ENEMY ASSAULTS WELL HELD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 1658991, 18 July 1918, Page 5

ENEMY ASSAULTS WELL HELD.

GREAT FIGHTING BY FRENCH AND AMERICANS. NEW ZEAIANDEKS MAKE A KAID. BISING IN MOSCOW SUPPfiESSED. Press Association—By Tel.—-Copyright.

Australian and, N.Z. Cable Aran. Received 6.5 pan., July 16th. LONDON, July 16. Probably sixty German divisions were engaged. If so it suggests tlint this is undoubtedly their main, offensive. Tboy launched the first attacks between 4 and 4.30 a.m., while a mist was hanging over the Marne valley, assisting tho attackers. The bombardment, including gas shells, was most intense between Prunny and Massignes. Jt was reported at mid-day yesterday that their assaults wero everywhere hild up except on the Souain road, near Prosnes, and at Prunay. The enemy, westward of Rheims at midday advanced a, maximum depth of wo to three miles on a front of twenty miles Tho Germans failed to gain high ground eastward of Rheiins, where the maximum depth of advance was a mile ind a half. Thev crossed tho Marao in a heavy mist, in difficult grout' owing to thick woods, and deep gullies. There were adequate French reserve behind tho sectors. SMALL FIRST DAY ADVANCE. The "Morning Post's" Paris correspondent says that tho offensive has not met with anything like the success achieved on the first day of each of it? four predecessors. If the Germans relied on the element of surprise they wero wofully disappointed. No sooner had they begun thor artillery preparation than masses of Allied guns took up the challenge, with such good effect that thero is reason to hope that the Germans suffered much more from our counter-fire than our infantry did from theirs. Tho violence of the Allied r;-plv may be gauged by tho fact that, the sound of tho guns was never so distinctly heard in Paris. Windows rattled in every part of the city. Tin's hsd not happened 'n tho three previous offensives, when tho guns were muen nearer tho city. AMERICANS VICTORIOUS. _ (Router's Telegrams.) American Headquarters, Monday evening.—The Americans at the river bend now command the river front ec. that the German plan liere is com-; pletoly upset. Famous German divisions on the left of the "bend atternpeed nil day to cross, but all their assaults withered under our fire, and not a single German crossed. Prisoners taken in the counter attack number between a thousand and fifteen hundred, i including a oomplot-. brigade staff, Tho Germans retired hesitatingly at; first, but soon many broke and ran. Within throe hours the enemy was driven back from the river. American machine-gunners contributed most effectively to defeating the enemy plans. GERMAN ANTICIPATIONS FALSIFIED. PARIS, July 16. Semi-official orders found on prisoners state that the Germans expected to'reach Eperaay on the evening of the 15th, Chalons-sur-Mame on the 16th. and Sezanne on the 17th. They employed thirty to thirty-five divisions. Owing to heavy losses tho shock division, instead of be.ng relieved in the. evening was sent bick during the morning to be reformed. Hundreds of German dead are hanging in our barbed wire, and numerous enemy tanks strew tl'o ground. COMMENTS ON THE BATTLE. IMMEDIATE AIM OF ATTACK. Auntralinn and N.Z. Cable Assn. Received 7.25 p.m., July 16th. It will take three or four days to learn whether this is tho final Gorman attack. There are indications that Hindenburg has not yet shown Jus whole hand. Probably tho Germans themselves still do not know whether the attack lias disclosed a weakness which will make it 'desirable to launnh a final attack. It is thus far certain,

that tho attack r/as an attempt to capture Rheims by operations east and west, thus straightening the German line" by linking the Marne salient with the line east of Eheinis. General Foc!i was always prepared for this move, j which has long been obvious. SOME POSSIBILITIES. 'Mr Gibba is of opinion that Prince "Rupert of Bavaria may be ordered to make a number of holding attaclts {■gainst the British, and strike a number of hammer blows with the object of keeping the Br ; tisli heavily engaged. Apart from the early morning fog the weather was not. favourable to the enemy. South winds prevented ilio nso of poison gas, as on the .open moorlands they were likely to Blow biiek the, ftunas of tbeir own shells upon the assailants. AMERICANS' BRILLIANT WORK.. Tlie American counter-attack on one Marne, in which they took a tkous?,nd piisoners, was a most brilliant episode The Americans held a four kilometro front, where the bombardment was the heaviest the Americans had ever been subjected to. It lasted for ten hours, but they stuck it without turning a hair. The ferocity of the American response, and the machine-gunning of infantry in the counter-attack, drove The Bosches to the river in such hasse that many were drowned in attempting to cross it. One artillery unit, being short of ammunition, called for volunteers to travel three miles over a sheilswept road. Eve.-y man volunteered A number of picked men drove hows and caissons at a gallop through tho shellbursts. When tho horses were killed tho men cue them out of the harness. They managed to bring up ammunition. THE BRITISH FRONT. ' ■NEW ZEALANTJErIT SUCCESSFUL RAID. Sir Douglas Haig reports: New Zea-j landers were 6uccetsfiii in a raid iu| the neighbourhood of Hebuterne. They! took prisoner over tt/rty and twelve machine-guns. Wo slightly improved our line in the Villus Brettonneux fcecior after sharp fighting. Hostile ar-l tillery is active sou'.h-westward of Allert and somewhat active at different points on the northern British front. HUNS BREAK THE RULES. NEWTORK, July 15 The New York 'Times" correspondent on tho West' front states that the Huns are using explosive machine-gun bullets. FRENCH REPORT. TO MONDAY EVENING. LONDON, July 16 (4.40 p.m.). French commuirique.--The battle continues. Towards the end of the afternoon and last evening it redoubled in violence between Chateau Thierry and Rheims. Tho enemy, accentuating his efforts to enlarge his gains, launched ruinous attacks. The fighting was particularly violent south of the Marne, in the region of Chatilion T> ranco-American troops resisted the enemy magnificentlv. and counter-at-tacked vigorously on several occasions. LIMITS OF GERMAN ADVANCE ENEMI LOSSES HIGH. South of the Mi.rne the Germans were unable to pass the line St. Agnan La Chapelle, Mont Honon and the southern confines of the forest of Douquigny. We took a thousand prisoners in this region. We hold Mareufsep, north of the Marne. We held «ue enemy at the southern approaches to Chatilion and the south-western borders of Rodemat wood. Thero is no appreciable change on the rest of the line. Tho enemy made no attempt during the night.

East'of Rheims the Germans, ex- j liausted by -fruitless strugglo yester- ■' day, wore imablo to pass beyond our cover zone, which runs through Pruriay, the southern borders of the woods northward of the Roman hi?h road as far as tibe Suippes region, and north' of Souain to Perthes-les-Urlus. Our battle positions have not Been encroached upon a,nywhere. Prisoners report that the German losses yesterday were extremely high. i NOTE FROM AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS. Australian and N.Z. Gable Assri. Received 0.15 a.m., July 18th.J LONDON, July 16. Router's correspondent at American. Headquarters, writing on the 16tih, reports:—Tho whole b&ttlefield indicates, except in a few minor localities, thai, the offensive hitherto has been a complete failure. New prisoners are ■saying they are convinced that they are beaten. An enemv carrier ' pigeon, captured east of Chateau Thierry, was bearing a message, saying: "Situation serious. No chance of making farther progress in this locality." East, of Rheims, early this morning we are riotr only holding up enemy attempts to advance but appear to have broken : their spirit. In one place here our counter-attack drove,the enemy from a salient. In the refrion of Fossoy wo i/riproved our positions at night drove tho enemy across tho river, taking prisoners. BELIEVED TO -BE TBE MAIN•'', OFFENSIVE. United Service. Received 11 p.m , July 17th. LONDON, July 16 (3.30 plm.). The latest news ptates that the Crown Prince continues a heavy attaofc east of" Rheims, and that the Frenc'a are resisting valiantly in battle positions two miles behind the front lines. Tn ere is similar pressure west of Rheims. The Germans' penetration nowhere exceeds four miles. « Everything indicates that the enemy organised the attack on a great scale. The troops include a large proportion of Prince Riipprecht's reserves, therefore it is regarded as improbable thjr. the enemy will attempt a simultaneous attack on the Amiens or the Flanders front. i RESULTS SO FAR SATISFACTORY. ' Thus far the whole situation ife distinctly gopd. It 's too early to claim a definite repulse. v j Mr Gerald Campbell reports: No further enemy gains. Counter-attacks slightly gained on tho Marne. The. Germans admit the severity of the resistance. They claim to have taken 13,000 prisoners.