ALLEGED BRITISH BOLOIST.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 165562, 14 June 1918, Page 5

ALLEGED BRITISH BOLOIST.

Press Association —By Tel.—Copyright.

Australian and N.Z. Cablo Assn, }

OFFICIAL FRENCH REPORT.

Received 7.20 p.m., Juno 14th

LONDON, Juno 12. i Tho battle has ono most serious aspect Von Hatter's attack is gaining territory west of tho Oiso, whence the French liad to retire to Ribecenrt, as tho river was bchnd them, unbridged. Tho withdrawal created, a deep salient on tho left bonk of /he oi.se, from Ribeconrt to Sempigny. | salimt is only four miles wide nt tho narrowest point, so that readjustment of tho French lino may bo essential. Vor. Hntier's plans included th« captnre of Comp'e«ne by Sunday eveni»r. bnt General Schooler's cavdUy still have six miles to go.

EXEMY ATTACK FORESTALLED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reuter. Received 10.30 p.m., Juno 13th. LONDON, Juno 12 (7.20 p.m.'i French communique—On our right the Germans, despite repeated efforts, wero unablo to debouch on tlio southern hank of the Matx. "Wo hold tho southern part of Chovlncourt, and Tho .station at St. Aurmatz. According to latest information our counter-attack yesterday forestalled powerful enemy attack which vrns being prepared on tho samo front. Wo encountered great forces, Vhich w>> over-ran. Tho prisoners taken by ono of our divisions belonged to four different enemy divisions.

TRUST IX AMERICA. ] NEW YORK. June 12. The Xow York "Times" Paris correspondent states that tho enemy is •letermincd, at whatever cost, to hasten the climax of tho battle. Tins i« proved by tho Crown Prince borrowing four divisions from Prir.eo Ruppreeht. Paris !>elieves that General Foch will ho able to hold the lino for four months, when there will ho a million anil n quarter of Americans in Frauce.

DESPERATE FIGHT IN PROGRESS. Scuth of tho Aisno tho Germans th's morning attacked between the ri\ er and <he forest of Villers Cotteret s. Desecrate fighting is occurring on tho front from Domniers-Outry to tjxe south of Amblony.

DESPERATE COMBATS. GAINS AND LOSSES. Received 0.50 a.m., Juno 14th. South of tho Aisno desperate conthafca took place, sometimes hand-to-hand. Vjetween tho river and Villers Cotterets forest. Wo stoutly resisted the attacks of tho enemy, who progressed slightly on the plateau west of tho Tillages "of Domniors and Out-y | His efforts against Ameleny and St. Pierre Rcgalo failed. North of the Murne we'captured Mont© Court les Roue.uedau. north of Elonp, and the southern part of Bnssiares. _ i Aeroplanes yesterday participated in our counter-attack on tho front Montdidier-St. Maur. bombing and dispersing enemy divisions coming to meet the shock, convoys woro stopped, heavy batteries deserted and ..gunners ceased fire altogether. Twenty-sis tons; of vroiect'los were dropped, in addition | to thirteen tons in the night tinio on an enemy station. Thirteen eneioy machines wero foiled yesterday. i

GKR.MAXY CLAIMS OBJECTIVES GAINED. PARIS. Juno 12. | It is too early to estimate the results of tho cisceessful French counterattack, tint it is significant that. * German communique states that, the intended results of tho battlo have, been gained.

BRITISn FRONT QUIET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Assa«nd Router. Received 9.20 p.m., June 13th. lOXDOX, Juno 12 (10.30 Sir Douglas Harg reports*.—The French rncccssfully raided on the night of tho 11th in tho neighbourhood ot Ix<re. There is nothing special to report on the British front.

FURTHER NEWS FROM FRENCH FRONT. A French communique states: —Between Montdidior_ and tho Oise iJio oiK-my lenewcd his pressure. All hisattempts on our left to recapture our yesterday's pains fnilcd. Wo progresso.l in tlio region of Belloy wood and St. Maur, and took four hundred more prisoners, and several guns and nimi'-v----ous machine-guns. There is no chango on tho St. Maur-Anthouil front. Th-i Ger:r.nns on our right renewed his attacks on the Mntz river, and aft t several costly attempts gained a footinc on the southern bank, and also tl;« villago of Melicoeq and -the heights of Rorord Crosrs. Our troops east of the OUo on Monday night effects withdrawal on the lino Bailly-Tracy Low., vest of Nampeai, protected l>y a covering detachment which masked the movement. We repulsed an enemy attack in the region of Hautebraye and took some prisoners.

SUPREMACY IX THE AIR

Newspapers draw attention to the fact that the Germans aro no longer npotiing their air losses. This is clearly the result of tho Allied superiority. One British squadron downed lOfi enemy machines in six weeks, of which twenty-two wero destroyed in one day. and other squadrons "downed fifty in a month.

GOOD NEWTS FROM FRENCH FRONT.

ENEMY CHECKED AND PUNISHED.

fßea tor's Telegrams.) Received 8.5 p.m., June 13th. LONDON, Juno 12 Renter's correspondent at French Headquarters, witting on the morning of the 12th says:—The enemy's main effort on the lino Chevincourt-Mache-rcr.nt-Bethnnconrt was a conmlotc failure. Under tho firo of our nincnincguns and artillery the German infantry waves hes'tated, and were rolled back. In the centre tho Germans g«>t momentary possession of Machemout, but-were elected by a, counter-Attack. It is now known that tho German* l«esnn ibe_ battle with fourteen divbions. which were all engaged. The first- tlav's attack, in tlie centre along the valley of the Mats, which was the most_ (successful. was entrusted to rive divisions, including somo of the enemy's best troop, ono a Guard ami one_ a Chasseur division. Tlie enemy's rna'n objective on the first day was a Keck of wooded bills between the Gise and the Matr, which he turned bv an advance down tho Mats valley. Aff-»r three days hard fighting he" reached tlio first day's objectives, in this tjunrto>\ The second day's objective wns the city of Compicgne. which is ptill far away, and was brought no nearer by yesterday's fighting. A moit memorable incident of tl>e battle was the defence of Plemont bv ravalrvmen. Th's hill was the mam French ol*=ervntory post in tho I„issigny .«>c:or._ It was defended by d'-s----mounted Cuirassiers, a few hundred strong. They held out against incessant attacks from four o'clock on Sunday morning till midday on Monday The commander sent wireless messages hourly, saying. "Defenders still holding out." * Tlie last message \vh>n tho bill was surrounded. said "W«» :»re done for." The Cn'rassiprs Mtccnmbed to tho twentieth attack in ihirty-twc hours. In the Mats valley a crack Germnnj Chnwenr division wan cnt to pieces and the Guards also suffered very' heavy losses. On our left enemy divisions were engaged in a three davs battle for a line of villages which are sti'l c n our bands. The encmv must have Wt liaJt their r.nmbers on the fseld. We nnivj held «imo point* on th» oriirina! German lines. Tlie general imnressinn is that although the battle will continue for several days the enewy nisi:s stemmed.

BRITISH FLIERS. ASSISTING FRENCH FORCES. Received 11-30 p.m.. Juno 13th. LONDON. Juno 13 (2 30 a m> Sir Douelas Haig's aviation report slatfs: —Our aeroplanes assisted the French counter-attack on tho western portion of the Xoyon battlefront on the 11th. by special patrols Jealnf; with German machines and by vigorous and const«nb bombing of tho enemy's trenches, gun positions, and t-oinmunications. In the same area we. destroyed ten German aeroplanes and drove" down four uncontrollable. The British lust three. Two British machine.-* that wc-ro missing yesterday returned to-day. Anglo-French s"uco Ui« Gorman attack on tho Noyon sector, dropped twenty-one tons of bom'»s anil accounted for twenty-nino enemy machines. On the British front tiro German machines were shot down and two were driven down uncontrollable: one British machine is missing. Ni-lht fliers heavily attacked the r.Vluav at Cambrai, and billets at Fh-mieourt.

V li'lIIIlUHl L. GERMAN REPORT. TELLS OF FTJRTJTER. GATXS. Admiralty—Per 'Wireless Pros?. Received 9-Jo p.m., Juno 13th. LOXDOX. June 12. Gorman official. —Wo repulsed 'with Itoaviiit losses a French counler-ntt:u-k south-west of Xoyon. We threw the enemy hack along the whole front from Lo Pleyron to Anihciiil, an'l denied the onemy out from west, of tho Ois". northward to tho junction of tho Matz. Prisoners now total KS.OOO. Tlie onemy evacuated C'liuvlort wood. Wo, pursuing, readied a running northward of Hailv. through Tracey Leval. to westward of Nonweel. Thero was hard fighting en tho 11th. Von Ilutier repulsed «u expected counter-attack- for the recapture of a croup of hills south-west <".F Xoyon. carried oiifc in strength by several French divisions. Armoured ears, brought in great number's, wore shot to pioros on the battlefield. Our ceiinter-iittflok shattered tho enonr'"s r.fsauit. Between Mory and Bolloy litter fighttng took place until nightfall W<> riVe ptirsiiinc: tho enemy' beyond and Caisnes. Tho enemy, i.faiths* ftj saor'iinw. kept up his atirsMir. iierlh-wrst of C'haieau Thierry, vhii-t: broke Vlov.-n .-.anguinarily.