ADVANCE STEMMED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 228, 14 June 1918, Page 5

ADVANCE STEMMED

: SITUATION NOW A TASK OF I ENDURANCE 3 I ' . J E ' . > [ ' > . HEAVY .LOSSES INFLICTED Tho great battle which began on the Montdidier-Noyon front etill rages with unremitting intensity, and the tido ebbs and flows with the fluctuations of tho fighting. Although new points of tho lino are threatened by large forces, there are signs that the German advance, has now been stemmed. Everywhere on the Allies' sido a feeling of resolute confidence prevails. The Germans claim a large number of prisoners, but . the Allies on their side have not been idle, as the reports indicate. In addition, the undoubted superiority of our airmen over the Germans has resulted in very heavy all , losses on tho German side. In "fact, the enemy, for obvious reasons, does not now publish his air losses. Shortly stated, the eituation, according to one dispatch, has resolved itself into a question of endurance. The strain is likely to last for the next few months, by the end of which tiir-e the steady flow of reinforcements from America will have begun to make its influence felt. • i> TIDE OF BATTLE EBBS AND FLOWS LATEST NEWS FROM FRANCE ENEMY TRIES ANOTHER POINT OF ATTACK B7 Telegraph-Press Aflsociation-Oopyrlgrht. (Eec. June 13, 8.15 p.m.) „,,-,, ' London, June 12, Haulers correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on the morniu" of June 13, says: "The enemy's main effort on the Chevincourt, Maehomont °and Bethancourt line was a complete fai.ure. Under the fire of our machine-»uns and' artillery, the German infantry wares hesitated, and were rolled back. In the centre the Germans gut momentary possession of Machemont but were ejected by a. counterattack. It is now known that the Germans began the Kittle with lourteen divisions, which were, all engaged, on the first day. The attack in the centre along tho valley of the Mate, which was tho most successful, was entrusted to five divisions, which included tome of the enemy's best troops, one Guards and one Chasseurs division. The enemy's main objective on tho first day was to block the vropded hills between the Oiee and the Mate, which he turned by an advance down the Mate Valloy. After threo days' hard fighting he reached his hrst days objective in this quarter. His twonJ. day's objective was the citv of umipiegne. which is still fur away, and wa<3 brought, no Bearer by vestrvuav's <i«hting. Ihe most memorable incident of the battle was the defence of Plemo'nt by the cavalrymen. This hill was the mmn French observatory poft in tho Jasjiigny sector, and was defended by dismounted Cuirassiers a few hundred strong J-hey held out against incessant attacks from i o'clock on Sunday niornin" till midday on Monday. Their commander sent, wireiess messages every hour saving that the defenders were still holding out. The last message, sent when the'lilt was surrounded, said: "Wo are done for.'- . The Cuirassiers succumbed to the twentieth attack m thirty-two hours. la the Matz Valley (he crack Genivm Chasseur division was cut to pieces. The Guards also suffered the heaviest lasses. On our left the enemy divisions were engaged in a three days' battle for a line of vihage.? which are still in; our hands. They must havo left half their numbers on the field. We now hold some points on the original German lines. The general impression is.that although tho battle will continue for several days yet the enemy's rush has been stemmed."—Reuter. ' , THE OFFICIAL REPORTS • All ENEMY'S-ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER-ATTACK SHATTERED HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The High Commissioner reports:— , _ ' „ . • , , , ■ London, June 12, 3.20 p.m. A French official report states: "The Montdidier-Oise battle continues without great change. Wβ have made fresh pi-ogress east of Mery and tho ' Senlis Wood. Violent German attempts to throw us out of the Arondo front were repulsed. South of the Aisne desperate fighting is proceeding." . -p , a, . , . , , London, June 12, 120 p.m. A French official communique states: "Between Montdidier and tho Oi<o the battle continued without any great ohango yesterday evening. Last night on tho lett all tho onoray s attempts to counter-attack were shattered. Wβ progressed east of Mery and tho Senlis Wood. The Germans, by violent attacks, also attempted to drive us back on tho Arondo on the front St. Mnur-Desloges FarmAntheuil. Wβ bore the shock, inflicted very heavy losses on the attackers, and maintained the positions. The Germans are attacking between the Aisne and the forest of Vihers Cotterets. Desperate fighting is proceeding."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. (Rec. June 13, 10.30 p.m.) . _ , . London, June 12. 7.20 p.m. A French communique states: "On our right, the Germans, despito repeated efforts, were unable to debouch on tho southern bank of the Matz. We hold the southern part of Chevincourt and tho station at St. Mttr, on the Matz. According to the latest information our counter-attack yesterday forestalled a powerful enemy attack which was being prepared on tho same front. We encountered groat forces, which we overran. The prisoners taken by one of our divisions belonged to tour different enemy divisions. South' of the Aisne the Germans this niornin" attacked between the river and the forest of Villers Cottereta. Desperate fig!;ting is in progress on the Domniers-Outry front, south of Aiubleny'."—Aus.-N.Z Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' (Eeo. June 13. 11.30 p.m.) a r 1 ■ 1 1 , m ~ London, June 13, 2.30 a.m. A French communique states: "Between Montdidier and the Oise the enemy renewed Ins pressure. All his attempts on our left to recapture our yesterday's gams failed. We made progress in the region of Belloy Wood and St. Maur, and took 'fflfl moro prisoners, several guns, and numerous machine-guns. There is no change ou the St. Mau.r-Antheuil front. The Germans on our right renewed their attacks on the Matz Eiver, and after sevoral costiy attempts gained a footin- on the southern bank and also in the village of Melicocq, and the heights of Eicord tross. Our troops east of the Oise on Monday night effected a withdrawal on the Bailly-lraey-Leval line, west of Nampcal, protected by a covering detachment which masked the movement. Wo repulsed an enemy attack in the rosrion of Haute Braye and took prisoners. . "South of the Aisne desperate* combats, sometimes in hand-to-hand oc-curred-between the river β-nd the Forest of Villers Cotterets. Wo stoutly resisted the attacks ot the enemy, who , made slight progress.on the plateau west of tho yil ages of Bomraicrs and Outry. His effort against Amblony and St. Piorre Aiele tailed. North of the Marne we captured Monto Courtlos, Bounuedon Nnrfh Eloup, andj the southern part of Bussiares." . ON THE BRITISH FRONT (Eec. June 13, 9.20 p.m.) ' c . ' , ■ London, June 12, 10 M d m Sir Douglas llaig reports: "The French successfully raided the neighbourhood of Lowe or, the niffht of June 11. There is nothing special to report on the Br tish front."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutcr. THE GERMAN REPORT (Eec. June 13, 0.1-5 p.m.) -A wireless German official report states: "Wo repulsed with™ losw a [Tench cmmter-attatlc south-west of Noyon. and threw the eimmy back E 10 whole front from ].e Pioyron to Anll.eu.il. We cleared fho our my out' 0 ,1 lie west bank of (.lie Oisc northward of its junction with the Mat/, Tic nun bw 0! prisoners now totals thirteen thousand. The enemy counted Crleno t Wood, mid, purening h lln , we reached a line running northward of Baillv thrX Irncey-le-Val to tho westward of Nampcol. Thero was-hard fighting or Junoll Von Hutier repulsed an expected oou,nter-nllock for the recapture of a group of hille south-west of Noyon, and carried out in strength by several Frenchdivi SlOll9. Armoured cars which had been brought up in great numbers were shot to Pieces on the baltiefieH. Our counter-attack shattered tho enemy's assairi bo tween Mery and Belloy. Bitter fighting continued until nightfall We are 1, ,T siiinir the enemy beyond Carlepont and Caisnos. Tho enemy, rcardlcss of k r rificcs, kept-up his attacks north-west of Chateau Thierry. These broke down wilh sanguinary losscs.'-Aiis.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcuter. mounwiin THE WAR IN THE AIR (Eec. Juno 13, 11.30 p.m.) Bir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: "Our aeroplanes awtsted tiie° French counter-attack on the western portion of tho Noyon battlefront on June, u by special patrols dealing with tho Gorman machines and conducting vigorous and constant bombings of the enemy's trenches, gun positions, and communications in the samo area. Wo destroyed ten Gorman aeroplanes and drove down four out of control. The Biifash lost three. Two British 'planes which wore reported

missiiij yesterday have returned. The Anglo-French ■ squadrons siuco tho German attack on the Noyon sector have dropped' twenly-ono tons of bomlw and accounted for twenty-nine 0 Ihs enemy s machines. On the British front" two l.erman inachines were shot down and two were driven down out of control. One I ritish niachino is imsaiiig Our nighl-fhers heavily attacked the rainvav at tambrai and billets at I'lemicotu-t."—Aus.-N".Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. THE FRENCH REPORT. (Rcc. Juno U, 0.50 a.m.) A French official report slate: "Our aeroplanes yesterday "J'ariic&Un our counter-attack 011 Ihe Jlont.luher-Ht. Mmiv front Iwinbing u 1 lispersi ig onemy divisions which were coming to meet ,Hhe shock. The convoys wore stopped, and the, heavy batteries were deserted, and the gunners ceased fire. Altogether twenty-six tons 0 projectiles wero dropped, in addition to thirteen ons at night-time on the onemv-g stahone. Thirteen enemy machines wore brought down yesterday."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Keuter. A SIGNIFICANT BLANK. (Rec. Juno 13, 8.40 p.m.) The newspapers draw attention to the fact lhat the German por ing their an- osscs. This 15 clearly tho result of the Allies' superiorilv. One Untish sciuadron brought down 10b enemy machines in six weeks of which'"" were destroyed in one day. Another squadron brought down 50 in one month-4us-J\./i. Cable Assn. COMMENT ON THE SITUATION VON HUTIER'S PRESENT OBJECTIVE iru r< 1 .Tim , 'London, June 12. Hie German advance nt Ribecourt mminces the French hold on Mont Eenaud, jihici m the key lo He Owe Valley,-ami endangers the whole salient marked •ftrfwS' 8 ? , ?, lbscom " "nd-So'soiis.. The German success in. the centre is lo (he unexpectedly laige mimljer of tanks employed, some of which slipped through tho 1-rciich anti-tank borrow. Tho success of Foch's rou.nterattnek 111 the centre, recovering three ami a half-miles of country, howsvw. shows that the fighting qualities of the defenders are still unimpaired Tho seriousness of the position must -lot be minimised, as Von Hutier's present .-bjective is fitrictly limited—namely, to straighten out the battlefront between Il4tdidier and Soissons. Ihe German Wscs are manifestly very great. It is climated that three hundred thousand fresh troops hnvo been thrown into the battle in the last twenty-four horn-?. His impossible to suramarise tlio fivn-h suffering and heroism, but as a typiiMl opisode a party of dismounted ca.alry rteteiuhng Plemont has beaten orf assaults upon the bill The latest German tanks are lightly armoured. They weigh 'about forty con?, have i\ speed of nine miles an hour, and carry a SJ-inoh gun mounted fbrwurd in a(Vutm:i lo half a dozen machine-uuns-. Ijilikc Iho British machine, the caterpillar movement-band is under covsr, except when in contact with tho ground Ihe German losses tnay be justified -f Vm Hutier's objective is gained ov if Fooli is compelled to weaken the high defence in order to hold the Oi*c Vnll'pv Ah' critics agree that if Foch is compelled to put in his reserves LndenJorff will launch a sfaggenrg attack 111 the dircoti m of Ihe Channel ports. It is estimn'ed tbat Von Hutier has twenty-five rosoms divisions, mast of which have already been used once. The fact that Von IFutier is continually putting in fresh shock divisions in massed formation shows the Germans' determination to carrv (ho r-r terprise through.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Atsn. J THE MOST SERIOUS ASPECT (Rcc. June 13, 7.20 p.m.) The most serious aspect of Von Hutier's attack is the gain'of '(erritoi-v Ivnsr of the Oise. from which the French had to retire to Ribeco°urt Lth • 'or ™ behind them ami unbndged. Iho withdrawal has created a deep French salient on the left bank of the O,so from Ribecourt to Sempigny.. Tho salient ifonTy four miles wide at its narrowest point, so tho readjustment of tho French lino may bo essential. Von Hutier's plans in elude tho capture of Compiegne hy Sun#kf V T ne, GeDerai Schooler's cnvairy still has six miles to go.-Aiis.-N.Z. "IF WE HOLD THE FORESTS" Comment in Paris shows marked satisfaction with T osterdayl O "fi»fc'-n,,! a con inuance 0 invinciblo confidence tinged with some , eMM . i*. >■ • fom e Libre says: "Wljeu the Ixittio um wid.d the enemy may havo rewve? h " ZIt is top early to ostimate Hie results of the successful French coiintoMttacls* l^^ttie^rSLßu^Z-'KS: MeS thttt THE RUMOURS OF NAVAL ACTIVITY . A considerable body of British naval opinion supports view that a sea battle may synchronise with tho next -rent a hcl 011 he 1 l! front It is honored that if the G™, think they S(W • ai^n'x^s^i^Kr' 0 strain A^ ' THE MENACE TO THE CAPITAL ■ While the committee appointed by M. Clemencoau is the defence of the city, 1 must bo emphasised that tho Gov , fc e of 6teftdy ,wnibard - nt - * FOCH CONFIDENT General Foch, replying to a message from iho British Ex-Solder/"Associa-tion,, expressing per foot faith that ho and his gallant men will again stem tho tide of invasion, said: "I share entirely your confidence."-Renter. TIME, AND THE AMERICANS (Rec. Juno 13, 7.20 p.m.) t Mr. Grasty, the New York "Times" Paris correspondent, states that the enemy is determined at whatever cost lo hasten tho climax of the battie. This is proved by the Crown Prince borrowing four divisions from • Prince Rupprecht Paris opinion believes that General Foch will be able to hold Hie line for four months when there will bo a million and a quarter Americans in France —Aus -N Z* Cable Assn. ' . PRESIDENT WILSON APPEALS TO LABOUR "WE ARE FACING THE CRUCIAL MONTHS." June 13, 5.5 p.m.) t. •, 1. „,., , New York i Ju,le 12 - President Wilson has addressed a message to the Federation, of Labour thanking the workers for their co-operation, adding: "111-considered and unjustified interruption of essential labour at this stage would make it impossible for us to win tho war, -We are facing tho crucial months of the struggle, when Labour's undivided effort will be indispensable."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

IF—? THE LATEST~GERAIAN PEACE FEELEK. Amsterdam, Juno I". The "lvrcuz Zeitung" says ihat tho iv.ar cannot bo ended by the settlement of territorial difficulties, but if England assures tho freedom of tho se.'s by reducing her Navy and dismantling Gibraltar. Malta, Aden, and Singapore, and internationalising those harbours, Germany wouid not need tho Fkudors coast, and would surrender Belgium.—Aus.-N '/. Cablo Assn. (Rec. Juno. 13, 9.55 p.m.) Amsterdam, Juno 12. The "Kreuji Zeitung," developing its peace offensive, says: "Germany's colonies must be restored, and guarantees must be given that tho future development -'f Germany's world political position will be mado secure against British abs'.riiction." -Aus.-N.Z. Cabie Assn.