THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16985, 23 April 1917, Page 5

THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

PLANNED ON MAGNIFICENT SCALE.

WONDERFUL FIGHTING,

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, April 20. The offensive has developed brilliantly. Since the battle commenced 360,000 new Germans have been recognised. Between Soissons and Auberive we maintain a limitless bombardment. A most important factor is- that every wood and ravine on the banks of the Aisne is filled with in fnutryand cavalry* Muuition trains and automobiles with cannon are waitino- to dash to the front. The capture of Moronvillers was a glorious page in the history of the war. The 1-rcnch general spent weeks in planning the attack He went to the hilltop at dawn on Tuesday and watched his plan earned out. There was a terrific bombardment, then the French charged up five hills and carried one after the other in two hours. Our seventy-fives were soon tearing to pieces the German reserves, who were massed for a counter-attack The daughter was terrible. The prisoners taken between Soissons and Rheims state that they were ordered to hold the first lino at any cost.

(Received April 22, at 5.5 p.m.) The Germans received heavy reinforcements, and the eifect of the bombardment on the crowded trenches was terrific

The army between Soissons and Craonne met with brilliant success in two attacks against Nantenuil andßraye. The Germans managed to hold their positions between the two village's, but the second assault met with excellent results. The troops ascended the slopes of the plateau north of the valley, which the Germans'were using as the northern pivot of their withdrawal from the Somnie.

The French capture of Allies, at the foot of the northern slope of the plateau, was .quite as striking as the capture of Vimy ridge. It was cleared at one run except for the summit.

At Craonne most important results are expected from the capture of Hurtebise Farm to the army operating at Craonne. To the north of Rheims fighting of the fiercest description accurred in the neighbourhood of La Ville aux Bois, where the forest was very strongly organised and packed with mitrailleuses. A clever French manasuvre ended in the surrounding of an important body of the enemy, which surrendered en masse, with many machine .guns. The prisoners exceeded 1700. The snowclad ground east of Rheims curiously assisted the attackers-. The Germans, half frozen and dazed by the bombardment, were so blinded by the reflection of the sun glistening on the snow that they were unable to use their machine guns before the French were upon them. _ The enemy are making a desperate resistance before the French advance at St. Quentin. The French carried the fortified village of jDu Fayet at the point, of the bayonet, taking 400 prisoners, besides enormous losses in German killed and wounded. The prisoners were mostly thin and pale, and showed evidence of great fatigue. The majority were of puny build, very different from' those captured in 1914 or the crack troops used at Monchy and Lagnicourt. Two German divisions which attacked the French at Juvincourt were cut to pieces by the French artillery. Another lost their way like the Germans at Lagnicourt and blundered into their own barbed wire entanglements. They were only extricated at the cost of a large proportion of their effectives.

CONTINUED PROGRESS. MORE EXCELLENT WORK. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Router. LONDON, April 20. A French communique states:—The enemy artillery was active at night south of St. Quentin. Our artillery vigorously replied. We made appreciable progress in the Laffaux region. We repulsed several counter-attacks in this sector. We carried several trenches on the Vanr.lere plateau and. south-east of ,Courcy, and gained, ground east of Loivre. Our barrage and machine gun. fire nullified three stray counter-attacks on the Moronvillers region, with most heavy enemy .losses. Ten enemy aeroplanes have been brought down since April 16. LONDON, April 21. (Received April 22 at 5.5 p.m.) A French communique states:—North of the Aisne there was an artillery duel in the regions of Nanteuil-la-Fosseand Hurte-' bis-e. East of Craonne and' north of Rheims the night was marked by violent mutual artillery work. We made progress here, notably south of Juvincourt and east of Courcy. In the Champagne we repulsed an attack .against Mont Haut. (Received April 22, at 5.5 p.m.) A l'rench communique states-.—Between St. Quentin and the Oise there was great reciprocal artillery activity, particularly north of Grngies. South of the Oise the day was quiet, and north of the Oise we continued to harass the enemy. We continued to make progress in the direction of Chemin-des-Dames. We occupied Sancy. After a violent artillery preparation the Germans, in the evening, attacked with huge effectives in the region of AillesHurtebise. Our fire shattered them completely and repulsed the attack. An artillery duel continues with great energy here. In the Champagne we captured several important strong points in the Moronvillers massif notwithstanding a desperate enemy resistance. Since .April 16 we have taken 19,000 prisoners and captured over 100 guns between Soissons and Avberive.

In the Argonne, after a sharp action, detachments penetrated far into the second German trench system.

LONDON, April 22. (Received April 23, at 0.45 a.m.) A French communique states: There has been violent reciprocal artillery firing, particularly south of St. Quentin and between the Aisne and Chemin-des-dames. Wo continued to make progress on the plateau north of Sancy. We advanced in the region of Hurtebise, our barrage shattering four enemy attempts to leave the trenches north of Braye-en.Laonaise. There is intermittent artillery -work at Rheims and in the Champagne. Altogether 33,000 men have been taken prisoners and 330 guns captured by the Anglo-French, forces between' April 4 and April 19.