| Show 22 T T N TAKEN Kill BY 81 AMERICANS AM I AN IN FIGHT HT U. U S. S and French Troop Troops Battling Side by Side Repulse Attack of Foe in Apremont Forest By Associated Press London April 12 A A definite sis crisis has again been reached Major General F. F B. B Maurice chief director of military operations operations oper oper- at t the war office declared to today ay The situation sit is undoubtedly unpleasant he added II The Th The enemy is within a short distance of Bailleul which is an important important important tant railway center for feeding our Messines front He is also advancing in the direction direction direction di di- of Hazebrouck which is isi isa isI a i very important railway cen cen- ter General Maurice said that on he the other hand the Germans are advancing on a very flat and intricate country and have not yet fet gained any dominating ion tion S Seventeen enemy divisions have been jeen een engaged d up to the present and ind the th enemy has lost very heavily By Associated Press PARIS April 12 American 12 American together together to- to and French troops fighting gether repelled a German attack in the Apremont forest The Americans captured ty-two ty prisoners WITH THE FRENCh ARMY AR LY vy IN FRANCE Thursday evening April 11 Two Two strong and enemy attacks last night this tills morning in the vicinity of Noyon Noon which were we-o repulsed easily by bythe the French give rise to tho li question whether the Germans are about to tomake their southern mak make another attack on on flank It j Jg quite nuit e that the German high h command Is beginning to experience experience e some disquietude o over or r the loss losi 10 I 0 of so many many mei and the dislocation of or orso so man many divisions which has not given Riven the ther r results ts su expected c Already c considerably more moro than German divisions have been thrown into the tho fight and moro more than seventy divisions have since been withdrawn to fill up the gaps in tho the ranks When it is remembered that the Germans hitherto have not taken a division out of the fighting line until it has auf auf- suffered auf suf a t minimum of 2500 casualties some idea may be bc obtained of the c enormous extent of their losses To ro the tue casualties ca In tho divisions be must which have have been withdrawn awn added those of divisions di still sun engaged In battle They still sun have O sufficient ef effectives of- of their to reestablish In depots strength th but man many of ot these reserves are composed of Interior Inferior elements such and men who were as convalescents con partly exempted from service at the tho front These must replace the carefully carefully care care- fully rully chosen men forming the crack divisions heretofore used STRENGTH OF DIVISION The total strength th of or a a. German di division division division di- di vision on this front is 1370 13 70 men of ot whom are Infantry machine gunners gunners gunners' gunners gun gun- remainder cyclists and the and ners ners- ambulance at attendant attendants at- at artillerymen engineers workers and a transport of or cavalry squadron qua It is Js believed certain that the Germans Ger Ger- In order or el to satisfy the public mans maims to whom ab absolute victory victon has hns b bees been l e promised will ill be to make mak efforts before abandoning their further to break brenk through time the allied lines Ines Otherwise they would be in ft Continued 2 on page paso 6 6 22 TAKEN Continued from m page pago 1 I bad 1111 position to explain the loss lOt of or so AO man ninny many men In an abortive offensive I Whether they continue to try to obtain possession of or Amiens for moral ef effect effect ef- ef e- e endeavor or enden to capture the Ahmo heights or throw the remainder of their available forces against tho the British and Belgians In the th north Is a a secret ecret with wih their own staff For the moment the tho northern part par of at the battle batto line lne appears to occupy their sole attention with wih tho thA exception tion ton of or la last t nights night's and today's at attacks attacks attacks at- at tacks near Noyon but but on any day may maysee maysee see a 0 change chang In tho the direction of ot tho the German thrust thrust Tho The situation Is II viewed with wih complete confidence h by the French high command Detailed particulars concerning German German German Ger Ger- man liquid throwing flame organizations organizations ton show that to a reserve regiment of or engineers of ot the Prussian guard Is 18 entrusted this thin terrible arm um Three Three battalions each of four tour companies containing con con- taming men esp especially trained for tor forthe tho the purpose are aro used All 1 them arc nrc young as tho the service serIce calls cals for strength and and is very hazardous Detachments from this regiment are attached to all al units unis along the front front By Associated Pre Presa Pre t. t WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IX IN Ir FRANCE FANCE April Apri 12 ln In In tho the raid carried carried car car- ried ned out by the Germans on Wednesday against the tho Americana northwest of or Toul tho the enemy Intended to penetrate to tho the third line positions according to information obtained from a pris pris- oner This Is in corroborated by material found on dead Germans Tho The enem enemy carried wire wirE dynamite entrenching tools and other Implements for tor organizing ing InK the tie positions Th The Americans knew In advance atI of at the proposed attack through Information I tion ton obtained a f day or two pr previous from prisoners captured by the French Fench on an nn adjacent sector SHOCK TROOPS' TROOPS ATTACK The attack was as made b by a special battalion batalon of at shock troops who had I rehearsed tho the operation for Cor or two or three weeks behind the lines As soon ns as s the tho Germ German n barrage began tho American batteries without waiting for tor fora torn a a. n rocket rockel signal signah laid down a a counter- counter I barrage with wih the tho result that less lese than of the enem enemy succeeded In climbing out of oC their trenches and advancing toward tho the American line lne Tho German officers sent th the men right through h the barrage but only two succeeded In reaching the frontline front frontline line and the they wore were taken prisoner POUR DEADLY FIRE When the tho th German barrage barraga started the American outposts moved Into the first line lino where with other othel Infantrymen Infantry Infantry- men and machine gunners the they wal waited d for the advancing enemy The Tho Americans Ameri Amerl- cans ens poured a a deadly fire Ire Into the raiders raid raid- rId rId- ers cr ers then climbed out ont of ot the trenches and engaged with grenades and in hand to hand fighting the few rew Germans GErmans able to cross No Mans Man's Land The American Ameri Amen can Infantrymen drove the enemy back to his own lines and protected b by machine machine machino ma ma- chine chino gun and automatic fire tre dragged tho the German dead back to tho tIme American Ameri Amen can trenches for Identification The German losses were extremely heavy as ns No Mans Man's llan's Land was strewn with wih dead and anti numbers of or tho the enemy were killed by the tho artillery without being able to leave lea o the German trenches The French officers commanding units in a a. neighboring sector complimented mounted the American Amerian officers on the courage and ant gallantry displayed In the I operation and the splendid work of or the artillery Some Sonic of or the i worked in iii ga gab gai masks for tor several hours |
