For several days the struggle continued to be extremely violent; the enemy gained some ground, but was unable to break through. Démuin, Moreuil, Marcelcave, and Hangard were fiercely disputed until March 31st. These villages mark the extreme line reached by the enemy—i.e., 17 kilometres from Amiens.
On April 4th, the Germans attacked again, determined to break through at all costs. Against the French front alone, 15 kilometres in length, eleven divisions were hurled. Crossing to the left bank of the Avre, they took the villages of Morisel and Mailly-Raineval from Debeney’s army, and threatened the railway from Clermont to Amiens, which was their objective. At Hangard, the British, shoulder to shoulder with the French, repulsed all attacks. Further to the north, they withdrew to the west of Hamel, and during the night were forced back to the Villers-Bretonneux plateau. However, vigorous counter-attacks enabled them to win back the lost ground next day.
From the 15th to the 19th of April, local offensives enabled the French to clear the railway. However, the Germans had not given up their plan, and after a violent bombardment during the night, they again attacked, on April 24th at 5 a.m., the Franco-British junction between Villers-Bretonneux, held by the British, and a point west of Moreuil. Villers-Bretonneux fell, but the French troops were able to hold Hailles. Bayonet fighting took place in the streets of Hangard, which was lost during the night.
On the morning of the 26th, the French and British counter-attacked from Villers-Bretonneux to the valley of the Luce, and drove the enemy back to their starting-point of the 24th.
Once again, Amiens had escaped, but it remained within range of the German heavy guns. The town, which had previously suffered on various occasions from air bombardments, was now continuously and violently bombarded, especially by artillery, from April to June. Ruins accumulated in the town and suburbs, both of which had been evacuated by the inhabitants on April 9th.