THE ALLIED DRIVE

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4930, 25 July 1918, Page 5

THE ALLIED DRIVE

Enemy Threatened With Disaster

Germans’ Sesperafe Sefeiice

(United Prniss Association — -Conyright.)

LONDON, July 23. i Y?,® I 1 rench have captured Oulchy Chateau. The Americans have captured Jaulgonne. '

The French have captured the heights north of Courcelles and have ?? gu “.,. ail offensive north-west of Montdidier, and have already caotured several villages. P The British captured Petitchamp Wood, iu Marfaux neighborhood. Many prisoners were taken. Reuter says the French have advanced two miles at Montdidier. I j l ®y have secured the domination ot the Aisne \ alley and have captured 1200 prisoners. Mr. G._ H. Perris, the Daily Chronicle correspondent, confirms the news that there are great fires between the Marne and the Ardre The enemy i s apparently preparing for a further retreat, blowing up munition dumps and stores which are not movable. The necessity for getting guns and material away explains the j stubborn .enemy resistance at Oul- ' chy.

The direction of the retreat suggests a definite stand along the Vesle river. Indications are accumulating that the Germans recognise a retreat on a, considerable scale as imperative. The artillery on the battlefront is strangely silent, suggesting that the guns are being transported to the rear.

Aviators’ observation shows the utmost confusion along the lines of communication,which are insufficient whereon to operate an orderly retreat. The enemy, after his rapid advance to the Marne, had not time to construct the usual network of railways.

CROWN PRINCE’S TROUBLES.

FURTHER RETREAT INEVIT-

ABLE

DCS PER ATE REARGUARD

ACTIONS

United Services. (Received July 24, 8.10 p.m.) PARIS. July 23. M. Marcel Hutiu says: “In spite of the enemy’s tenacity in retirement, the. Crown Prince’s retreat is inevitable. Our pontoon-builders on the Marne are not hindered by shells showing that the enemy’s main artillery has been withdrawn from the base and concentrated on the flanks, where the shelling is intense.

I he resistance of the Germans eastward of Courchamps. the Morning Post’s correspondent at French headquarters telegraphs, is regarded as an indication that they are in full retreat and that the counter-at-tacks are merely desperate rearguard actions. French airmen are constantly worrying columns retreating j northwards. The French have adop- I ted a new method of attack. - They have abandoned the preliminary! bombardment, relying mainly oil ; i tanks, which closely follow the bar-! rage. La Liberte states that the j guns captured northwards of the i Ourcq included 155 which the Ger- j mans captured from the French in 1 April 27. j Military writers insist that the j French deserve the prime credit for the Marne victory, though the Ame- I means have been fighting grandly, j It is not yet clear to what extent General Foch utilised the English, j Scottish and Australians, but there '' are only two British divisions. Ma- | ninaux-Mezy, where the Australians ! are reported to be engaged, is a ! small village on the south bank of ! the Marne in _ the loop of the river j about five miles east-north-east of i Chateau Thierry. Probably the pres- I sure there assisted in forcing the ev- I aeuation of Chateau Thierry. I

ENEMY’S UTTER FAILURE GREAT 7 OFFENSIVE ENDS IN DISASTER, The Times. (Received Julv 24. 7.40 p.m.) LONDON. July 23. Mr. Gerald Campbell writes:— The enemy has’mow brought 67 divisions into action on the whole Aisne-Massine front. The net result is that they have not only largely exhausted their strength, but have lost more ground than they have gained.

THE NEW OFFENSIVE.

| THREE VILLAGES FALL IN AN | HOUR. ! ENEMY’S RESISTANCE STIFFEN- ! ING. ! The Times. (Received July 24, 7,40 p.m.) LONDON. July 23. I lie French offensive this morning north-west of Montdidier commenced on a four-miles front, i /They captured the villages of Aub- | villers, Sauvillers and Mongival in [ the first hour. i The violence of the enemy’s artili lery is increasing and his resistance j is stiffening. ■ The Americans have captured Buj zancy, bringing them half a mile bej.yond the Soissons-Chateau Thierry j road. They also captured Jaulgonne. The French are experiencing great difficulties in forcing a passage further along tlie Marne valley owing to the enemy’s resistance. \ The French stormed the heights of Courcelles yesterday and crossed the Marne at Port Abinson, west of Reuil. The enemy launched a -heavy counter-attack from the direction of Vendiers, which was beaten off. , The British troops south-west of j Rheims captured Petitcliamps AVood near Marfaux. The situation is still favorable, but do not expect rapid developments. There are indications that the enemy is evacuating the bottom pocket, which has become too hot, and he may take up a natural line,, of defence like the rivers Ardre or Vesle.

AIRAIEN’S BRILLIANT FEAT.

French airmen performed a brilliant feat at Pourc.y. AVhen a battalion became cut off, the aeroplanes dropped bread and biscuits and 250 boxes of beef among the troops, as -well as ammunition, enabling them to hold out until the counter-attack relieved them. The Morning Post’s correspondent at the French front states: The French commands pay a tribute to the British units co-operating on the Rheims front and in other sectors. The airmen rendered particularly gallant service. j The Germans have thrown 54 divi- j sions into the battle, so it" is con- j culded the Crown Prince’s reserves ! are running rather low. * j The Germans apparently are burn-j ing all villages south of Fere-en-Tar- ! denois. indicating the likelihood of a ! retreat, shortening their front, ow- j ing to the difficulty of obtaining sup- I plies. ! The Daily Telegraph’s Rotterdam j correspondent learns that the Ger- ( mans are withdrawing an army of j observation from the East to rein- j force the Western front. ;

ENEMY’S POSITION CRITICAL PRESSED ON THREE SIDES. & RETREAT MAY TURN TO ROUT. FOCH’S RELENTLESS HAMMERBLOWS. lieuter’? Telesr^ms. LONDON, July 23. Reuter’s correspondent at French Headquarters telegraphs: The Germans’ energies are concentrated on a series of desperate rearguard actions with the hope of extricating the bulk *of the forces from the clutches of the Allies. , . , The latter are advancing simultaneously from three points of the compass. . . .... The enemy’s position is .critical in view of the relentless pressure by General Foch, which may still turn the retreat into a rout. , - To avoid this, experts opine, the enemy must draw still more largely on his reserves, probably those facing the British.- . Unless they receive such help it is impossible for the G'ormans to cross the twenty-four miles of ruggeu country .to- the north bank of the Aisne, including the rivers Ourcq, Vesle and Aisne. *

BRITISH NEAR RHEIMS. TACKLING SOME OF HARDEST FIGHTING. Router's Telegrams, (Received July 24, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON. July 23. Reuter’s French headquarters correspondent, writing on the 23rd, in the morning, says : Some of the hardest fighting on the whole battlefield is now raging on tlie new British front astride the Ardre and in the Atontagno de Rheimsi , ✓

ENEMY REPORTS.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. Admiralty—Per Wireless Press. (Received July 24, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON. July 23. A German'official report says:— We repulsed the British at many points on the western front. The enemy made violent partial attacks astride the Ourcq and between the Ourcq and the Marne. We repulsed the enemy and penetrated his advanced positions on both sides of Jaulgonne. We threw the enemy back to the river.

LATER ENEMY REPORT

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Admiralty—Per Wireless' Press. (Received July 25. 1 a.m.) LONDON. July 24. A German official report says Between Soissons and Rheims we frustrated a strong joint attack.

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Three Sides of Salient Driven in

Endeavour to Liberate their Forces

The ruggedness of the country between the Marne and Rheims accounts for the desperation of the fighting there, enabling the Germans to prolong their defence; nevertheless, the advance of the British, in collaboration with the French, js most important, as it has demobilised large German forces, necessitating drafts from the reserve.

The inactivity of the enemy infantry north of the Ourcq is semi-offi-cially ascribed to the enormous losses, calculated from the fact that in front of General Gourand’s army alone . 50,000 men were put out of action by hundreds of guns, which were unmasked only when the assaulting waves crossed the covering zone and approached the real line of resistance.

FRENCH COMMUNIQUE. NEW OFFENSIVE A LOCAL AFFAIR. SPLENDID SUCCESS ACHIEVED. AuntraJiau and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter**(Received July 24, 8.10 p.m ) LONDON. July 23. A 4 reach communique states:— There was only artillery fire at night time on the entire battle front. North of Montdidier we boldly conducted , a local operation which enabled us to occupy the villages of Mailly, Raidval, Sauville and Audiller.