GERMANS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM FIRST CHECKS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 7

GERMANS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM FIRST CHECKS

A SIGNIFICANT ENEMY ADMISSION. London, July 18. Every hour's news from the front emphasises the. utter failure of the Germans to recover from the first checks inflicted on them east and west of Reims. Even the "Cologne Gazette," in an inspired article, admits that there has been no sui-cess, and attributes the German failure to the changed tactics of the irencn, who delivered fierce counter-attacks with their reserves. They thus .unset the plans of the High Command,"-who expected the same easy advance as was made, on .this Chcinin <les Dames. Tho "Cologne Gazette" says that the German losses were within moderate limits, and this is a significant admission, because it has always been announced formerly that tho losses .were considerably fewer.than the . enemy's.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. LUDENDORFF ATTEMPTED TOO MUCH FOR HIS STRENGTH ■ . . London, July 18. Documents' captured on German prisoners show that the main plan was to seize the Mountain'-. of Reims and the., country -south of tho Marn'e as far ■as Montmirail. Von Ludendorff- realised that Reims would be a formidable object to attack frontally, but ho saw that if the French line on either sido was broken.Reims would fall of itself. 'J no first lateral thrust was directed at Chalons and the line thence to Hcyigny, the second upon Epernay theneo to Montmiral. Vuii Ludendorlf hoped to secure room lor the deployment of forces capable of attucking Paris. Already the Crown Prince has abandoned the attempt to drive forward on tho whole front, and has substituted a series of local attacks. The result of Hid-whole battle thus far shows that von Ludondorff attempted a great deal. more, than his strength.permitted. General Jourand was aware of the actual date hxed ior the attack a. iortnigiit before it happened. On tho night of the attack he withdrew al his troops from the front lines, and an hour before the German attack opened tho I'rciicli artillery poured a devastating flro upon tho Germans assembled in the front line, while tho German guns, were playing upon the empty Irench trenches.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . , ENEMY THRUST STOPPED BY; HEROIC RESISTANCE London, July 18. A French communique states: "The battle has continued with , unbroken determination on the whole front west of Reims, bit, notwithstanding his efforts,-the-enemy has not-succeeded in. increasing the advance. Our troops heroic resistance and their' incessant counter-attacks stoppedtho-enemy thrust after all the fluctuations of advance and retirement of the day Actions aro progressing south of the, Marne, on tha wooded slopes'northward of St, Agnan and Monthodon chapel. : Tho sharpest fighting was north-of Comblizy and 1-es. tigny, and resulted in our holding tho cnemv to the .southern outskirts..of, tho Bouquigny; and: Ghataiguies .Woods'. The enemy succeeded east.of OeuiHy in regaining a footing in Mont Voisin. Between the -Marn'o and 1 Reims the bnttio continues north of Reuil, in King's Wood, which the .Germans, penetrated. ■Wβ are defending foot by foot. Tho Forest of Courtoii is tho theatre of furious combats. The enemy continues to be held. West of Antheuil the Germans have- not (succeeded in reaching Courcy Ditch, which has been the objective of several renewed powerful :attacks. A brilliant Italian counter-attack westward of Antheuil drove the enemy back. .Enemy corpses lying in the front of the lines m tho Valley of Ardre de Ombroux testify to tho heavy losses. The situation is -unchanged in tho Vrigny sector and south-west cf Reims. East of Reims we broke an "attack between Beaumont-sur-Yeslo and Sillery. Our positions are intact.on the whole Champagne front."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable- Assn.-Reutcr. ■ ' GERMANS COMPLETELY DRIVEN BACK OVER THE" MARNE. ..-..-. ' Washington, July 18. General-Perching reports that the Germans facing the .American:, have been completely driven back, across., the Marne— Aus.-A'.Z. Cable' Assu.- 7 ■.-- ' "'•••■;•" •' LonudnJ'July IS. in American'communkiuo states: "Tho Americans on the Marno ' sector entirely regained possession, of the south bank of northwest of Chateau Thierry again attempted an attack near Vaia. Ihe attack was completely broken by our infantry and artillery fire.-Aus. table Assn. .■ - - .. .■ ■ ■-. — :\ ■ '■■• | -.-' ;;' '" : THE KAISER ON THE BATTLEFIELD. •;" \ ■' (Rec. July 19, 7.40 p.m.) . -.. .-..■-■ .•,-•• . . London, July 18. A Berlin-official message 6tatcs: "The Kaiser was on tho battlefield northeast of Reims all day on July 16 without rest."-Reuter. .. .' AN ADVANCE BY THE AUSTRALIANS London, July 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Tbo Australians carried out a successful local enterprise on Wednesday in the neighbourhood of Villers Bretonnoux. Ihey advanced the line on upwards of a mile of front,'and captured two fieldguns. Wo slightly improved our positions east of Hebuternc, and made a successful raid uouth of llebuterne. We repulsed enemy raiders south oi Uucquoy. There is considerable hostile artillery activity north of Jiailleul. Cable Asju.-Reuter'. . . ' . THE-WAR IN THE AIR GREAT DESTRUCTION WROUGHT BY BRITISH-RAIDS. :. . ..(Rcc. July 10, 10.15. p.m.);. '■.'/■■ : ,-;;^. v- •• .-•! ■••■•".. .■• ■..-.; .L'.oridon, July 18. ' The Press Bureau issue's.'n striking', photograph caused .by raids of the British independent air force on'the German railway system" at MetsiSablons. It shows exceptionally destructive bursts on engine sheds and workshops and tho remains of two incinerated trains. Thero is great damage to (lie network of lines.- A significant feature is the almost complete absence ot rolling stock, thus showing that tho 21 raids since June 21 on this important junction have materially reduced the enemy's war traflic.-Aus.-JU. Cable Assn.-lxeutei. (Rec.'July 19, 7iO p.m.) ' ' ' ..... . London,' July 18,: 1.20 r.;ni. An oflicial report of tho .Air Ministry states: "Our aeroplanes on Tuesday night bombed works and an aerodrome at Ilagen 1 ingden and Bnrbagli. t,oud results w-re obtained. On Wednesday they successfully attacked railway, sidings at Thionville."-Aus:-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. .