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Show uu SEVERE DEFEAT FOR MENEM LONDON. April 26 Thanks to the magnificent counter-attack of the Australians Aus-tralians and English regiments yesterday, yester-day, the Germans received a severe repulse on the front before Amiens. The English troops engaged were the I Berkshires, Northampton Durhams and Yorkshires, reinforced by young troops recently raised in England and which recently gallantly held Villers-Bretonncux Villers-Bretonncux against an inferno and gas shelling until overwhelmed by an assault as-sault of five divisions The Germans Beixed and established a permanent hold on the village which they packed with machine guns. Consequently it was necessary' that yesterday's counter-attack should be a surprise and it was decided to make a night attack with bombs, bayonets and machine guns without artillery preparation. Hours of grim fighting followed, all the more so because the artillery on both sides was silent as the combatants combat-ants became inextricably mixed before the Germans were finally driven out and this important position dominating dominat-ing Amiens was restored to British hands. The enemy may return to the assault but he is now in an awkward salient formed by the confluence of (lie Xnmmo on the Avro and Vir. mm. i now find himself on a slaughter house position. Hangaard Is also important but it has changed hands so often that the enemy's hold there may be considered precarious. It is possible however, that the real big offensive will develop to the south of Ypres and mention of fighting northeast of Baillcul may indicate this has already begun. LONDON, April 26. "In the end it would be a question of who has the last reserves." said General Delmar Radcliffe. chief director of military operations at the war office, in a review re-view of the western front situation this afternoon "These reserves on the western front are now in the hands of General Foch. in whom both armies have the fullest confidence. He so far has employed only a small proportion propor-tion of his available reserves." General Radcliffe said he regarded the situation at Villers-Bretonneux as very satisfactory. "We got back all we lost and hold the village; we have taken many prisoners pris-oners and inflicted heavy losses," was lus Blimmarj of the British achievement. achieve-ment. "Villers-Bretonneux is a most important tactical point," he added, WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE, April 26 The battle at Kemmel hill was at close quarters. The Germans continued to suffer terrible ter-rible casualties. The shell-torn slopes of the hill were strewn with dead. The French were still in their positions on tho hill when evening came, although apparently they were surrounded It an of them were able to hold on throuch the nlsht and had ammunition j left, their assistance must hae meant J much to their comrades who counter- j attacked this morning. In consequence of the German pu.-h j about Mont Kemmel it became neces- 1 sary to draw back the allied line some- I what on either side of the hill. This j was a coincident, however, in the 1 Btruggle for Mont Kemmel is all that matters. On the front below the Somme, par- ticularly in the vicinity of Viller?- Bretonneux which the British have re- J capturpd. heavy casualties were in- 1 flicted on the enemy with artillery and j small arms. oo I |