HEADQUARTERS' STORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1918, Page 2

HEADQUARTERS' STORY.

[PER PRfiSS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] . HEADQUARTERS’ REPORT. THE AISNE ATTACK. LONDON, June 1. A high military authority writes that the Aisnc attack was delivered by thirty divisions on a front of 35 miles after two hours’ which effectively cut the entrenchments. Then eneniy completely overran tne whole of the French lines. The British held on until compelled to retire to conform with the French line. The Germans effected a passage of the Aisne with little difficulty, despile French force. The French occupied strong defensive lines south of the river, with three divisions. By the evening the enemy had advanced twelve miles.

The Crown Prince did his utmost to exploit the enterprise. His main effort being to widen the salient and secure more elbow room. The enemy in the centre achieved considerable success. The Germans have now reached the right bank of the Marne between Chateau Thierry and Dormans for a distance of ten miles. - ■ ■ They are now reported to be heavily attacking Chateau Thierry. The Germans were not equally successful on the wings, but Rheims by now is probably captured, although the situation there is somewhat obscure. The British are still resisting northward of the town.

The French are holding well the heights west .of Soissons, which, with our resistance at Rheims, has narrowed the German salient. There arc indications that the enemy is beginning to attack eastward of Rheims. The transport of British and French reserves is working quite smoot-hlv and rapidly. There are now strong reserves va hand. There is every reason to hope that the enemy will not make much further advance, although there will be a. most anxious situation for some time. The Crown Prince used up the whole of his reserves, but as far as we know none of the reserves of General Gallwitz’s dr Prince !Rup-precht-’s armies on the Crown Prince’s left or right have yet been used.

Reinforcements could be obtained from these groups, but reserves of no considerable bulk are with Prince Rupprecht on the Crown Prince’s right, but it remains to be seen whether the enemy will use these on Paris. He has ' now used reserves for one or other. . If held up at the Aisne by the French, lie will attack towards Amiens or if sure of success southward, he will throw every man and gun into a direct.march on’ Paris.

Germans deserve credit for the secrecy with which they massed for the present attack. It could not be considered a surprise. We had definite information a day or two before that an attack wffs impending. The' enemy only moved up large forces the night before, and made no great use of his artillery, depending on trench mortars to clear the entanglements.

On the top of those circumstances the enemy’s initial success could hardly have been prevented. Their after development only prevented our having large reserves available. We cannot have these at all the numerous points. Tlie present situation is not due to the position, but due to the unfavourable strategic situation. The anxiety is caused, not merely because the enemy in four days advanced 56 miles j hut what really is serious is that the enemy has still very large reserves to throw in at any point, and until we know where they can be thrown in, the anxiety will continue. Already 25 Germans divisions hare been identified.

They have probably used up 45 divisions.

The enemy continues to scatter propaganda nnd promote the demoralisation of the troops, circulating reports purporting to come from Australian ana Canadian soldiers that the British soldiers fail in their support. The public should not be misled by isolated stories of this sort into the belief that it

is general. The authority pays a tribute to the American’s fine exploit-at Catigny, when untried troops not only ; captured the position, but showed fine discipline and fighting qualities.

PRESSURE CONTINUED. LONDON, June 2. A correspondent at French Headquarters, writing yesterday morning, says in this salient of the Western front, the enemy continues the pressure over the great plateau west of ho Oise Valley, southward towards Neuilly, Saint Font, which is about six miles from the nearest sector of the enemy line at midday yesterday. One the Marne, the enemy holds the rivpr bank for a distance of three miles east of Chartress.

The enemy continues to pour fresh troops into the struggle. The G&htaus have already engaged nearly fifty divis-, ions. Forty divisions were ordered to participate in the offensive a® originally planned on the Aisne, and another five were engaged in the extension of the enemy’s front north-west, of Boissons. Among these troops are some of the best and most carefully trained stormed divisions in the German Army Of twenty three divisions composing General von nutiers army of the assault on the 21st March, fifteen have been identified in the attack on the Aisne. These divisions were withdrawn from the Picardy battlefield at the end of March, and were brought up to their strength and given a few week a Kivemirous training for the new offensive. ,