ONCE MORE ACROSS THE MARNE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 262, 24 July 1918, Page 5

ONCE MORE ACROSS THE MARNE

PROGRESS OF THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE. WHOLE SITUATION TRANSFORMED By Telegxaph-Presß Aasociation-CoDyrislit. „„ .... , ... „ ■ , Washington, July 22. Ilio Allies have crossed the Jtarne, and havo captured the Barbillnn Wood They are astride the. Soissons-Chateau Thierry Itaad, and aro progressing slowly A terrific battle is raging south of Spissons.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. HEAVY COUNTER-ATTACKS- SMASHED. wu nt, • '■l '„ , . ■ • New York ' July- 22. Ino Lrown Princo has called in reserves from the army of Prince Rupprecht, facing the British in the north. The Germans heavily counter-attacked between the Ourcq and tho Marne. Tho French smashed them.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.THE RECAPTURE OF. CHATEAU THIERRY - London, July 22, Tho 'Daily Mail's" correspondent at the American Headquartors eays that the Americans crossed the Marne, against little resistance, by boats and footbridges. • They cleared out the Tavines and woods of machine-gun nests as they advanced. The French were the first to enter Chateau Thierry, and did so without fighting. The Germans had looted the town, and locked inany civilians, mostly old people, in the cathedral. Apparently tho town was never strongly held. Tho Germans evacuated it on Saturday. The Americans as they advanced turned the captured guns upon the enemy. According to prisoners, the weakness of the German artillery, was due to the impossibility of brinuins un shells.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE ENEMY'S EVIDENT INTENTION London, July 22. Reuters correspondent at French Headquarters, writing at midnight on Sunday, says:—"The fighting in the .Mountain of Reims is extraordinarily bitter. North Country troops were sent into tin: battle yesterday, and were heavily engaged, and are fighting a?am to-day. They made progress in spite of masses of enemy reinforcements, and captured Saint Euphraso and Bouilly. Between the Aisno and tho Mnrne, and south of th. , Ourcq, our progress has been moro rapid. The lino now runs through th ' villages of La Croix, Grisolles, and Epieds, which menus an advance of five miles from the west and three from the Roiith. French infantry stormed the heights east of La Croix and Grisolles In the positions south of tho Marne we took four hundred machine-guns and thirty cannon, It is evident that the enemy means to cling to the last to both flanks of tho present line, straightening' it if necessary with his left in the Mountain of Reims and with his right on the plateau above Soissons, when he could still present a formidable defensive front on the great plateau runnin* south-east from thu Aisne between th:- River Veslo and the River Crise"— Eeutor. ■ ■ . ■ SIGNS OF A FURTHER RETREAT . London, July 22. The British are detaching an equivalent number of divisions from Picardv to follow Prince Bupprecht's army reserves to tho front south-west of Btfnis The Germans are burning the villages add destroying provisions and munitions inside the Soissonr .Reims salient, and it is believed that they are preparing to retreat to tho Veslo (which runs weat from Reims to Soissons).-Reuter, . GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS FROM THE UKRAINE ,„, „ ~. London, July 22. The Germans were assembling a now army when General Foch's blow t>ll ; It was largely recruited from von Booh'u Ermolli's force, with a staff hurriedlv withdrawn from tho Ukraine.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. - """"^'J MEZY CAPTUEED. (Rec. July 23, 10.5 p.m.) Tho Australians and Scottish havo captured Mezy.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable 'assiu' GERMANS FURTHER RETREATING DUMPS AND STOKES BLOWN UP. ..Rec. July 2-1, 1 a.m.) The Germans are further retreating between the are blowing up dumps and etoree.-"The Times." ' FRANCO-AMERICANS PEESS FOEWAIID.' (Rec. July 24, 1 a.m.) , adVUnCed MI& ° f captured .' THE OFFICIAL REPORTS The High Commissioner reports:— A French official report states:-"Dtspite fierce counter-attacks' between"tlie Mariio nnd the Ourcq, the Franco-Americans increased progress, passed tho heights to the eastwards of Lα Croix and Grisolles, and captured Ei)ieds Wu advanced north-east to Mont St. Pore. Fierce fighting between the JJarno and Reims was without resut to the enemy. Our lines in tha woods of Courte.i du Eoi were maintained to the northward, where tho English advanced." THE FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE , -n ' i ■ . London, July 22. A French communique states :-"Dur ing the night the enemy restricted himself to coun er-arhllery work north of the Ourcq, and between the Marno and Reims, notably a the Bois do Gourr.r and tho Bois uVRoi, and between the Ourcq and the JVlarne. Wo smashed powerful enemy counter-attacks in tho region of Grisolles and Bezy-St. Germain, and maintained our positions everywhere. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT Condon, July 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—"Wo gained ground on Sunday south-east of Hebntcrne. In conjunction, with the French we carried out a successful minor' enterprise during Ihu night south of Villus Biotonneux."—Aub.-N.JS. Cable Assu.Rcuter. (Rec. July 2.1, 11,23 p.m.) ' London, July 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports hostile artillery activity south of Arrae and east of Nieppe joroet,—Aus.-N.Z. Cable AHsn.-Boutor..

ON THE AMERICAN FRONT

. ■ Washington, My 22. General l'orshiiig reports that the Americans had captured GW)O prisoners and a hundred guns in tlio operations up to Sunday.—Aus.-M.Z. Cnblo Assn. THE ENEMY'S REPORT (Rec. July 2,1, 11.25 p.m.) London, July 23. A Gorman official report states:—"Sunday's fighting resulted in the complete success at the Germans. Enemy attacks south-west of Soissons and south-west of Ilartennes broke down. Wo. threw- back tho enemy jiorth. of Villc Jfuntoire. Wo (ideated an assault astride, of Culchy-le-Clniteau. Strong enemy attacks north and north-cast of Chateau Thierry broke down, with heavy losses. Wo sanguielirily repulsed Anglo-French attacks between the Jlarno and the Arilre.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Heuter. COMMENTS ON THE SITUATION CAPTURE OF FOUR HUNDRED GERMAN GUNS IMPORTANT. London, July 22. General Maurice, writing in the "Daily Chronicle," says :—"The capture of four hundred guns is the most striking f suture in tho day's news. It is tho largest number of guns the Allies have taken ir. any single offensive. The fact that wo lost none and the enemy lost four hundred is Uie surest sign that we were prepared for the attack and the enemy was unprepared for the coun-ter-offensive. The Germans claimed thai; they crossed the Marno unnoticed. This is probably true. The operation was not difficult, ant! it would bo absurd to regard this withdrawal as a disaster. Wo have done the same thing several times, but it underlines very emphatically the complete failuro of tho German offensive. The fightin* is etill heavy on tho whole of the Reims-Soissons front, but it is going well, fbe appearance of the British south of Keims is a surprise. The interweaving of tho Allied forces is often inevitable, but it complicates the work of supply and administration, and does not make for great strength."—Aua.-N.Z. (Mile Assn. BATTLE SITUATION "DEEPLY TRANSFORMED" London, July 22. Mr. Georgo Perris writes to the "Daily Chronicle":—"Tito character of tho battle in three days has undergone a deep transformation. By a single stroke the Allied Generalissimo seized the initiative of tho whole situation, and has driven the Bocho back to the defensive everywhere. The first symptom of the change was the drawing by von Boehm Ermolli of seven divisions from the remaining reserves of the offensive and throwing them in between Soissons and Chateau Thierry. But a moro heroic step wne necessary, Hie withdrawal across the Marne. This was effected under cover of darkness, aided by smoke clouds. Strong rearguards protected tho -withdrawal against French attacks from the hillsides which overlook most of tho bridges. The majority of these rearguards who fought with remarkablo courage, were slain, while tho losses on aud beyona the crossings were exceedingly high, owing to the artillwy fire. Von Ludendorff when endangered does not temporise, but boldy "cuts" his losses. Von ■ Boehm Brmolli's epeed in transferring his army to tho west flank possibly arerted a disaster, but. the Allied success destroys von Ludondorff's freedom 'of ma-noeuvre."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. JOY-BELLS IN NEW YORK , . ■ ' Now York, July IS. Church bells and the bell of the City Hall were rung in celebration of America's first groat victory, in (ho war. All the whistlas of factories and of vessels in harbour were blown, and crowds in the streets clamoured to buy the latest editions.—Ana.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. TRIBUTE TO THE FRENCH FOURTH ARMY (I?cc. July 23, 10.5 p.m.) Paris, July 22. General Gourand, in an army order to the French Fourth Army after the breaking of.tho German offensive in Champagne, says: "You have stopped tho enemy dead just where wo wished, and won the battlo. I rely on you to do the Eama eacli time tho enemy dares to attack."—Bouter. THE GERMAN STRENGTH -9 "' (Hoc. July 23, 8.25 p.m.) London, July 22. Attacks and counter-attacks continue fiercely. It 13 estimated that tho Germans havo half a million troops on fifty miles of front. Sis new divisions have been identified between tho Aisno and the Marne, making twenty-ono. Tho Germans made a strong pnsh at Grissolps, advancing half a mile. The British divisions operating eouth-west of Eeima have captured five hundred guns (?). Tho French captured forty-fivo guns and four hundred machine-guns south of tho Marno. The Franco-Americans continue to attnek vigorously between tho Ourcq and the Marne. Von Mackensen's Chief of Staff (von Heil) and other of von Mackcnsen'e officers are directing the operations betwoen the Ourcq and < tho Aieno, but it is not believed that von Mackensen himself is present. Prince Rupprechfe group ie estimated at seventy divisions, most of them freah. The Australians helped to capture Moteron.— 'The Times." THE WAR IN THE AIR (Ecc. July 23, 11.25 p.m.) ' i " . London, July 23. Tho Air Ministry reports: "We dropped one- ton of bombs on the railway sidings at Luneo, and attacked the Badische aniline factory, many good bur.'j's being observed. A largo explosion was caused in a factory south-east of Zwicbrucko. We bombed three neiodromes. Our low iliers hit fivo trains, and bombed and machine-gunned searchlight? and nnti-airnraft guns. 411 returned. We attacked on Monday an important powder factory at Rot (well, hitting. a big shod, with tho TCsnlt thut several others blew up. The fire could be seen for sixty miles. All rolurned.—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assn.-Itouter.

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. (Esc. July 23, 11.25 p.m.)

1 London, July 23. , Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Low clouds on Sunday almost prevented flying, but on a snmll part of the_ front various (urgets lvnro bombed, including a railway station, and a direct hit was obtained on an ammunition train. Five hoetile machines were brought down, while f our of the British are missing. Our night fliers wero able to raid the bulk pi the front. Wo dropped thirteen tins on the railways near Seclin, Menin, Lille, and Cambrai."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.