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Show Slight Gains Made South of Somme; Notable Slowing Up in the Teuton Attack. FRENCH DRIVE CONTINUES; FOCH SENDS GREAT ARMY j LONDON, March 29. Apart from local fighting at different points, the enemy has not pressed his attacks today north of the Somme, according to the official statement issued by the war office tonight. "We gained ground at certain places," the statement continues. "South of the Somme heavy hostile attacks developed during the morning in the neighborhod of Mezieres and Demum. Fighting is still going on in this sector. "It is known from captured documents that the German attack yesterday t astride the Scarpe had for its objective the capture of Vimy ridge and Arras. This attack was carried out by at least six divisions in the front line, with four assault divisions in support. "Despite the force of the attack the impression made upon our battle position was inconsiderable and the fighting resulted in a severe defeat for the enemy. "In heavy fighting further south between Boiry and the Serre, which had no greater success, no fewer than eleven hostile divisions were identified." BERLIN, March 29, via London. Successful engagements between be-tween the Somme and Avre rivers are reported in the German official offi-cial statement issued this evening. The statement says: "There have been successful engagements between the Somme and the Avre." PARIS, March 29. Along the battlefront of the Oise there has been a notable diminution of fighting during the day, according to the war office statement issued tonight. During the course of the day the offensive activity, of the Germans was manifested only by local attacks against a few points along the front, the statement continues. LONDON, March 29. Heavy fighting has taken place south of the Somme in which the British have been pressed back to a line running west of Hamel, Marcelcave and Demum, says this evening's war office announcement. North of the Somme all the British positions were maintained. There were no serious attacks by the enemy in this region during the day. The French, says the announcement, are continuing their offensive of-fensive on the southern front between Montdidier -and Las-signy. Las-signy. Fresh French troops are arriving in this region. The text of the announcement reads: North of the Somme we maintained all our positions." No serious enemy attacks have been launched during the day. South of the Somme there has been heavy fighting. Our troops have been pressed back to a line running west of Hamel, Marcelcave and Demum. On the French front, south of Demum, the French line runs through Mezieres, Le Neuville-Sire-Bernard and Gratibus to just west of Montdidiers. There has been further heavy fighting today on this line. Between Montdidiers and Lassigny the French counter-offensive counter-offensive continues. Fresh French troops are arriving. East of Lassigny there is no change in the French line. A capturpd German order shows that on March 21 tho objective ot an enemy division which attacked near St. Quentin was to be the Somme, near Ham, a distance of at least eleven miles. Actually the division in question penetrated pen-etrated rather less than three miles. ADVANCE OF GERMANS DUE TO HEAVY MASSED ATTACKS T.IUTISH AHMY HEADQUARTERS IX Fl'ANCK, .March 23. (By The Associated As-sociated Prci-s.) The Orniifins were uble to penet ruto Marcelcave, twelve miles east of Arniens, in the region south of the S,omme. only by menus of heavy inn"--'',! Ktt.rnks late vcl rdn y. which gradually forced th" liritish bark. It was in this district, south of the. Sornnie. tli.'it the invaders continued to make their greatest efforts.' The Urit- (Contlnued on Pago Twelve.) j ALliESST0P GERMANS" (Continued from Page One.) ish here are battling stubbornly and brilliantly against the advance, which, it must be admitted, has beeu steady. The conflict in this region has been most sanguinary, and at latest reports it was continuing along a line represented repre-sented roughly by Ilaniel, Warufsee, Abaneotirt and Marcelcave. This point seemed to mark the extreme advance against the British. The German attack in this region was made from Cerisy, on the Soiiiinc, supported sup-ported by artillery from across the river. Yesterday's assaults on the extreme northern and southern parts of the bat-tlelield bat-tlelield were in continuance of the Germans' Ger-mans' scheme to swing their lines out so as to broadeh the saiient which they have driven in. and thereby possibly enable them to make an attempt to envelop en-velop Amiens. The lighting east of Arras yesterday was of a most desperate nature, especially espe-cially in the region of Telegraph Hill, nnliii'i;l (if tho r-it. Hum rlie mnsSPS of troops struggled at close quarters throughout the day. The British held grimly to the defense which guards the already war-shocked town. Neuville-Vitasse, southeast of Telegraph Tele-graph Hill, was occupied by the Germans. Ger-mans. They also succeeded in getting a hold on Orange Hill, further north. From these positions they were continuing contin-uing their offensive. The resistance of the British yesterday south of Arras, along the line of the' Arras-Albert road, was most gallant. Here the Germans advanced tune after time for heavy attacks at-tacks in the region of Ablainzeville but in every instance they were thrown back. At latest reports the line was being strongly held. In their attacks upon Marcelcave the Germans pushed southward from Cerisy and then gradually swung westward until un-til Marcelcave was occupied. All told, while the intense fighting of yesterday and last night along the extended battle front gave the Germans some further gains south of the Somme, and a slight advance east and southeast south-east of Arras, along the greater part of the line, the assaulting enemy troops were hurled back with heavy losses. tinued their fruitless and costly counter-attacks. Between the Somme and the A vre we attacked again and drove out the enemy from old positions and frmi bravely defended villages In a westerly west-erly and northwesterly direction by way of War fusee, Abancourt and Plessicr. The French repeatedly delivered violent counter-attacks against some sectors of our new front between Montdidier and Noyon. The booty which has been ascertained ascer-tained up the present, since the beginning be-ginning of the battle amounts to 70,-000 70,-000 prisoners and 1100 guns. Of these, the army of General von Hutier alone brought in 40,000 prisoners pris-oners and 600 guns. On the liOrruine front there has been increased artillery activity. Cavalry Captain Baron von Rlcht-hoff Rlcht-hoff obtained his seventy- fourth aerial victory. In the other theaters there is nothing noth-ing new to report. |
