THE ALLIED OFFENSIVE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14868, 17 September 1918, Page 5

THE ALLIED OFFENSIVE.

FRUSTS OF THE ST. MIHIEL

ATTACK.

EXTENSIVE AMERICAN CAP-

TURES

EFFECTIVE AERIAL CO-OPERA-

TION,

KING GEORGE'S CONGRATULA-

TIONS,

(Australian and N.Z Cable Association

and Reuter.)

London, Sept. 15

An American official message states: In the St. Mihiel sector our advanced units maintained touch with the enemy force aud reprjsed a counter-attack in the region of Jaulny.

We are now able to estimate the success obtained during.the two previous days. The dash and vigour of our troops and of the valiant French divisions with Avhich we fought shoulder to shoulder are shown by the fact that the forces attacking both faces of the salient effected a junction and secured the results desired within 27 hours.

Besides liberating over 150 square miles of territory and taking 15,000 prisoners, we captured a mass of material over a hundred guns of all calibres, and hundreds of machine guns and trench mortars.

Despite the enemy during the retreat burning large stores, a partial examination of the battlefield show s that great quantities of ammunition, telegraph and railroad material, rolling stock, clothing and equipment wore abandoned.

Further evidence of the haste with which the enemy retreated is revealed in the fact that unbroken bridges were left behind.

The French bombing and reconnais-. sance units ? and also the British and Italian units, divided with our air service the control of the air, and contributed materially 'to the success of the operation. The King telegi:aph"ed to President Wilson:—"On behalf of Ihe British Empire, I heartily congratulate you on the brilliant achievement of the Allied troops under the leadership of General Pershing at the St. Mihiel salient. The far-reaching resujts of these successful operations, which marked the active intervention of the American Army on a great scale under its own administration, are the happiest augury for the complete and, I hope, not far distant, triumph of the Allied cause."