Situation in the West.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 July 1918, Page 5

Situation in the West.

GERMANS TACTICALLY DEFEATED. MAY USE RESERVES ON ANOTHER FRONT.

ENEMY COLOSSAL LOSSES, Received 11.45 a.m.

LONDON, July IS. The enemy renewed his attacks westward and eastward of Rheims salient capturing the western portion of La Bourdonnerie village and heights which the French retook on Tuesday. The French are again coun-ter-attacking. The Germans remained unable to debouch from Prunay, and the advance has lost its break-neck speed. A favourable sign is that the villages are changing hands repeatedly. The enemy during the third day succeeded in advancing his line towards important positions, W'liich. h.e may* subsequently capture, providing he possesses the requisite forces. On the other hand the enemy failed to gain the stratcgetic advantages which are a necessary preliminary to a vast converging westward movement, which was the high command’s nlan. The German pincers have slipped in the Champagne between Prunay and Massiges, where a rupture would have enabled the enemy to cross the Roman Road and reach Suippcs thence to Chalons-Vere which our line holds. The German attacks misfired at only one point, but succeeded in advancing to-day after two unsuccessful attempts, The Germans -at eleven this morning,; attacking on ja six mile front, penetrated to a depth of a mile iand a half at the deepest point ■at Montague de Rheims. The advance was made at enormous cost. During the night the French repulsed two violent attacks at Vriginy and Beaumont-sur-Yesle. The French reentered two villages which had been strenuously disputed, including Mont Voisin . The French artillery dominates the Marne Valley, which is being heavily shelled. The Fernch hold the whole of the high ground overlooking the Valley with the exception of our point. The offensive which the enemy hoped to develop into a drive is now regarded as a failure, and has become a scries of local, disjointed actions;; Therefore it can truly be described as a German defeat, (but probably the battle will . continue for some time with fluctuating results. The Germans still possess a large number of available reserves, hut it is "believed likely, owing to this failure, that the High Command may determine to reorganise and use his reserves for an assault on another part-of the line. The increased German arfillerying on the British front is regarded as significant in this connection. The en-

emy at no point has advanced onethird of the programme distance, and he has suffered colossal casualties. The French are full of hope that the enemy will not succeed in taking Rheims, though they anticipate his utmost efforts wil be used to capture the city by ramming tactics. In the event of the Germans gaining posses-sion-of Montague do Rheims, the tenure of the city will become precarious. Ludendorff planned to rupture the Champagne front, isolate the French armies and exploit his success by local battles. Further stern fighting is inevitable, because the enemy is compelled to continue his attacks in order to save his face.