WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

_ <p • BRILLIANT BRITISH ATTACK. 20 VILLAGES RE-OCCUPIED. PARIS, July 28. As a result of the retreat of the Germans yesterday, the French reoccupied twenty villages and several important forests. It was a brilliant English attack on the Marfaux and Chaunuzy, south-west of Rheims, combined with irresistible tenacious French pressure on the southern part of the Marne pocket, which compelled the precipitate enemy retreat. Many German forces were literally. over-, whelmed. : • • • i . FRENCH, ADVANCE. • LONDON, July 28. A French - communique' Northwards of the Marae we continued to progress during the night, when our elements reached the -right bank of the Ourcq, and approached the road. "We repulsed several attacks on OUT new positions southward of Mont Sans Nom, and also north-eastward of St. Hilaire. Since July 18, our tanks have gloriously participated in the battle. They drove in the enemy lines and facilitated the forward rush of the infantry. They constantly accompanied or preceded the Allied advance, and attacked centres of resistance and enemy batteries. Each section of tanks accounted for fifteen to twenty German machine-guns, and inflicted very heavy losses. Some of the tanks returned to the battle line four -or five times the same, day. The French have reached the line of the Ourcq along its whole course. ALLIED PATROLS ENTER FERE. LONDON, July 29. • This morning Allied patrols entered Fere-en-Tardenois* RETREAT LIKELY TO BE ON A BIG SCALE. LONDON, July 28. The retreat began on Friday nig?*t, the enemy withdrawing bis main bo&ies from north of the Marae, and strong rearguards covering the retreat as they retired. Twelve hours later, the French advanced four miles on a twenty-mile front between the Ourcq and Ardre, Allied cavalry patrols pressing forward at Chambreay, where the enemy was resisting with long-range artillery and machine guns, but was unable to hold the French attack. The outstanding feature of the present situation is that the enemy does not retain a single inch of ground gained by his offensive on the 15th. There are good reason for believing tha£ the retreat will be on a bigger scale than first anticipated, but it is quite an orderly withdrawal, not a rout. The enemy's retreat, on the chessboard system adopted in the Somme retreat in March, 1917, is greatly hampered by the daring of our infantry and light tanks. Mangin's army is faced by very strong enemy positions, protected by powerful flank fire from the north bank of the Aisne. One British division with Mangin, engaged in a local operation and gained much ground, despite most obstinate resistance. ; i ENEMY FIGHTING DESPERATELY. PARIS, July 29. Messages from the front state tKSt the enemy is fighting desperately owing to a,n order to cover the retirement in the centre. The Allies' pressure indicates that the Crown Prince's defeat may be on a disastrous scale. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspon-

dent with the French states that the enemy fell back several miles on the whole Marne front on Friday night. The retreat was effected by the withdrawal of a company out of every two in the first, then two sections out of each company. The third section retired, leaving small outposts of picked men with machine guns to cover the retreat. Many outposts were wiped out as the Allies pressed forward. ENEMY'S DETERMINED OPPOSITION ON THE WINGS. LONDON, July 2V. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent at French Headquarters writes: Early on Sunday morning Allied patrols, making their way ahead, reached: Fere-en-Tardenois, which will soon be' in. our hands. German opposition in 'the centre., is much less determined than on the'wings, but the enemy has massed many gun's on the Western front along the Aisne near Chavigny. Guns were hastily withdrawn in the centre while troops engaged in a fierce rearguard battle. The Germans south-west of Rheims are also trying to hold fast under the protection of massed artillery round St. Thierry. The sudden panic of a German division at the height of the battle on Thursday had much to do with the final failure of the troops to defend the Marne. The Germans defending positions north of Joulgonne .were seized with panic, dropped their arms, and ran like rabbits, with the Franco-Am-ericans in hot pursuit. The German High Command threw in two fresh divisions brought up in motor lorries, taird retarded the Allies' advance during the night, but the rest of the Germans were forced to abandon the Marne. [.... ~. , —ft? OTHER IMPORTANT GAINS. LONDON, July 29. At 2 o 'clock this morning a French communique stated: North of the Marne we continued to advance in the region of the Ourcq notwithstanding the resistance of the enemy, who attempted to prevent our passage of the river. We succeeded in throwing back advanced elements to the right bank.. We entered Ferc-en-Tardenois. North-east of the Forest of Riz we reached Champvoisy. Our troops on the right captured Authenay, Olizy, and Violatine, and brought our line appreciably nearer the Rheims-Dormans road. An American official states: We continue the pursuit northward of the Marne despite determined rearguard actions. We crossed the Ourcq and captured Seringes-et-Nesles, Sergy, and Roncheres. THE CHAMPAGNE OFFENSIVE. PARIS, July 29. In Champagne, two enemy attempts preceded by a bombardment in the region of South Hills, were repulsed. The Germans are desperately trying to make all roads impassable, blowing up bridges in order to impede the Allied advance. The French now hold the southern bank of the Ourcq, near Villers-sur-Fere ( . It is expected the Germans will Tetire to the Vesle and the river Crise, south of Soissons which means that they still have 20 miles to Tetreat. ENEMY RESISTANCE BROKEN WASHINGTON, July 28. General Pershing reports: Between the Ourcq and the Marne, American and Allied troops are pursuing the Germans, whose resistance has broken.

ALLIED ADVANCE AT THE MARNE. HELD UP BY NESTS OF MACHINE GUNS. Received 8.45 a.m. LONDON, July 29. Reuter's correspondent at American headquarters, writing on the 28tts, states that, thanks to the dense woods the enemy was able to delay the advancing armies and hold up thousands with nests of machine guns. Hence the enemy's losses were !inflnitesslmal compared with the time' gained, and he saved, most of his guns, althougn obliged to destroy ammunition. The abandonment of the" Marne, however, which the enenry held as long as possible in order to keep the important railway from Epernay to Chateau Thierry under obsrevation, will considerably accentuate, our progress. Indeed, the pace has already quickened, and it is already certain the enemy will not stand at the Ourcq. Doubtless, when we reach his prepared positions we shall find him in great strength. What the Germans have chiefly suffered from is an immense set-back to their plans, and possibly they will be unable to recover before the end of the campaign season. GERMAN RETREAT CONTINUES. DRIVEN ACROSS THE OURCQ. DORMANS-RHEIMS ROAD CAPTURED. Received 8.55 a.m. LONDON, July 29. The German retreat continues, the enemy burning villages and stubbornly resisting. The Rheims-Dormans road has been captured. General Pershing reports that nortn of the Marne the pursuit of the Germans continues. The enemy are now across the Ourcq. The Franco-Amo-ricans have captured the villages of Suigy and Roncheres. VIOLENT GERMAN RESISTANCE. Received: 9.30 aim'.'--- ' WASHINGTON,' 1 July 29. The Germans are resisting violently north of the Ourcq, and are seeking to recross the river. GOOD V/ORK BY COLONIALS. Received 9.30 a.m. LONDON, July 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The Australians in MorlancdUrt sector captured two lines of trenches on a two miles front astride the Bray-Corbie Road. Enemy casualties were heavy, ours light. The Canadians twice sue. cessfully raided in the neighbourhood of Gavrelle. DESPERATE FIGHT FOR A PLATEAU. EVENTUALLY WON BY ALLIES. Received 10 a.m. '' ""' LONDON, July 291 The American Headquarters' correspondent says the Germans desperately the Villeneuve Plateau,, which was- swept by gunfire after the French drove off the defenders. Eventually our batteries turned the balance ■of gun-power, and with the plateau vv-on we had an ideal platform whicli made the enemy's Ourcq line intolerable. The Franco-Americans were even able to advance on the open slopes at a rate hitherto impossible through the woods, the mountec troops proving useful; but the armoured cars and light tanks were ideal weapons for clearing out nests, both aground and in the trees. Gun platforms, in trees served the enemy admirably In the forest country, hut the American marksmen made it isport in bringing them down. GERMANS START A NEW BATTLE EAST OF RHEIMS. Received 10.30 a.m. ; LONDON. July 29. The Germans have started a nctf* attleb east of Rheims, in the region >o* Mont Sansnom. Fighting continues.