BATTLE OF THE AISNE

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1918, Page 6

BATTLE OF THE AISNE

FOCH'S ATTACK

A MASTERLY MANOEUVRE.

PARIS, July 19

Paris is overjoyed at the news of General l'och's masterly manoeuvre in striking* a lightningblow at the neck oi the German salient, and scoring an instantaneous victory. It is opined that we are at the last tide of the German successes which have reached high-water mark, and have now begun to re-

cede. The newspapers publish details of yesterday's fighting, emphasisjug the rapidity and completeness of ihe success of General Magnin's troopsTEE FRENCH ADVANCE. Between the Aisne and the Ourcq they advanced two miles within an hour. The Germans were unable to bring up reinforcements by the railway, which early was under our direct fire. V>\\t they used an enormous number of motors and tlirew in troops recklessly. General Magnin rapidly improved ihe position, and cleared the wood west of Savieri river. He then pressed on energetically across the plateau. AMERICANS CO-OPERATE. The Americans at thes other end of the line, northward of Chateau-Thierry, under General Degotte, collected vast reserves over night and began to hop over at dawn, behind a terrific barrage. It was a perfectly managed engagement. The Erench everywhere swept on, leaving the reserves to clean up the centres. The resistance of the attack was pressed so hard that the element of surprise in some parts of the field lasted for hours. German officers were unable to believe that Generals Mangin and Degoutte could embark on a flank attack.

One German officer prisoner was asked whether the Germans had not feared a flank atfack. Tie replied: "An attack with what? We thought Foeh's reserves were exhausted-" iiiSjLuY IHOOPS POOH. The German infantry in some sectors were ox poor quality, and ottered very little resistance, suggesting that tne German policy of selecting storm troops was proving demoralising to tne remainder of the units. This is confirmed by several captured army orders signed by Generals von Boeliin and von Marwitz, complaining that the discipline of their armies had been gravely shaken, and directing officers to show no clemency where punishment was due

Everywhere our objectives were considerably exceeded. At least a hundred German guns were captured. German counter-attacks on Thursday were nowhere really on a large scale. SUCCESS ASSURED. The French continued to advance on Friday morning when the German resistance was much greater. The High Command is using reserves freely. The struggle became more severe when General Maugin saw troops in possession of the heights dominating Soissons. On Thursday evening the sighs of deep satisfaction were heard along the entire front. The Germans attempted to rush in men and artillery supplies under the intensest Allied shell fire. The American units, renewing the battle on Friday, encountered German reserves in the woods and villages and grain fields-south'of Soissons, but the Americans, in conjunction with the French, advanced to the north-west of Chateau-Thierry. Other American units engaged in the vicinity of Dormans, all excited and confident, dealing a big blow to the enemy. A COMPLETE SURPRISE. FOCH'S MASTER STROKE. LONDON, July 19. An eye witness of the counter-offen-sive says that the outstanding feature was, the completeness of Foeh's surprise. Sortie Herman prisoners were captured ; n bed. The mvisoners include German workmen, who had been sent out to reap the harvest The weather conditions were most favourable. A violent cyclone raged on Wednesday night, covering the arr;val of the Frenoli t-inks at the front line, the noi c -e concealing the advance. When the attack wis in full swing i]-, a followi"" morning the spectacle of the battlefield was great, and the beautv of the infantry could he seen apnroHchincr the red-ro-f«d villages dottins th o country, which rose gentlv from the risers to the high ground, wlvr-h prtssed into French possession bv the evening. CAVALRY IX ACTION. Parlies of civalry could be seen ahead of the in far try, and tanks crossing the wheatfields, golden and ready for harvest. The woods looked olivegreen in the windy sunshine, which made up the rest of the countryside. Above fleets of aeroplanes manoeuvred among the trailing, low clouds, set against the deep blue sky. Within an hour and a half of the commencement of the battle the German front was broken at several paints. The French cavalry were immediate-

ly caked, arid were soon soino miles ahead of the original French line, while the infantry was still fighting for the villages behind. By 2 o'clock the Dragoons were fighting in the streets of a village six miles ahead of the starting point. S A riSFAGTORY PROGRESS. A FRENCH REPORT. LONDON, July 19. A French communique states that between the Aisne and the Marne we are overcoming the resistance of the enemy who had brought up fresh re-

serves. : "We yesterday evening advanced ap- ! preciably, and" took more prisoners. • The battle continues west of Rheims. We delivered attacks yesterday south of the Marne. We have retaken Monvoisin and ' thrown back the enemy to the eastern outskirts of Cenlly. north of the river. ! We progressed in Boisduroi and Bois df- Cowston between Lapoterue and P'mrcy. and carried our Imes a kilometre westward at a point farther north. The Italians carried Adre Mill and ■ captured ground in the region of Couil- \ ly. We imprisoned four hundred and captured four guns and thirty machine 1 guns in these actions. : AMERICANS IN ACTION. i DASHING WORK.

LONDON, July 19. Ueuter's correspondent at American Headquarters reports : Large numbers of American storm troops co-operated in the Erench attack. The Americans went over the top with a yell and without any artillery preparation. The Germans for the most part resisted feebly. Here and there stubborn lighters appeared, but were quickly vanquished by the Americans' bayonets. The enemy everywhere was completely surprised. The attack was most successful in the region of Soissons, where the final objectives were passed. The whole operation was more successful even than expected. Many guns wove captured, including oiie 18inch. GERMAN FLAOT MENACED. The whole German flank is menaced. The enemy must bring up troops from the Maine front, or leave them in danger. The Americans, trained to the last notch, behaved like veterans, Nothing stopped them- There was the closest co-operation between the artillery and the infantry. Many light and heavy guns were brought up most swiftly, and deluged shells on the emeny's re-

treating forces or reserves. The tanks did all that was expected of them, preceding- and accompanying' the infantry and clearing" many places that escaped artillery fire. Hastily organised enemy counter attacks here and there were all broken up. Resistance was stubborn east of Chaudin. The fighting 1 is likely to become heavier as the Germans' reserves have arrived. ENEMY'S COUNTER ATTACK. ALLIES' ADVANCE CONTINUES. LONDON, July 20. A Eieach communique states that the battle continued most violently all day between the Aisne and the Marne. The enemy counter-attacked with large reserves, attempting to arrest the advance, which, however, continued over most of the trout. On our left we maintained the plateau south-west of Soissons and m the region of Charidin in the centre. \Vo passed beyond by three kilometres.

At certain points of the line through Yaux, Villersselon and Koroy-sour-Ourcq, on our right, we continued severe fighting on the plateau north-west of Monnes Hill, nortli of Courchamps- We advanced beyond Sorchy. Hitherto over 17,000 prisoners have been counted, including two colonels and their staffs, 360 guns captured, including a battery of 8-inch guns. AERIAL OPERATIONS. Aviators, in conjunction with British squadrons, were most ac-

tive over the whole battlefield. The French felled or disabled twenty machines and fired two balloons. The British destroyed' seven machines. The bombers continued the attacks at the Mame crossings and demolished the footbridge. They machine-gunned, bombed, and dispersed combinations of troops at Oulchy, Vaux Ravine, Fer en Tardenois arid Oelluy. Pro-

jeotile.s were showered on stations in tbe-rear, causing fires and explosions. Twenty-two tons of bombs were dropped during* the day and night. MANGIN COMMAND. RAPID PROGRESS MADE, PARIS, July 19. General Mangin commanded the. new attack, which was directed on to the whole right flank of the German Army. It was upon the left side of a right angle formed by the German advance on Chateau-Thierry. The operation resembles the first Ca.mhrai success, the French using tanks instead of bombing, the infantry advancing under a scientific creeping barrage. The French at Soissons and Cha-teau-Thierry are fighting with their faces turned eastward. The Germans at Chateau-Thierry and at Chatilons are fighting southwards. The French are endeavouring to carry out operations, while the Germans are endeavouring: to push to a. conclusion between Rheims and Epernay. Both sides are seeking to flatten out an isosceles triangle. Latest information isi that the German push i» held and that General Mangin is still progressing.