The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-03-26

Violent infantry fighting and heavy
commandments continue along the
fifty mile battle front with the Sc
verest German pressure now conferred
in the district between Baupaume and
the Disc river
The Germans. using vast forces of
! troops, are trying to advance to the
westward of Guiscard, along the road
/ FROM Nesle to Roye towards Chaulnes
| from Peronne and on the road from
Baupaume to Albert
Great quantities of German artil-
lery has been moved to the front to
support the solid columns of infan-
try In fact, the Germans, in their
present drive, have established
new record in regard to the nearness
with which the artillery is kept to the
firing line.
Desperate fighting is reported in
the district west of the Somme river
between the Noyons heights and Per-
onne
The German crown prince is in
command of the German troops north
of Peronne and it is evident from the
reports of the German war office that
extraordinary efforts are being made
to achieve a victory for his army in
order to remove the blot on his mil
itary reputation that resulted from
the Verdun failure. The losses at
tending the attacks of the crown
princes army are said to be ap-
palling)
The German tactics of sending the
| troops into the battle fire in massed
formation has cost them staggering
losses in the fighting which has con-
! tinued night and day since the Of
fensive opened last Thursday morn
ing A conservative estimate places
the German casualties at between
5000 and 100000 men,
The Germans claim the capture of
$4,000 allied prisoners of war, but
even that number of prisoners on the
western front fighting is out of pro-
portion to German losses
Tanks are playing the same import
ant part in the battle of Picardy that
they did in the battle of Camhrai. The
! German war office states that "fresh
British" divisions supported by num-
erOus tanks were thrown into the
fighting around Cambria.
The capture of Bapaume by the
Germans wiped out the small British
salient which lay southeast of the
city, so that now the battle line is
virtually straight from COMPLIES
northward to the Scarpe river. etr.s
A violent struggle is raging in the
Combles sector with the Germans
trying to penetrate the British front
in the direction of Albert.
The German war office claims that
the British have been driven back in
the Bapaume-Peronne district to the
old positions which they occupied
two years ago and that the German
advance continues. However the
Teutons are meeting with the utmost
resistance and it is announced that
fresh troops and new supplies of
guns are on their way to reinforce
the battle-weary heroes of Old Eng
land
Judging from the German claims.
the kaiser's armies have advanced
from II to 16 miles in certain dis
tricts of their offensive zone since the
battle opened six days ago. Accord
ing to the German war office re-
ports, the fighting line now runs
northward from the Disc river half
way between Noyons and Chauny.
past Nesle, Licourt, Brie. Peronne.
The German war office insists that
American troops are playing role
in the battle, stating that they were
driven back, along with the British
and French troops in the Guiscard
district.
washington advices stated that
General Pershing had reported that
two regiments of American engineers
Dt-ff t~I,
in the gigantic battle of Picardy.
Ihree companies of the American en-
glneers were said to be working in
the Crozat canal zone of the fighting,
Where the Germans reported a fur
lous struggle raging yesterday
The German advance at points
where progress has been made, is
SLOW considering tie superior num-
per OF men and guns they have flung
INTO the Tray and the stupendous ex-
penditure OF ammunition. In the
! Driefest lull of infantry thousands of
German guns go into action, their
roar snaklng the earth for miles as
though an earthquake was raging.
1t is believed that Field Marshal
Halg has made preparations for
strong counter attacks and that the
advanced German positions will soon
be under heavy pressure if they are
not already.
In his report on Monday night.
Field Marshal Haig said that heavy
fighting continues along the front in
dicating that the German thrusts
which were started Monday morning
continued far into the night. 1t has
been the custom of the Germans in
their present drive to use the same
troops throughout the day in a SER
les of attacks, replacing them at night
with fresh soldiers for continuation
or the attacks after darkness has
! fallen.
= The British commander in chief