TIE ALLIED DRIVE

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4931, 26 July 1918, Page 5

TIE ALLIED DRIVE

Further Progress M&i®

Huns’ Desperate Resistance

(Sinited Association —Oonyrigiu.. >

Australian and N.Z. Gable Aiuaooiation. LONDON, July 24. The failure on the Marne lias seriously shaken the German population’s morale.

Tlie newspapers give prominence to tranquilising articles. They deny a rumour of attempts on the lives of fhe Raiser and Hindenburg. Reuter’s correspondent at French leadquarters states: It is known the enemy has engaged sixty to eighty divisions since tile 15th. A careful estimate, reckons th e total German casualties and prisoners in that period at 180,000. xT naurice writes : The fact that the Crown Prince re-organ-iseckhis forces between Soissons and Chateau -Thierry when General Foch attacked indicates that he intended to follow up the advance across the Marne by an attack upon Paris probably coupling therewith another attack between Amiens and Montdidier; therefore Eoch’s countersUoke not only wrecked Die German offensive, but upset the enemy’s plans for the future.

Foch’s new attack at Montdidier has completed this upset, and even if only a local affair it, together with' our own recent progress at Villers Bretonneux, should remove the danger which has hung over Paris for six weeks.

The Crown Prince’s efforts to extricate himself from the mess in which he is involved will have an important effect on the general situation.

Counter-attacks- improvised in the midst of battle in order to save a desperate situation are always costly. It is certain the German losses were higher in the last few days, and the exhaustion of his reserves greater than the first day’s abortive offensive.

The situation has so improved from every point that we may without extravagance regard Foch’s counter-attack as the turning point of the 1918 campaign.

FLANK

THE BRITISH LINE.

KEEPING THE HUNS BUSY. NEW ZEALANDERS’ GOOD WORK. Australian and N.Z. Cabla Association , r LONDON, July 24. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: There lias been no important- infantry action between Amiens and Ypres since the capture of Meteren, but at several parts of the line we have oeen keeping the Germans tame and driving them off portions of ground useful to us.

The' English and New Zealanders have improved their positions a good deal between Hebuterne and Gommecourt by nibbling forward and leading the enemy such a hard life that he had to draw hack miserably.

The New Zealanders in this way captured Rossiknol Wood, from which they say jthe Hermans had to •’do a bunk” oh Sunday. The enemy shcihirg hereabouts was fierce during the last few days. The ground for several miles is pitted with shell-craters, among which the New Zealanders sat without a sign of uneasiness, cleaning their rifles, writing letters/ and playing cards. They paid no more attention to the ugly noises of the whizzing shells than if they were buzzing gnats. The New Zealanders made the most noise a little later when they bombarded the enemy. “That’s the way to keep them unhappy,” said a gun officer. The New Zealanders have been on the offensive in a small way ever since they arrived in the neighborhood on March 20. Hie German divisions in the line are suffering heavily elsewhere, as well as here. If Rupprecht decides to attack, he must call on his reserves, for these line are worn out and war-weary.

POSITION CONTINUES SATISFACTORY.

FURTHER, POSITIONS CAPTURED. STUBBORN RESISTANCE OVERCOME. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Keuter’uLONDON, July 24. A French communique reports: Our attacks on both banks of the Ourcq produced satisfactory results, notwithstanding a stubborn resistance by the enemy, who brought up fresh reserves north of the river. _ We captured and passed Plessier Hulen and reached the western outskirts of Oulchy La Ville. We captured the village of Mont Gru The Franco- Americans south of the Chateau Thierry road, advanced their line over a kilometre eastward of the vfflage of Rocourt. The greater part of Ohatelet Wood is in our hands. On the right of the Marne we progressed afresh north of Mont St I ei e and Charteves, which is ours. We extended our bridgehead at the Marne and Rheims fiediting is furious. "The French and British, between the Ardre and Vrigny, attacked strong positions, and advanced over a kilometre and inflicted heavy los-

Se The British captured prisoners S' operation north of Montdidier whereby this. momma we captured Mailly. Rameval, &anvillers, and Aubvillors, gave us fifteen hundred prisoners. - , Allied aviators were active on July 22 Franco-British" pilots felled and disabled 37 machines. There were numerous air fights. In bombing operations 331 tons were dropped during the daytime o enemy aerodromes and stations. Thirteen hundred kilogrammes were dropned during, a night laid on the station of Maisonbleue.. causing a conflagration and explosion.

It’s a, feeling of intense satisfaction these cold mornings to know your alarm dock is dependable.— Grieve for alarm clocks, from 7s bd each.*

Enemy Battered on Both Flanks

ALLIES RESUME FIERCE - ATTACKS

COUNTER-ATTACKS SMASHED.

ALLIES’ TROOPS TRIUMPHANT. Australian and N.Z- Cable AasnaG.&Ua and Reuter’s. (Received July 25, 9.10 p.m.) A French communique isstied at 4.35 p.m. states: The night was characterised by great artillery fire between the Marne and the Aisne. In the Bois- de Courton and the Bois de Roi the Germans counterattacked at 9 o’clock last evening. In the region of Vrigney our troops smashed all assaults and maintained the positions intact. The remainder of the front is uneventful.

AIMING AT STALE-MATE.

ABSURD GERMAN PROPOSAL

"" United Services. (Received July 25. 9.10 p.m.) ' . LONDON, July 24. Tlie Daily Mail’s Berne correspondent, writing on the 24th. says the general opinion in military circles in Germany is that if the present offensive fails, the Germans will revert to defensive . tactics on an unprecedented scale. Experts are discussing the construction of a system of concrete moats and underground railways, and camps.

HUNS AT GREAT DISADVANTAGE.

PERIL OF THE UNPROTECTED

FULL RESULTS OF COUNTERSTROKE NOT YET VISIBLE. Australian •>nd N.Z. Oable ABBoaiatu..* (Received Julv 25, 10.40 0.m.) LONDON, July 24. Mr Geo. Perris writes: If the sensational phases of General Foch’s counter-stroke is over, its results are not yet fully visible. The enemy is still holding out doggedly, but at a great disadvantage. He is making an effort to reach a position which will offer a permanently defensive front.

All the enemy’s chief centres south of the Aisne are now tmder Allied artillery fire. It is one of tlie most frightful warnings in military history of the peril of an insufficiently guarded flank.

BRITISH RESUME OPERATIONS.

VALUABLE GROUND GAINED. FRENCH PUSHING ON OTHER SIDE. Beuter’s Telegram*(Received July 26, 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. Reuter’s correspondent at French headquarters, writing on Wednesday afternoon, says:— Hie British resumed operations this morning and further advanced in the woods surrounding Vrigny. A considerable pocket of thicklywooded ground was taken from the enemy, the possession of which is of considerable importance. Meanwhile the French continue to press with unabated vigour on the western side of the German salient.

FRENCH ACHIEVE FURTHER SUCCESS.

MORE VILLAGES CAPTURED

1950 PRISONERS NORTH OF MONTH ID lER. .

Australian and N.Z Cable Association and Reuter’s. (Received July 26, 12.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 25 (2.30 a.m.) A French communique states: Between the Ourcq and the Marne, our'attacks were resumed this morning and continued, successfully throughout the day. We held on the left Armentieres and Chatelet Wood, beyond which we reached and occupied Brecq. The Franco-Ahierjeans in the centre advanced over three kilometres at certain points. Hi ere was desperate fighting in the region of Epieds and Wrigny. The Germans recaptured Epieds on Tuesday evening but an American coun-ter-attack reconquered it. s We advanced, our line north of both villages beyond Courpoil. We ar© advancing on our right m the forest of Fere, north of Charteves and Julgonne. Further east we engaged a bridgehead at Treloup and captured the south part of the Forest of Ris. We captured in this sector five 5-inch gun s and much material. There is intermittent artillery activity between the Marne and Rheims. . . . In Tuesday’s fighting, in which we captured Rheims Wood, south of Courmas, we took several hundred prisoners. The total number of prisoners taken in the region of Mailly, Raineval and Anbvillers, north of Montdid.ier, on Tuesday is 1850, including 52 officers, of whom four are colonels. Our booty includes four field-guns