SITUATION IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 7

SITUATION IN THE WEST

AN OPTIMISTIC REVIEW | ALLIES' .RESERVES EXCEED FRESH GERMAN - RESERVES By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. \: , . (Kec. August 2, 8.40 p.m.) . ' ' ' • ■ Lpndon, August 1. Tlio United Press Agency's correspondent, in an optimistic review of tho situation in tho West. says"Both officers and men who were taken prisoner by the Australians around Merris in the north and at Jlorlancourt, east of Reims, were extremely depressed. ' After the first few weeks of the Germans offensive the enemy's moral appeared to bo higher than since 1914. The captured men strutted .inside the prisoners' cages as though they were already the owners of-tho world; replying even to kindly treatment by contemptuous i'lid condescending smiles. They sneered at the American fighting men, but to-day, .and I believe it - ,is equally true of 'he Germans in the field, .the prisoners are more depressed than since the v.i.r broke out. , \i "The: prisoners admit that supplies are' low land ammunition scarce, end it is difficult to get recruits, for the worn-worn- divisions. Instead of tljc smashing victory and the .immediate pi.nce which Hindenbuvg promised early in tho .spring, the Allies arc-weekly growing stronger. The truth is slowly percolating to the front line, and the' Germans are beginning to hear that the Americans are not only well represented on the West front', but are beating the best of the Prussian troops. They also hear that the Crown Prince is retiring instead .of advancing, and that Ihipprecht's offensive against the. British has been postponed because of this disaster. Some of the prisoners obviously fear that tho British may assume the offensive. In short, the Germans are very unhappy. Tlio front has seldom' bsen so quiet. There are only British shelling and spasmodic German shell bursts.- Everything shows that the Germans are. pretty "It is improbable that the enemy will retire bsyoiul the Aisne, but the longer lie continues where lie is the better for the Allies, as any southward of the Aisne is disadvantageous to the enemy. Every, passing day reduces tho possibility of a successful offensive on Ruppreciit's- part. For the first time sinco., March tho Allies' reserves 'greatly, exceed., the'fresh German reserves. ..Tho . oiieniy ha 3 201 divisions on the W.est 'front,. ~,\v!ule,. P'm-..ili.yi,s.ioii, is known ; to o,liavp"iSc£«tiy 'gtfne Enstevn'-frontl.v.Vi'HVlGerhians limy bo forced totraus;fi?om'the West';' The enemyha?: liot'entirely lost the iniliaVt i've.'"'' ■' Even' .if ''he'• is' unable to' resume tho olfeiisive, lie will be. able to transfer'troops:'; v He'.'niiiy take the offensive in eiihor the Balkans or Italy before the winter, although there .arc no present judical ions of such/a move."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable A6sn.- . ' ' . ; • : GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS NOT WHAT THEY WERE OFFICER'S DIARY CAPTURED BY NEW ZEALANDERS. . (Special from the 'Official War Correspondent.) . . . . July 28. An interesting diary of a German,.officer' captured by the New Zeala'nders • states that the German veroforcements ave not what they were, ana many are quite untrained. • He eomplninss bitterly of the inferiority of Ihe German air service as compared with the. British. ,Ho. saw three German ■ planes shot down "in flames on his sector. One of the-British 'planes that .-canto over Kossiguol Wood evc-rv morning was known (is "The, Trcnch. Inspector. He describes the Now Zealand attack, nvhich it was impossible for. the Germans to hold up, and afterwards refers to 'the futile attempts'to regain the lost ground. One extract reads: "We have'lost our best men, and 'what we have left are sucli that we eannot rely on thein. it makes a man sick (u see tiie good men sinkill" fast.''' He adds: "A. handful of, men cannot ;hold,.back, a powerful enemy Who has alreailv done in two company sectors and-killed Mid wounded-half of a third. -'My men are done to death. I ,'ain relieving (hemi every night, io allow them a little sleep." The .diary .ends abruptly, for the New Zealanders captured company lieadc|uarters, with many documents and maps, while tho oiii- ; cer was-probably precipitately retreating." •• • .GERMAN RETREAT SKILFULLY CONDUCTED 4 - ENEMY'S PRESENT POSITION UNFAVOURABLE. . •.•■■■' (Eec. August 2, 7.20 p.m.)London, .August 1. Tho'enemy skilfully conducted tlio retreat, and lias not lost many guns, but wo collected a large quantity of material,'especially bridging, proving.thai it was the'enemvV intention to throw large forces across the- River Marne towards ''Paris, it is impossible to jay definitely what arc the Germans' future intentions They seem-'determined to hold tlio .present .lines, but their position, is unfavourable with the Aisne in their rear, all tho .bridges over tho river being bombarded by tho" Allied airmen, leaving tho communications precarious. ..1 he -enemy has"only four traffic circuits/which are hardly sufficienl to-supply (lie troops ill the salient. The enemy is burning tlio villages south-east of Sots- . sons, which may be an indication of a inrthor withdraival.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ALLIES WIPE OUT A SALIENT , New York, August 1. The-Allies attacked on a ten-milevfront at Buzancy (five miles south-east of Soissons), and wiped out a considerable salient.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN ATTACK ON THE FRENCH'REPULSED. New York, August 1. Tho Germans attacked tho Trench around Bligny,-.but were' repulsed.-Aus.-N.Zi Cable Assn. v A RESULTLESS ENEMY ATTACK. - ' \ Washington, August 1. The Germans bombarded the Americans on the Wocuvre (cast of St.- Miliiel) front and I hen attacked, only_ to discover .that the Americans had previously evacuated tlio position—Aus.-N.Z. Cable.Assn. - THE'OFFICIAL REPORTS <' . FRENCH COMMUNIQUES London, August 1. A French official communique states;—" South-west of lieims a German attack at Bligny was repulsed. The enemy inade several raids at Tour de Paris (in the Argoiine) and on the right bank of tho Meuse, but lost heavily."—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutcr. FURTHER ADVANCE BY THE AMERICANS ; London, 1. An American official report states"Enemy troops, who had penetrated tin region of Scringes and Neslcs, were made casualties or 'captured. Soiith-wi'S of the Bois Jleunier, after severe bayonet lighting,.we drove'the enemy into th d woods. We captured Grimpctlcs Wood and' reached -Cierges- village."-Aus, N.Z. Cable Aesn.-Router. ON THE BRITISH FRONT ' London, August I. ■ Sir Douglas llaig reports:-"We made .1 successful, mid in the ncighboui hood of Lens. The hostile artillery is active at f illers Bretonneux, Bucquo; Merris, Und Meteren. I '—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-lveuter..

RESERVES

(Bee. August 3, 0.15 a.m.) London, August 1, Sir Douglas Haig reports:—"Our patrols last night took several prisoners in :ho neighbourhood of Morris. Wo took 4f)IM prisoners during July, including 39 officers."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Keuter. AMERICANS AND PRUSSIAN GUARDS MEET TWO DAYS OF BITTER FIGHTING. New York, August 1. Jlr. Edward L. James, the "New York Times" correspondent on the Western front, states that in the vicinity of Sergy the American division fought the 4th Prussian Guards, who, unlike other German troops, do not surrender when their ammunition is exhausted. They fight hand-to-hand to tlio death, and fire their machine-guns untjl they are killed. Only eleven prisoners were, taken in two days of bitterest fighting. ' Two companies of Americans, largely composed of German-A'inericans/ fought bloodily with the foe, showing no love for tho Ger-mans—Aus.-N.Z. 'Cable Assn. AMERICAN CASUALTIES IN THE MARNE BATTLE. (Eec. August 2, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, August 1. .A forecast of the American casualties indicates that they are. extremely heavy. Two hundred thousand Americans vero engaged in the Marne battle, among whom the losses exceed 12 por cent—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ ■ '; "SUPER-CANNON'S" EMPLACEMENT BIGGER THAN THE BIGGEST DREADNOUGHT GUN-TUREET. New York, August 1. Mr. I£. L. James, "Now York Times" correspondent on tho American front, describes a visit to the Gorman "super-cannon" emplacement, in tho Chatelet Wood, from which the Germans bombarded Paris. .Ho 'says:—'"lt is hard to tell just what it looks like. It reminded me of a Pittsburgh .-steel mill. Tho emplacement is connected to three switch railways, running from the railway south of Fere-en-Tardenois, one of which runs into a pit fifteen feet deep and forty feet across. In this pit is a steel cylinder of complicated construction, thirty-one feet across and twenty feet deep. The top, which is. a huge rotary gun carriage, is moved by massive machinery on ball bearings,, in which each ball is ten inches in diameter. The cylinder is constructed of armour plate an inch and n half in thickness, in sections, to each of which are attached big "hooks for a derrick to lift it by. An artillery expert said the cylinder weighs 1100 tons, and the carriage moro than 200 tons." The Germans had not left the. barrel. The emplacement was bigger than tlje biggest Dreadnought gunturret.—Aus.:N.Z. Cable Assn. _ BOASTFUL MESSAGE FROM THE KAISER. : . London, August 1. The Ivaissr, in a message to the Army and Navy, says:—"lt is not (lie arrival of the Americans and the numerical superiority that will 'win victory, but. tho spirit"animating tho German soldiers and sailors. We will figliC on until our enemy's will to destroy us is broken. The Kaiser lauded the gallant of the submarine's to prevent tho American forces crossing the Atlantic.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ALLIED AIR WORK ' Y. - ADMITTED BY GERMAN JOURNALISTS. ' ' (Eec: August 2, 11.5 p.m.) London, August 1. The Press Bureau points out the significance of-the admission by German journalists of tho effectiveness of the Allied air work. The "Cologne Gazette" says:—"The unprecedented employment ot enemj aerial forces is particularly'embarrassing to our communications. The Marns bridgeheads have been frequently destroyed by the Allied aviators, and must lx rebuilt under the most difficult conditions." The "Strassburg Post" says:—"The enemy profits with the greatest obstmacj by every advantage, in the field. During tho .battle he employed heavy artillen and aerial forces not only to bring us to a halt, but to push jis back and snatel olU .'/he"Press Bureau comments:—"This is particularly pleasing in view of tin American air force, which is stated to be as large as the whole pre-war Ameri can Army and Koyal Air Force. The personnel has been multiplied two liun dred" times, and is constantly increasing."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Keuter. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S AVIATION REPORT. , (Hec. August 3, 1.15 a.m.) London; August 1. Sir Dou"las Ilaig's aviation report states: "l'n heavy fighting on July 13 jv brought down 26 aeroplanes and drove down nine out of control. Jour Britis have not returned. We dropped fifteen tons of bombs with good eilcct \\ -dropped at flight over 23 tons of bombs, heavily damaging several railway.' including those at Cambvai and Lille. There were mail? direct inland a umr ber of large fires."—Aus.-N.Z. Ciible Assn.-Keuter.