VON HUTIER MEETS HIS MATCH

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 141, 14 June 1918, Page 7

YON HUTIER MEETS HIS MATCH

BATTLE TAKES BETTER TURN

ENEMY STARTS NEW OFFENSIVE

BETWEEN SOISSONS AND THE MARNE

(by telegraph.—united press association.—coesright.) (at7stralian-new zealand cable association.) (Received June 14, 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, ISth June. South of the Aisne, between Soissons and the Marne, the Germans have launched a new offensive. It is believed to be a renewal of the direct drive to Paris. The French hurled the enemy back north of the Matz River. _ The Americans broke up a violent German assault at Belleau. (Received June 14, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 13th June. Mr. George Perris (Daily Mail correspondent), cabling this morning, says the outlook is decidedly more cheerful,- and the battle has taken a better turn. The German onset on the third day suffered a distinct check, owing to a remarkable series of French counter-attacks yesterday. They began eastward of the railway, between Domfront and Wacquemoulin, a distance of eight miles, and the infantry, supported by tanks, swept back the Germans along the whole line. One French contingent actually reached points within the German front. The advance went well beyond Rubescourt and Le Fretoy, and beyond Belloy, to the border of St. Maur. Meanwhile the enemy delivered a powerful blow in the centre, reaching Antheuil, in spite of vigorous opposition. IA. further counter-attack from our left centre completely arrested the advance. A certain amount of confusion was apparent in the German ranks during these combats, and the fact that a thousand prisoners and some cannon were (taken speaks eloquently. But these.were not their heaviest punishment. Eye[witnesses say that corpses are strewn over the battlefield. The enemy effort overlapped into our right centre, but the attempt to de-? bouoh by the Matz Valley to the Oise proved a complete failure. The French xepulsed repeated assaults at Chevincourt, while Marchemont and Bethancourt frequently changed hands. The battle raged till late at night. Three critical Hays, with enormous losses, have therefore not given the enemy any very magnificent result, Yon Hutiev has met his match. The French lines this afternoon are held all the way round from the important position of Mery, by St. Maur and Antheuil to Marest and Chevint»urt. Yesterday'B oountei-attacks met great bodies of the enemy preparing to force another advance. Four divisions were ranged on a space of two miles; ihence the, frightful intensity of the combat and the abnormal slaughter. The French tanks did excellently, and 60 did the fleets of British and French aerojplanes, "which swept down upon the battlefield before and behind the infantry, bombs and raining in machine-gunfire wherever a group of enemy soldiers was seen, and thue making good our numerical inferiority of infantry. In this way the real battle, which aims at the destruction of the invaders (tad not at territorial gains, was won. The German command openly avowed sis aim ifchis morning, when there was a new development of the offensive near iFontenoy, on the east flank of the salient from Moulins sous Touvent, to the Aisne, and also southwards of the Aisne, from Ambleny to Dommiers. This wide attack amounts to an admission of a check west of the Oise and of the poor iprospect for a march on Compiegne and Paris by the shortest road.