THE WEST FRONT

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13816, 22 July 1918, Page 4

THE WEST FRONT

. , OPEBATiaaS REVIEWED j

GERMANY'S AiVIBJnOU3 INTENTIONS POOR RKSI l/i'S ACHIEVED. BRILLIANT I'UEX'di C» H'NTER- - rm ikk. By Tclegr IP i Press A ssoei.it ion. WELKIN* ;Ti i.\, Monday. The (loyenicr-tleneral has received the following telegraphic- summary of the war operations for the week ending July I'.Mli iiimi the .Ministry of Informal ion • The i >rm m offensive of Monday was I n.0.5l ami i.im. ■ ill its illi eai oll s, aimi ing a! vry great results. The Crown | Prince threw i:i his armies under two g. m rats, ! filer a third, and also drew on precious reserves from Prince Rupprechl from where they faced the British in the mirth. He planned two hold ihrusts, downwards towards Chalons, one east of Rheims between Pmray and M..ssigp.es, and the other sotilh-wes! of Rheims on the lint; between Coulommes and Fossoy on the Marne, where |he river flows south and then east along the valley through Epernay to Chalons. The success aimed at would have struck a damaging blow against the French army and brought about tlie fall of Rheims by pinching out Rheims. Though Mheinis had no special military importance, its capture would have satisfied the Corman craving for a highsounding name as an advertisement, and would also have given Ihoni an important, railway junction and possession of useful heights known as the mountain of Kheiiiis, besides crippling future action by the French army or causing it to heavily draw on its reserves, weakening the other fronts. Otherwise this area had no great strategic importance, and from the outset tiie offensive was in difficulties. Un a 23-mile front from Prunay to Massiges the Oermans were immediately held up in the French battle positions, and never succeeded in getting forward except for local advances at three points. On Tuesday General von Kinims' troops launched live attacks on the extreme eastern front. These were not only repulsed, but the French several times were able to go forward and reoccupv the trendies they had given up on the opening of the offensive. The French tosses were slight in men, and none at all in guns, while the Oermans lost, very heavily in men and tanks in their advance. Poor results followed the German crossing of the Marne west of Rheims. On a front of 20 miles they got from two to three miles deep only at points. The Americans on the extreme left countered brilliantly, recaptured their old positions, and drove back the enemy across the river. On Tuesday the Germans. pressed forward to the line of St. Agnan-la Chapelle-Monthodon, but the French attacked at mid-day on four miles of a front south of Dormans. They advanced COOO yards and recovered the heights south of the river, and by the evening were heavily shelling the Cerman crossings. However, the enemy still obstinately but slowly crept on down the Marne, and by Wednesday night had approached the forts of Rheims. lb re they were driven back by the Italians as far as the line of Clarizet, which the Italians held. So far the Oermans' progress had been trivial compared with the magnitude of the operations, and the opening movements must be considered a {severe failure. They had hoped the next morning after the attack to have advanced to a depth of 12 miles, but by the evening of the third day their greatest advance was only six miles. The great Cerman drive lias been stopped and has dwindled into fluctuating local encounters, offering very little gain at a very disproportionate cost—

the attack in fact had been fully foreseen and prepared for, so that the element of surprise was eliminated and the first mpaet. which means so much, lost all its value by the splendid resistance of tlx 1 French and Americans. It must be remembered, though, that the enemy still lias a considerable number of reserves, and can either strengthen his assault iiere with them or open a big attack elsewhere. .Meanwhile the check must be grievously embarrassing. The time limit for active campaigning is now perilously short, and not only are his promises to the anvious German people still unfulfilled, but the American troops are now present in such numbers as to threaten his numerical superiority, besides giving disturbing proof of their quality. Now, in I lie midst of this failure, the French have brilliantly struck on the West, and in six hours on Thursday morning had advanced farther ttian the Hermans had been able to go in three days on the whole of a 27 miles' front between l-'ontenoy and Belleau. The French have made a deep advance by tanks without gunfire, and already their success is well marked. The greatest depth attained is eight miles, to the ravine on the northern front of the Crise river and also to .Montague do Paris, three miles from Soissons, and from the Conner point they will soon directly the junction of Hie two railways running to Chateau Thierry and Hlieims. These ;ire the only lines In which the Herman fronts here <■:• 11 be supplied, and it' the French m: tillKiin their hold tin- Herman position in the salient will In-come e\lri~ ordinarilv dilheult. I hi I heir oilier fronts the llrilish and l"r. ii!" 11 pursue their policy of co;islaidly keeping (lie enemy live|\ and .•■.iplliriUi; successive local and impuii|a• > 1 points, iin Sunda\ the Kniilish did , excellent work on the ridue easl ! nirheinixch Lake, reeaptoring ground. [ oi' 11 if ni'.si import nice m this lid I eoiiiilry on a front of •Jllliil yards, willi .'Koi prisoners.