NEW AND FORMIDABLE OFFENSIVE.

Marlborough Express, Volume LII, Issue 83, 12 April 1918, Page 4

NEW AND FORMIDABLE OFFENSIVE.

FULL WEIGHT AGAINST THE BRITISH.

GIVENCHY LINE STILL UN-

BROKEN

(deceived April 12, 8.55 a.m ) 1f TOM#/ LONDON, April 11. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: "It is now clear that, the battle around Armentieros is a new and formidable offensive with large objectives. It iscortain that the German high com-ma-nd have decide.d to throw the full weight of their trmies against theiX^f h Vinstead of dividing their eftorts by stril<ing also against theFrench. Their plan is to edge off as much as possible from the French holding them iv check by defensive ngnting m order to concentrate theii' nien and guns opposite the British, lines, hurhng on them a series of blows now on the right and now on. the left and following up each suchoess as far as the possibilities admit. 1 his menace calls for a supreme effort »y the Allies.

lesterday the enemy made the flat, ground opposite Neuve Cliapelle the centre of their thrust: today the attack was on Mossines Rid^e They succeeded pressing back'parfca of om first defensive systems, the attacks being most vehement in the neighborhood of Messines. Our counter-attacks have since driven the enfsi y back Parfc of the way . Ihe bombardment throughout was without pause. Our great achievement was.a magnificent stand By the Xiancasliires of the Fifty-fifth S^w% wh° h^ d ow flank 'firm ■KKf ? e ai} d rePeated attacks,though outnumbered fourfold. Our line at Givenchy is still unbroken br i°:Z7tl neml ™7 es- Men lie shattered before it: We hold 750 prisoners. ;: It is a tragedy. The Portuguese suffered tEe heaviest blow, liie bombardment annihilated their outposts, smashed their front line and forced them to fall back to the 2f«rf system,-which-was also attacked by the enemy's assault troops. By eleven o'clock the Germans had taken Laventie. • The German advance on Laventie put a severe strain, upon the. Fifty-fifths at Givenchy rhe enemy attacked in crowds,:-and! captured the village in the morning; but were hurled out?by bombers and; riflemen who regained half the vili a+f e>! j y ?" d- the Lancashire lads baJ* -to their ongiial positions, 'r^wii (xerman.Prisoners are very crestfallen, particularly as a captured .-document showed that the German army orders, read out before tho battle,'stated that ;the Fifty-fifth and that the capture of ' Givenchr would be no trouble." vt""^