The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-03-28
Great GERMAN
DRIVE BEGINS
Hindenburg's Guns Start Battle
by Pounding Haig'S Line fer
Length of Fifty Miles.
MASSED FORCES GAIN GROUND.
kaiser's Men Suffer Heavy Losses in
First Bombardment Pre-
ceding Offensive Unprecedent-
ed-Guns Heard in England.

London.-The greatest and probably
the decisive battle of the war finds the
British lines firm.
Berlin announces the capture of &c.,
900 men, POO guns and the British
front line on a fifty mile front.
Field Marshal Haig states that the
Germans have sustained unprecedent-
ed losses in taking a small amount of
ground. The British were holding the
enemy in their battle positions" ac-
cording to the first British communica-
ton.
The report declared that the Ger
mans continued their attacks in great
strength along almost all the battle
front. AT several points the Germans
gained. At others they were repulsed in
counter attacks Haig admits the Brit
lsh losses are heavy, but not out of
proportion to the magnitude Of the
battle.
Maps found on prisoners show the
Germans are far from reaching the
objectives planned for the first day
OF the operation. The exact location of
the British line is held secret
The enemy has made the greatest
artillery concentration ever seen,
gun every y yards on one sector.
Forty enemy divisions (approximate-
ly 100000 mem have been identified on
the battle fro.t
In a brilliant counter attack the
British retook and held Doignies,
about three miles behind the old front
line, with the help Of tanks.
British aircraft aided materially the
infantry forces below, killing or
wounding many Germans with their
machine guns while flying at low alti-
tudes.
In addition, British aircraft bombed
important military positions behind
the line, and aviators accounted for
numerous German airmen in battles
in the air.
The Germans are holding Bulgarian
troops as reserve Large numbers
OF Austrian guns are being used The
Austrians are reported to have agreed
to guard the whole east front. leaving
the Germans hands free for the west.
The military critic of the Daily
Sketch asserts that the German losses
the first day were $4,000, those of the
British less than half of that number.
These figures are the best available ut
this time and are generally regarded
as conservative.
AS soon as news of the BATTLE was
received extensive preparations were
made by the hospitals to receive the
trains of wounded from the channel
ports Long lines Of ambulances be-
gan forming at the Charing Cross rail
way station when the first of the
wounded arrived from the front.
Scenes not unlike those during the
battle of the SOmme were enacted. the
line of ambulances stretching away
from the station for four city blocks.
For hours German heavy guns pour
ed an ever increasing stream of steel
into the positions of the British,
against which the great drive was di-
rected. The preparatory bombardment
was of unprecedented intensity and
extent, so terrific that the rumble of
the guns was heard in England, where
houses We're shaken.
In one sector of the front German
infantry attacked on a width of l6
miles, with Bapaume as the immediate
objective.
Only these general details of the
mighty battle that is raging have been
received. But with such a terrific
bombardment, followed by such desper-
ate infantry fighting the losses run
high.