DRIVE ON SOISSONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 128, 30 May 1918, Page 2

DRIVE ON SOISSONS.

A FIGHTING RETREAT. 5-RENCH SHARE OF BATTLE. INTENSE STRUGGLE ON VESLE. (Received 2.20 p.m.) LOXDON. May 2.). 2.:>0 a.m. A French communique states that on Monday. Inst night, and today, the enemy, again profiting by bis numerical superiority, made fresh efforts to accentuate- the. drive southwards and towards Soissons. Our troops on the left counter-attacked vigorously and stopped the German advance, and shattered his attacks on the heights of Xeuville, six miles north of Soissons. on Margival. a mile and a-ha'f further south from Vregny. live miles north-east of Soissons, to the north-east of Soissons. and on the hill in the region of Oiry Salesogne and Yasseiiy, six miles south-east of Soissons, which immediately dominate the valley of the Vesle to the south. In the centre, where the encsny made his principal effort, the battle is developing with sustained violence on the line of the Vesle, which the Germans succeeded in cross- j ing this morning at several points notably in the region of Bazoelies and i Les Fismes. On the right the British, on Saint' Thierry Ridge, resisted the assaults of the enemy, who seems to have suffered j particularly heavy losses. ■\\ est of Montdidier the Americans, i supported by our tanks, brilliantly carried on a front of two kilometres the salient of Cantigny. and also the village which the enemy had strongly fortified. ; (ierman counter-attacks in the afternoon! against Cantigny completely failed. An artillery duel continues with great activity on the right bank of the Meuse at several points on the Lorraine front. Two strong enemy coups-dc-main in the region of Yeso and Embertesnil. in this sec-tor. were repulsed.— (A. and X.Z. and I Renter.) '