Great Open Fighting

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18325, 26 April 1917, Page 5

Great Open Fighting

. ' —* — TERRIFIC SLAUGHTER INTERESTING DETAILS (United Service Cable.) LONDON, April 25. Ma* Beach. Thomas reports that iterniible encounters raigie across the' bare undulating coiuitry beyond Arras, where the troops arc mardiinig;, i cfaaaigpng, manoouvruiigj and fighting asLigibt resistance. The Geirmams surTihe Gemmans never used a greater number of troops in a couiniter-<a(ttac;ki. MJomchy was tihe centre of storm* of Monday's counrter-attiaclk,. \ Sairtwood and Verrtwoodi were shattered and broken, by a terrific con- i ceiita-atiion. of tlio Bribisih. heavy artillery. | Misenasblo reinmanit's of Gemiains in : Sartwood did not. daire to debauch, but Geiumainsi in Vert wood persisted d^pifte tlit> -bloo<li€ist losses, and euc-. ceeded oai da-i'v.ii'iis UiS baclk. a few hundred yair,ds. i Laibeir we rc-attitioked ttnd foirced the Germain, storming; party from the J mofit important place, while tihie enemiy ennpitF.-ed' 'Sthels yanto Sifotichy > blowing 'up -tihe. viTlia^je hill. Only *v few h:OTiiseß remained. We captured Ga\Tele vifecp, aif*er a «lislht iresi&ta.JK:©. Tii-e Gor.raa.nis surrendered' easily, but . immediately a(ft«c-wa«-ds( humled awwy masses of fresh- troops in vain aitt.empt< to recaptuwe it. „ Tlwio battalions were unaMe toface the rttoell fire and' bolted across the open, where a cueepiiwr barrage almost- anpihilaitied them. I The sitiern'OPt. fishtiinor toolc place a,t Gueniiappe and fi-eive attack's temtportaiiiily d'none vis 'back. We snibI eequentHy renewed the battle wliich restored the vitl'aipje to us. We found every cellar blown' to pieces by shell fi<re. The Geo.ina.Tis never lost more men since "the battitle of tihe Somm's. Th«ir shell fire fatalities were unusawaily hi-oih,. Fi'dhitfinigi contiinaios fiercely. Ger- j mans aire •biii iniginf»! guards and other' picikied troops, amd ore massing bat-1 teries aod poairins; shells mito tihe' SoaTpe River to -aiprest ou>r ad.van.cc. J The battle fronts are without definiitibn.: There a-re no straight cotnitanuous lines or rewilar trenicihes. T!he enemy is endeavouring to conceal his losses and is removing or concealinpr the dead. . Orders have bean found on the caiptwed men at Douiaumont demiandiittip: more dßlredoix ■ qivjUaan fa^om the 1 Geramah. comiroa'nds of c«r- . tain, viilliagjes which prove thnt slave "lfeitx>U!r is defitiitely incorporated in the Germain amiy section.