped and supported and
,he heavy batteries. as well as the field
guns. are supplied with plenty Of horses
and an abundance of ammunition.
The Germans ave bound TO proceed
with all the troops and guns they can
bring up in an effort to deal "A smash
ing blow 10 this line. But the fact
that So far they have failed. as they
failed in "A sin liar attack on the III ittsh
north OF the Somme, il itself military
triumph Of the inst orier for the Allies,
whose position ought 10 improve steadily.
Germans object Defeated.
II is inevitable that there will lie
further times of great anxiety 10 the
French and ourselves. for the Germans.
too. are beginning to get up their heavy
artillery. The battle, az il gradually
loses it's character OF a fight with in
fantry weapons as the chief arm em-
ployei. hardly will diminish in intensity
o" lolence. R,.t we may say with
far confidence tha; The rush has been
stopped and its object defeated
Tne French successes have been
gained only by s,upeudous eNelt!ons ana
the greatest valur. Moreyil. O.v.lliess.
Plessie, Deroye, lie pIemout and several
other towns have witnessed land to hand
fighting without cessation. The relaking
Of lie Pl-mont from two infantry diN!-
s.ons that had been ordered to hold 1t
At all costs was accomplished by one
French division. the Germans leaving
,OU prisoners ana twenty OIlCeIs bell'lu.
On the Disc front German battalion
succeeded in crossing the River ChaunN
and attempted to establish a br.dgehead
on the left bank but was attacked so
V xorously by the French that praCti-
cally the whole battalion, except 100
prisoners. was wiped out.
The German losses throughout the
battle necessarily have been extremely
heavy. although II cannot be said that
"A
OF slackening. although the tremendous
wnstage is bound to tell in the long run.
/ or the divisions thrown into battle by
| the enemy. now numbering nearly a
hundred, 1t is known that among the
many that have been withdrawn as Il
| consequence of the batter!nR they have
| suffered are the Thirteenth. Twenty-sev-
| enth. Nineteth and ForN seventh. the
?1lth Chasseurs and the Fifth Guard
Division.
Request for Relief Refused.
| ON tho afternoon OF March - the
| comma nding officers OF the FIRST and
Second Bavarian regiments asked to be
| relieved as some OF their Compan.ey
were reduced to thirty men. Their re-
: Quets were refused. There were no regi-
! ments tn take their place. The same an
! swer was given to the ThirtN-fourth Di-
1 NlS4Oli' I ne -IlIlu TNNScINt
sion. having lost nearly 80 per cent. Of
| it's effectives on March -, was relieved
| and the next day was sent back into the
| field
| A captured order tells how a division
| was arranged FOR attack. Two regimen
| tai groups were marshalled in exactly
the same order, In the front line there
were three battal!ons Of infantry. one
company for assault, half company
with supplementary machine guns, a half
| company OF engineers. a hammenwer'er
detachment. a half company with minsu-
werfers. two regular batteries and one
| attached battery
In the second line were one regiment
OF reserve infantry. Ave tanks, one inde-
| pendent detachment Of cyclists and one
company for assault. The artillery for
the immediate support Of each division
consists Of twelve field batteries and six
| heavy batteries. including one OF 2l0mm.
| Tho tanks mentioned possibly were
amcnx the few German tanks that havs
been used and a description In ono order
indicates that they were taken from the
British.