The Counter Offensive

Taihape Daily Times, 9 August 1918, Page 6

The Counter Offensive

OPENING KHASES. I ALLIES rapid advance. LONDON, July 19. General Pock's counter-stroke from north of the Aisne Jo Bellcan was brilliantly launched at dawn without bombardment. Numerous fleets of tanks preceded the troops. The Germans were completely surprised, and offered slight reistanee at first, though later they endeavoured to oppose the advance with machine-guns and lowilying aeroplanes. By that time the advancing Allies bad gained such irresistible momentum jthat they easily crushed resistance, gaining almost the whole of their objectives. Advancing rapidly dn the northern sector they gained the western outskirts of Soissons. South of the town they reached the River Gris along sis miles of its length. Pushing on rapidly they reached and in sis hours were eight miles from th» starting point. Further south, in the centre, an American division was in action independently. It captured Vierzy and went ■three miles beyond. The remainder of the line was pushed forward approximately three miles to the western outskirts of Chouy and Ncuilly St. Front where a German counter-attack was hastily launched. ' East of Rheims, the French recaptured Prunay. The day’s fighting was «n important strategical success.

GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS CUT.

j r'r. July 21. 1 The Earis GorrespondTenY iof Ithe crimes says that the Soissons Chateau Thierry Ead is cut at many points by the French artillery. Its capture will seriously affect the enemy’s positions -west of Eheims leaving his communications dependent on a few secondclass roads.

Le Matin’s special correspondent states that the Germans, recrossing the Marne in panic and disorder, left leaps of dead on the south bank. They suffered a terrible sustained hammer- I ing for two days, and then the French and American conquest of the heights dominating the river made the enemy’s position untenable. The check between oMntvoison and Oeuilly and the simultaneous threat in their right flank left the Germans no choice —it was annihilation or retirement, The enemy patrols alone showed an attacking spirit. During the retreat of the fleeing divisions they remained on the defensive and were really in hell all through the day and night.

The French, and British bombing aeroplanes made the river passages almost impossible, and accordingly the enemy at the beginning of the retreat sent up great clouds of smoke at all the crossings in order to mask his nnovements. Our gunners, thus warned, redoubled their fire and made huge slaughter amongst the fugitives. It is estimated that half the total effectives were lost here.

A most significant and impressive spectacle behind the French lines on the Aisne and Marne is the procession of American and French wounded mutually supporting each other with their arms round each other’s necks. lEAGEBNESS OF THE AMEBIC AN S July 22. Mr. Herbert Bailey, the Daily Mail’s corcsrpondcnt at American headquarters in France, telegraphed to-day:— • ■ “The Americans crossed the Marne •with little resistance, in boats and by footbridges. Scouting parties arc 'advancing no;rth-c(ast of Chateau Thierry, and south-west of Soissons, locating the German line, and clearing the ravines and woods, They jumped the rivulets of waded through them, holding their packs and rifles overheads < “To show the tirelessness with which the machine-gun nests were cleared out, the correspondent says that all units, even the military police, entered the line, so eager were they to take part in the fighting.”