UNPRECEDENTED AIR FEAT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9998, 15 June 1918, Page 7

UNPRECEDENTED AIR FEAT

By !0|„. rr: ,,.i....!>..„... ■..ei.oiatinn—Copyright. Australian and New Zealand Cable A-sooiaiJion and Renter. . „ n LONDON, June 13, 4.20 p.m. A -trench communique states:—The enemy has not renewed the attack between Montduker and the region Of Antheuil, and wo consolidated the positions.

On our right, a counter-attack threw bade the enemy on the northern bank of the Matz, and we reoccupied the height of Croix-R.icard and the village ot Molieocq, and took 100 prisoners and soroo machine-guns. Fighting continues violently between the Aisne and the Forest of VillersOotterets. The Germans have progressed as far a.s tho ravine east of Laversino, and after a desperate struggle obtained a footing in Coluvies and St. Pierre Aigle. Tho enemy violently attacked on the front from Bouresches to the Bellfan Wood, but American troops shattered the attack, inflicted heavy losses, and entirely maintained their gains. POWERFUL GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK HURLED BACK (High Commissioner's Cable.) , „. . , ' LONDON, June 14, 12.30 p.m. .trench official.—A powerful German counter-attack from Courcelles to the north of Mery was hurled back with serious losses. South of tho Aisne the enemy pressure was largely repulsed, but he gained a footing at Laversine. All his attempts to debouch at C oeuvres and advance west of yertrefuillo Farm completely failed. DANGEROUS THRUST AT COMPJEGNE STOPPED FRENCH HOLD ENEMY FROM MHRY TO THE MATZ. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 14, 11.45 p.m.l „ „ , x , , IjONDON. June 14, 3 a.m. Ine iHi-ench stopped a most dangerous thrust striking at Comipiegno from the north. They firmly hold the enemy from Mery to tho Matz river. Generals Fooh and Petain have the situation"well in hand. BATTLE RAGING ON A FIFTY-MILE FRONT Published in "The Times." (Received June 14, 11.45 p.m.) Yr „ T 1 ' "„ ~. , , LONDON, June 13, 11 p.m. Mr Gerald Campbell, writing to the "Daily Mail," states that a battle is raging on a, fifty mile front from Rnbecourt to Bussiares. It has continued uninterruptedly since yesterday. Tho Marne battle fdr CompieKUe holds the stage. A FURTHER OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED BY GERMANS .", ;..., BETWEEN SOIS9ONS AND THE MARNE.' ■• : Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. ■_ ~'•,.., . LONDON, June 13. 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.

AN UNPRECEDENTED AIR FEAT AVIATORS SILENCE ENEMY HEAVY GUN BATTERIES. Published in "Tha Times." (Received June 14, 7.55 p.m.) t, x , . ■' „' LONDON, June 13. Reuters correspondent at French Headquarters states:—The important role played toy our air force in the battle is daily increasing. During: the nghting light bombardment squadrons performed the unprecedented feat of attacking German heavy gun batteries in action, silencing them and killing and scattering the gunners. In the Picardy offensive our -fighting 'plane! repeatedly attacked field gun 'batteries with machine-guns, but the aflencim: of heavy guns by bomb attacks from the air is a new achievement. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 15, 12.10 a.m.) * t j x .l r ttt ■, „ , „., . (PARIS, June 13. A marked feature of Wednesday's fighting when the Germans' massed attacks made a determined but unsuccessful effort to regain the ground ca>p.tured by the French counter-attacks, w M the co-operation of the Allied airmen flying low bombing and machine-gunning enemy troops, especially in the narrow defile of the Matz, which they piledwith dead. The struggle was fiercest round Belloy and the adjoining woods, whore we captured an outwork. ' Depressed soldiers who were taking refuge in cellara and vaults were captured at Belloy. ' GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT Australian and N"<v 7,«-°<-.r ■■ 0;;1.'» Association and Rout*r. (Received June 15., 1 a.m.) » • , n «• , x . „ LONDON, June 14. A German, official report states:—Strong French oomnter-attacks southwest of Noyon broke down with the heaviest losses. Over sixty armoured cars are lying on tho battlefield. The prisoners now number 15 000. The enemy captured some of our guns. We attacked! south of the Aisno and drdvo the enemy beyond Cutry and Dommiers. We cleared the enemy out of tho region of Savieres, taking 1500 prisoners. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORTS ' ' „.. x . LONDON. June 13, 1.30 p.m. Sir Dougjlaa Haig reports:—A successful daylight raid south-east of Arras inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. By local operations during the night, wc advanced cur lino a short distance at little cost south of Merris (in Flanders). Tho French, east of Dickesbusche Lake, improved their position in tho neighbourhood of tho Ridge Wood. (Received Juno 15, 1 a.m.) LONDON, June 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports that a successful operation in tho neighbourhood 1 of Merris yielded 48 prisoners, six machine-guns and a tronoh mortar. FIERCE INFANTRY FIGHTING AND VIOLENT AERIAL BATTLES Rente's Telegrams. / . ~,'., LONDON, June 13. Tho artillery preparation dn the eight-mile front was brief, but terrific. Lines of batteries of every kind shelled the enemy's positions, and thoa the tanks advanced. Thero was fierce infantry fighting in tho hills and violent aerial battles. Our aviators dominating the situation, first began the outbreak. They saw two villages ablaze, and immense flames rose frdm munition dumps, which exploded. Our artillery and infantry continued to advance. There was no hitch or disorder; tho moral wa3 marvellous. STATEMENTS BY PRISONERS ENEMY ELATION IS EVAPOUEATENK?. liONDON, Juno 19. Since General Foch's afternoon communique, tho exports in Paris are optimistic that the German "bull-rush" will bo stopped. It is estimated that 210 Gorman divisions havo beon engaged since March 21st, and that ea«h division lost a minimum of two thousand men each timo it entered tho line. It i« noteworthy that tho Germans show no elation. The Americans captured thirty-four German officers. They state that the High Command promised peace by July Ist. The officers now realise that this is impossible, and criticise tho utter recklessness of tho present offensive which is entailing the most terrible losses. They say that disease in. Germany is rampant. .■.,-..Children under ten years of age are dying wholesale. An air raid destroyed tho Cologne station, and 120 soldiers returning from leave wero killed*

OPTIMISTIC UTTERAftGE OF FRENCH PREISER SITUATION EXCEEDINGLY REASSURING. Renter's Telegrams. l>espito tne withdrawal on tho loft bank of the Oiso, which was eifected en Monday night, 31. Ciemenceau (Prime Minister), in tho Senate, said he was confident. The situation was exceedingly reassuring. Tho enemy had put enormous forces in tho field, and had sintered extraordinary iosses. Deputy M. Galli (a member of the Chamber of Deputies), who witnessed Tuesday's smashing counter-attacks, was intensely impressed by tho method and organisation, and tho orderliness, of the operations, although the movements for the attacks wore kept secret until the previous evening. Motor lorries .brought up the troops, who were in admirable spirits. lie saw two picked divisions attack an advanced l firing.lino with imperturbable calm ana resoluteness. A General addressed them as they passed, and the men responded with simple and touching earnestness. Some precautionary measures for the defence of Paris have already been taken, although ovoryono is confident the Germans will not reach the city. The Deputies for the Seine Departments aro dealing with such matters as the eventual evacuation of the population, war industries, works of art, and the revictualling of refugees who are no\v reaching the city from Compiegne, from which town every civilian has been evacuated. ENEMY PUSHES HIS WAY DOWN SVIATZ VALLEY COST OF HIS EFFORTS ARE ENORMOUS. _ . LONDON", June 13, 2.33 a.m. Reuter s correspondent, -writing from French Headquarters on tho 12th, states:—Our counter-attack yesterday, between CourceUes and lielloy, was delivered just as the Gormans .had assembled for the attack, consequently their position was strongly held. The fighting was bitter. The Anglo-French air squadrons flew over the front infantry, spraying the Germans with bullets from a height of a. few score yards, while bombing machines attacked tho enemy concentrations at the rear. The losses by the Germane, owing to the overcrowded front, were oi the heaviest. Their strength is indeed remarkable. Four divisions were identified on a' frdnt of 3500 yards. Tho enemy in the centre continues, at heavy cost, to push his way yard by yard down tho Mate Valley, where tho abundance of small woods ana broken ground afford maximum protection against machine-gun and artillery fire. Our troops further west have pushed their progress on tho plateau into the valley below this position, in which the enemy believed 'himself firmly established forty-eight .hours ago. It was important for his advance in the centre, as it overlooks tho Mate Valley and commands, the junction of the main roads from Mwitdidier to Beauvragnes and Cuvilly, through which the enemy troops and supplies for tho frdnt lino in the river valley must pass' and also the junction of the Senlis and Oompiegno roads, on which the enemy depends for his advance to the south. The French thus overlook the German centre, and this must already greatly embarrass tho enemy. ENEiVIY HAS FOUR STRONG ARMIES READY Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. „. , _ . L . ... L J LONDON, June 13. Colonel Repmgton (military correspondent of the "Morning Post") says he does not suppose that von Ludendorff will be satisfied until he gains at least Mont Canelon, whioh overlooks Compiegne from the north, and so compel the French in the angle between the rivers to cross to the south bank of the Aisne. The frosh German offensive from tho Soiesons sector is obviously designed to aid the squeezing process by threatening the retreat of tho French who aro still north of the Aisne. . Tho enemy boasts that he has succeeded in engaging and scattering Foch'a reserves; but it is early to claim that the Allied Generalissimo has nothing under Ms hand. The more troops the enemy shows, the easier it will corns for the defender to take precautions. Colonel Ropington saye it seems certain that the enemy has four strong armies, under von Marwitz, von Below, von Quast, and von Arnim between the sea and the Somme. Those have had a long rest, and must bo ready to begin again. . , DEFENCES OF PARIS PROCEED APACE m. t. ■ *i. • xi. * « LONDON, June 13. JUverywnero there is the utmost confidence in General Fooh's army. Tho defences of the city proceed apace. "War provisions have been stored- industries aro being transferred; and thousands of children havo been'sent away. The Government is considering tho question of handling the refugees who are daily arriving from the threatened areas. '.' CAPTURE OF PARIS WILL NOT STOP THE FRENCH c , . , , , . x , . ■ iSYDNEIT, Juno 14. Speaking at a luncheon prior to leaving Australia, M. Chayet French OonsukGeneral, said he was aware before the war of a very careful plan ch n. beeu Prepared f ° r defence of the Central Plateau iii France rhe civilian evacuation of Compiegne was completely by noon on Tuesln the supposititious case of a war with Germany, in which the foe might capture Paris. Hence he was assured that if the Germans did take Paris his country would then continue to fight on with all. their strength and courage. .■ ' ' l OUTLOOK DECIDEDLY MORE CHEERFUL GERMANS! SUFFER A DISTINCT CHECK. A BOOR CHANCE FOR. MAR/OH ON OOMPIEI&NE AND PARIS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. : „ „ „•' . , t . n . ~ Ar ~„ , LONDON, Juno 13. Mr George Perns ('Daily 'Mail" correspondent), cabling this morninosays the outlook is decidedly more cheerful, and the tattle has taken a better turn. The German onset on the third day suffered a distinct chock owinnto a remarkable series of French counter-attacks yesterday. They beerui eastward of the railway, between Domfront and Wacquomoulin a 'distance of eight miles, and the infantry, supported by tanks, swept hack tho Germans along tho whole lino. One French contingent actually reached points within the Gorman front. Tho advance wont well beyond Ru'boseourt and Lo Fretoy and beyond Bcl'loy, to tho border of St. Maur. Meanwhile tho onemy delivered a powerful blow in tho centre, roaching Antheuil in soito of vigorous opposition A further counter-attack from our left centre completely arrested the advance. A certain amount of confusion waa apparent in tho Gorman ranks during these combats, and tho fact that a thousand prisoners and some caniion vero taken speaks eloquently. But these was not their heaviest punishment iVye-wtnosßos say that corpses aro strewn over the battlefield a v t wT7 ™ 01 ? o J r e r l! 'PPc<l into our right centre, but the attempt to debouch by the Mate Valley to tho Oiso .proved a complete failure. The Ironch repulsed repeated assaults at Chevincourt, while March etnont and Bothancourt frequently changed hands. The .battle raged till lato at night Three critical days, with enormous losses, have therefore not given tho enemy any very magnificent result. Von Hutier has met his match Tho French linos this afternoon are held all the war round from tl-m important position of Mery, by St. Maur and Antlieull toll"rest and oX vmoourt Yesterday's counter-attacks mot great bodies of rtho enemv wt i paring to force another advance . Four divisions were ringed on a space of two nulo3; hence tho frightful intensity of tho combat ln ,i n,« „i„ J i 'slaughter The French tanks did escelleiltly, a'dTdid the Z*T*£ S j r£ / e ?F h . ao /°P lanes ; wlll . ch TPt down u POn the battlefiehl before and behind the mfantry, dropping bombs and raining in macl inLurrfi vo wherever a group of enemy soldiers was seen, and thus making «£od numerical inferiority of infantry. nwvi« t kuua our In this way the real battle, which aims at tho destruction of the invaders and not at. territorial gams, ™ s won. Tho Gorman command ope nt avowed its aim this morning, when thero was a now dovolonmnnt ZJ V, - ~ . ca near Fontenoy on tho east flank of the salient from Sin tho Aisne, and also southwards of tho A sne from > m H»™ 7 A " l »eni>, to This wide attack amounts to an admission of Va cTeckwest of £ D £ ramiers ; ofjho .poor propect for a march on Oompiegno andl Part # the °hort«t A FIGHT FOR THE FQjREStT COUNTRY. Router's Telegrams. (Reutor's correspondent, writing from French HoadnnnrterQ" 1 n„ +i?° iw Z b - ° f - the ?! RO i 1 - mVO d -eUod a'Zfatta k't 'bo ll hanks of the Aisne, starting rrom tho lino of Moulins sous Touvont An blem Outry, and Dommiers, and fronting the Oise. Evidontlv ♦£!/„„ Al ! lD ' cn s> ! to march on both banks of the Akno, skirting the vSMttS the north, and to drive tho French not merely out'ofthe™i«liu f ?? of the old Franco-German front of 1916 and X ht r and Montague Forest, but also out of much larpe W> ta^ P f'aT™ P °? ' tween tho old front and tho Aisne, and possibly"out of ? the,Hll yt g r■ b °" pie K no Forest immediately to tho south. There" indicLt L T that ho will bo able to carry out this programme """cation at present GENERAL VON STEIN AND FOCH'S RESERVES ~,, ~ . •. , . AMSTERDAM, June 12. xi. Germnn semi-official messages insist that thero is no fear of the Entente e manoeuvring army interfering in tho present battle several German critics refuse to- accept the War Office view that Fooh's reserves aro exhausted. This official view was emphasised by'tho survey of the militi.rv positions by General von Stein (Minister for War) in the" Reichstag Ho olaimed that by tho great success of the CWwn Prince's attack tho French had boon forced to use their reserves to patch up tho British front 'Hid thus adequate reserves wero wanting at the Chennin-dos-D'amos. The I'Sitento woro coming to reoogniso a heavy defeat. -. , , „ . . ~ -n , IjONDON, Juno 13. Colonol Repmgton says the French counter-attacks givo tho necessarv answer to General von Stein that the Foeh nrmv reservo no longer existed Tho French withdrawal was inevitable, but implies uo lorn <tf valuable positions.

On THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT CONSTANT AND SUCCESSFUL RAIDING. AWARDS GRANTED FOR GALLANTRY. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in the Field.) By Cable, Juno 11. Though recently the New Zealanders have, not been m severe fighting it will havo been noticed that they have been getting a good many immediate awards. This is largely the result of their daring and initiative in successfuLj' raiding the enemy, even in broad daylight. Some of our units have niaae a speciality of this- work, outwitting, killing and capturing tho enemy time after time, and getting oil themselves with hardly a scratch. The name of an Otago man, who goes out with a pal or two when the spirit moves him, and invariably comes back with some prisoners, has spread even to adjoining divisions. "If tho General wants a prisoner he can have one at any time lor the asking," was a recent remark of his. Frequently such raids are planned by n.c.o.s and the men themselves, and battalion commanders and brigadiers know little or nothing of them till they are over and the men produce the goods in the shape of anything up to half a dozen very much surprised Boches. . , . . Some daring New Zealanders go out at night and mark down an enemy post, and on the following day crept up an old labyrinth of communication trenches or across No Man's Land armed with revolvers and bombs. The Bodies, taken by surprise as a rule, surrender, and if there are any who roluse to como in they are promptly dealt with by means of bomb or bullet. The other day some of our men came upon one of these enemy outposts and quickly had it at their mercy. One Germanwho was writing a letter or roaduig a paper in the knew nothing of-the-raid till & stalwart New Zealunaer jumped from the parapet on to his chest. At two o'clock one afternoon two of our n.c.o.'s crept up within teni yards of an enemy post and then, hearing a movement, jumped through the wire and captured two prisoners on top. Om returning they were heavily bombed by the enemy, with the result that the Germans killed one of their own men and wounded one of ours in the arm. With the exception of the dead German the party reached our lines in safety. Tho last of these raids was carried out on a beautiful sunny morning by two n.c.o.'s and four men. They worked down by a hedga till they got a full view of an enemy post. They saw three men shoulder high above the trench.. Tho New Zealanders then moved down another tranob, leaving two men on the watch. The other four worked down beside the hedge, crossed over the enemy wire, and jumped right into the enemy post. Two Germans were, immediately captured. Within a further fifteen yards three bivouacs yielded five mo're prisoners. The raiders with their bag then made their way back across country to the starting point, thence along the southern s ; de of the hedge and so into our own lines without casualty. This method of capturing the Boche without preliminary bombardment saves a lot of money as well as casualties to us.

The following awards have been made:— w ... ... . D.C.M.—Sergeant P. McGregor, Otago. ' '- . ' ' Military Cross.—Second Lieutenant M. Mao Donald, (Rifles Military Medal.—Biflemen F. P. Drury and' W. H. Edwards RiHes • Sergeant O. A. White, Bombardier R. D. Pattie, and Corporal MaoNainara' l'ield Artillery;. Sergeant A. Swainson, Otago. '

GERMANS NOW UNABLE TO CARRY OUT TWO OFFENSIVES REVIEW OF POSITION BY GENEIRAL MAURICE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. "' , „ . •v. ■•■,■„ , ' LONDON, June 13. General Maurice, writing in. the "Daily Chronicle," says:—The Germans have established themselves on the Thiescourt Plateau and the French fell back from the salient to the other bank of the Oise, and'evacuated Carlepont Wood But while the French hold the Belloy Ridge and the heights on liho sduth bank of the Matz. near the junction -with the Oise, they should bo able to hold the I/Aigne Forest Plateau between the Oise and the Aisne and cover Cctmpiegne. With steadily diminishing reserves, Hinderiburg has reached the position when he is unable to maintain the pressure towards Paris and simultaneously attack the British front on the contemplated scale Prince Rupprocht is probably capable of attacking 'heavily, but bis drafts must be dwindling. One of Germany's offensives must now be weakened for the benefit of the other. . " The Germans have now started to attack the Soissons front south of the Aisne, on the eastern flank of the salient in which Conupiegne lies but the danger of this move is lessened by (the success of the French counter-attack which improved the Allies' immediate situation, though the days of anxietv are far from being over. .*...•' CIVILIANS EVACUATE COMPIEGNE ™ '• ~. x- {r . . '• ■ LONDON, j une 13. Tlie civilian evacuation of Oompiegne was completed fey noon on' Tue;>-