d to
beat off repeated counterattacks preceded by barrage fire and to
destroy the enemy again and again. They encountered no more formidable
conditions in the course of the war than in this region, for the
Germans had machine redoubts on the slopes commanding fields of fire
on both sides of the Scarpe River, and each advance made by the
British exposed their flanks to enfilading fire. In the face of such
deadly opposition the British still continued to press onward, forcing
the Germans to pay a fearful price for Hindenburg's strategic plans.

On the last day of the month French troops in the Champagne made a new
attack on both sides of Mont Carnillet, a commanding peak southeast of
Mauroy. To the west the French captured several fortified lines of
trenches from the heights as far south as Beine. East of the mount
General Nivelle's men forced their way up the northern slopes of Mont
Haut; and northeast of this position to the approaches of the road
from Mauroy and Moronvilliers. This advance widened on the west and
deepened the salient driven into the German lines between Prunay and
Auberive, rendering exceedingly precarious their hold on ground east
of Rheims.

There was no important fighting on the British front on April 30,
1917, and General Haig's troops were not ungrateful for the brief
respite afforded them. The Germans did not attempt any important
attacks owing to a shortage of ammunition and military supplies. From
documents found on prisoners the British learned that there was a
dearth in all war material and that the supply of new guns to replace
those worn out was very limited. During the night General Haig's
troops improved their positions between Monchy-le-Preux and the Scarpe
River, repulsing a feeble German attack on the new positions.

While comparative quiet reigned in the fighting area on the last day
of April, 1917, British airmen were active, and in the course of
twenty-four hours a number of highly dramatic battles were fought in
which the British brought down twenty German aeroplanes and lost
fifteen machines themselves.

During the night of May 1, 1917, the French consolidated their new
positions on the wooded hills east of Rheims. In the course of the
following day the Germans delivered two strong attacks against French
lines northeast of Mont Haut, but were rolled back by the French
barrage fire and machine-gun fire which broke the waves of assault and
scattered the attackers.

The report