WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

NEW GERMAN OFFENSIVE. Enemy Hurled Back. London,. Juno 13. South of the Aisne, -between Soissons and the Marnc, the Germans launched 8 new offensive, which is believed to lie a renewal of the direct Paris drive. The French hurled the enemy back north of the Matz River. The Americans broke up a violent German assault at Bellean.—Aus.X.Z Cable Assoc. London. June 13. Renter's correspondent at French Headquarters continues:—The enemy centre continues, at heavy cost, to push its way, yard by yard, down the Matz Valley, where aibundance of small woods and broken ground afford the maximum protection against machine-gunning and artillery fire. Our troops further westpushed their progress on the plateau into the valley below. This is a position in which the enemy believed himself firmly established 48 hours ago. It was important for his advance on the centre. It overlooks the Matz Valley and commands the junction of the main roads from Montdidier, Beauvragnes and Cuvilly, through which the enemy troops and supplies for the. front lino in the river valley must pass, tt also commands the junction of Senlis and Compe'gne roads, on which he depends for the advance southwards. Tha French thus overlook the German centre, and this must have already greatly embarrassed the enemy. The Germans east of the Oise developed a new attack on both banks of the Aisne, starting from the line Moulins sous Touvent-Ambleny-Cutry-T)om-miers, and fronting the Oise. Evidently the enemy intends to march down both banks of the Aisne, skirting the Villers Ootterets Forest on the north, and drive the French, not merely out of tlio wooded salient north of the old FrancoGerman front of 101G, also from the Ourscamp, Carlepont, and Montagne forests, but also out of the much larger Aigle Forest between the oid front on tho Aisne. and possibly out of the still larger Comipiegne Forest immediately south. There is no indication at present that ho will be able to carry out his programme.—Reuter.

GERMAN ONSET CHECKED. Hutier Meets His Match. Tanks and Airmen Win Battle. London, June 13. Mr. Perris, cabling this morning, says that the outlook is decidely more cheerful, and the battle has taken a better turn. The German onset on the third day suffered a distinct cheek owing to a remarkable series of French counterattacks. Yesterday <±ey began eastward of the railway between Uomfront and Waequemoulin, a distance of eight miles. The infantry, supported <by tanks, swept back the Germans along the whole line. One French contingent actually reached points within the German front. The advance went well beyond Rtubescourt to Lefretoy and beyond Belloy to the border of St. Maur. Meanwhile the enemy delivered a powerful blow in the centre, reaching Anthcuil, despite vigorous opposition. A further counter-attack from our left completely arrested the advance. A certain amount of confusion was apparent in the German ranks during these cmrfbats, and the fact that 1000 prisoners and some cannon were taken speaks eloquently. But these were not their heaviest punishment. Eye-witnesses say that corpses were strewn over the battlefield.

The enemy effort overlapped into ou< right centre, but the attempt to debouch by the Matz Valley to the Oise proved a complete failure. The French repulsed repeated assaults at Chevinconrt, while March em on t and Bethancourt frequently changed hands. The battle was raging till late at night. The three critical days therefore, at enormous losses, have not given the enemy a very magnificent result. General von Hutier has met his match. The Preach lines this afternoon hold all the way round from the important position of Mery by St. Maur and Antheuil to Marest and Chevincourt. Yesterday counter-attacks were met by great bodies of the enemy, who were preparing to force another advance Four divisions were ranged in a apace of two miles, hence the frightful intensity of tJae combat and the abnormal slaughter. The French tanks did excellently, also the fleets of British and French aeroplanes, which swept down npon the battlefield before and behind the infantry, dropping bombs and raining maehine-giin fire wherever a group of enemy soldiers was seen, making nil our numerical inferiority in infantry. In this way the real battle, which aims at the destruction of the invaders, not territorial gains, was won. The Germnn command openly avowed its aim in the morning, when new developments -of the offensive near Fontenoy on the east flank of the salient from Moulins-sous-Touvent to the Aisne, also southwards of the Aisne, from AmMeny to Dommiers, became apparent. The wide attack amounts to an admission of a check westward of the Oise and a poor prospect for a march on Compiegne and Paris by the shortest j road.—Aus -N.Z. Caible Assoc.

A French Consul's Statement Sydney, June 14. Speaking at a luncheon prior to leaving Australia, M. Chayet, the French Consul-General, said he was aware before the war of a very careful plan Which had been prepared for the defence of the central plateau of France in the suppositious case of a war with Germany in which the foe might capture Paris. Hence he was assured that if Germany did take (Paris his country would continue to fight on with all its strength and courage.—Aus. NJZ. Cable Assoc.

FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACK. Bitter Fighting. London, June l."» a.m.). lieuter'd correspondent '.it French Headquarters, telegra-phijig oil tho 12th, says:—Our counter-attack yesterday between CoiireelJes and Belloy was delivered just as tho Germans assembled for attack, consequently their position was held strongly and the lighting was bitter. British and French air squadrons ilew over in front of the infantry, spraying the Germans with bullets from a height of a few score yards, while bombing machines attacked the enemy concentrations in the rear. The losses to the Germans, owing to the overcrowded front, were very heavy. Their strength was remarkable, as four divisions were identified on a front of 3500 yards.—Reuter. OFFICIAL REPORTS. Anglo-French Cains. Americans Inflict Heavy Losses. London, June 13 (1.30 p.m.). Sir Douglas Haig reiports:—-We made a successful daylight raid south-east of Arras, and inflicted heavy enemy casualties. Local operations at night advanced, •our line a short distance at little cost south-west of Merris. French troops east of Diokebusch Lake improved their position in the neighborhood of Ridge Wood. A French communique reports:—The enemy has not renewed his attack be* tween Montdidier and the region of Antheuil. "We consolidated the positions. On our right our counter-attack threw back the enemy on the northern bank of the Matz. "We re-occupied the height of Croiz Rueard anil Melieeq, taking 100 prisoners and some machine-guns. Fighting continues violently between the Aisne and the Forest of Villers- Cotterets. The Germans made progress ay far as the ravine past Laversine and, after a desperate struggle, obtained a footing in Coeuvres-®t. Pierre Aigle. The enemy violently attacked on the front Bourwesches-Beileau Wood. American troops shattered tho attack, inflicting heavy losses, and entirely maintained their gains—Aus.-N.Z. Caible Assoc. and Renter. Received June 15, 1.15 a.m. London, June 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports: A successful operation in the neighborhood of Merris yielded forty-eight prisoners, six machine-guns and trench mortars.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Renter..

AN OPTIMISTIC FEELING. Large German Losses. Recklessness of Offensive. c . „ London, June 13. •-mce General Foch's afternoon communique Paris experts are optimistic that the German bull rush has been stopped. It is estimated that 210 German divisions have been engaged since March 21 and that each division has lost a minimum of 2000 men each day it has entered the line. It is noteworthy that the Germans show no elation. The Americans captured 34 German officers. They state that the High Command promised peace by July 1. The officers now realise that this'is impossible, and criticise the utter recklessness of the present offensive, which has entailed most terrible losses. They say that disease is rampant in Germany and that children under 10 are dying wholesale. An air raid destroyed Cologne station, and 120 soldiers returning from the front on leave were killed.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

Paris, June 13. Some precautionary measures for the •defence of Paris have already been taken, although everyone is confident that the Germans will not reach the city. The deputies of the Seine Department are dealing with such matters as the eventual evacuation of the population, war industries, and revictualling. Refugees are now reaching the city from Compiegne, from which every civilian has been evacuated. The evacuation was completed by noon on Tuesday. Another message says that everywhere there is the utmost confidence in Foch's army. The defences of the city proceed apace. War provisions are being stored and industries being transferred. Thousands of children have been sent away. The Government is considering the question. of the thousands of refugees daily arriving from the threatened areas.— Ans. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

NEW AERIAL ACHIEVEMENTS. Silencing the Big Guns. Received June 14, 8.5 p.m. London, June 13. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters states that the important role played by our air force in battle is daily increasing. During the fighting, light bombardment forces performed th& unprecedented feat of attacking German heavy gun batteries in action, silencing them and killing and scattering the gunners. In the Picardy offensive our fighting planes repeatedly attacked field gun batteries with machine-guns, but silencing heavy guns by bomb attacks from the air is a new achievement.—Reuter.

GERMANS WEAKENING. Four Strong Enemy Armies. London, .Tunc 13. General Maurice says that the Germans have established themselves on the Tliitvscourt plateau The French have fallen back from the salient on the. other bank of the Oise and evacuated Carlepont woods, but while the French hold tiie Belloy ridge and the heights on the south Itank of the Matz river near the junction with the Oise they should be able to 11old Laigle forest, on the plateau between the Oise and the Aisne, and cover Compeigne. With his reserves steadily diminishing Hindenburg has reached a position when he is unable to maintain the pressure towards Paris and simultaneously attack the British front on the contemplated scale. Prince Rupprecht is probably capable of attacking heavily, but the drafts must be dwindling, and one of' Germany's offensives must now be weakened for the benefit of the other. The Germans have now started to attack the Soissons front and southward of the Aisne on the eastern flank of the salient in which Compeigne lies, but the danger of this move is lessened by the success of the French counter-attack, which improved the Allies' immediate situation, though the days of anxiety are far from over,—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.

Colonel Repington supposes that Ludendorff will not be satisfied until he gains at least Mont Canelon, overlooking Compiegne from the north and compels the French in the angle between the rivers to cross to the south bank of tho Aisne. The fresh German offensive from the Soissons sector is obviously designed to aid the squeezing process by threatening the retreat of the French, who are still northward of the Aisne. The enemy boasts that he succeeded in engaging and scattering Foch'g reserves, but it is early to claim that our generalissimo has nothing under his hand. The more troops the enemy shows the easier it becomes for the defender to take precautions. It seems certain that the enemy has four strong armies, under von Marwitz, von Billow, von Quast, and von Arnim, between the sea and the Somnip. These have had a long rest and must be ready to begin again. The counter-attacks give the necessary answer to General von Stein's statement that General Foch's array reserves no longer exist. The French withdrawal is Inevitable, but does not imply the loss of valuable positions.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

SITUATION REASSURING. A Deputy's Testimony. Paris, June 13. Despite the withdrawal on the left bank of the Oise, which was effected on Monday night, M. Clemenceau, speaking in the Senate, said the situation was exceedingly reassuring. The enemy had put enormous forces in the field and suffered extraordinary losses. Deputy Galli, who witnessed Tuesday's smashing counter-attacks, was intensely impressed with the method, organisation and orderliness of the operations, although the movements for attack were kept secret until the previous evening. Motor lorries brought up troops, who were in admirable spirits. He saw two picked divisions attack. They advanced to the firing line with imperturbable calm and resolution. Their general addressed them as they passed, and the men responded with simple, touching earnestness. The artillery preparation on the eightmile front was brief but terrific. Lines of batteries of every kind shelled the enemy's position, then the tanks advanced. There was fierce infantry fighting on the hills and violent aerial battles, our aviators dominating the situation. We saw two villages ablaze. Immense flames rose from munition dumps which were exploded. Our artillery and infantry continued to advance. There was no hitch nor disorder and the morale was marvellous.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

THRUST AT COMPIECNE STOPPED. Situation Well in Hand. Received June 15, 1.45 a.m. London, June 14, 3 a.m. The French stopped a most dangerous thrust striking at Compiegne from the north. They firmly hold the enemy from Mery to the Metz River. Generals Foch and Petain have the situation well in hand.—Press Assoc. Wild German Statements. Amsterdam, June 13. Although German semi-official messages insist that there is no fear of the Entente's army of manoeuvre interfering in the present battle, several German critics refuse to accept the War Offiee view that Foch's reserves are exhausted. This view was emphasised in General von Steig's survey of the military position in the Reichstag. He claimed a great success for the Crown Prince's attack, and said that the French had been forced to use their reserves to prop up the British front, thus adequate reserves were wanting at the Chem'm des Dames. The Entente were coming to recognise a heavy defeat. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

Received June 15, 1.15 a.m. London June 14. Wireless German official: Strong French counter-attacks south-west of Noyon broke down with the heaviest losses. Over sixty armored cars are lying on the battlefield. Our prisoners now amount to 15,000. The enemy captured some of our guns. Wo attacked south of the Aisne and drove the enemy beyond Outry and Dommiers. Wc cleared the enemy out of the region of Savieres, taking prisoner 1500.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL. FRENCH POSITIONS ENTIRELY RESTORED. (Received June 15, i.55 a.m. London, June 14 (li a.m.). A French communique states:—The Germans powerfully counter-attacked between Courcellcs and north of Mcry, but Were .caught by our fire and compelled to reire to their starfcing-ipoint with heavy Josses, without approaching our positions. The material captured in our attacks on the Uth included ten guns (of which four were heavy), and numerous ma-chine-guns. The day has been quiet between the Aisne and the Oise. The enemy, south of the Aisne, continued hia drfvs between the Aisne Forest and Villers Cot-, terests, but were repulsed at most poiuts, The enemy gained a footing in the village of jLaversine. All his attempts to debouch on the Coeuvres advance, west of Vertefeville Farm, completely failed. The enemy did not renew his attacks during the afternoon. The Germafis momentarily penetrated our lines north of Corey, but were ejected. We restored out positions entirely. There has been lively artillerying in the region of tha Ourcq i 1 the direction of Champlat and Lapontelle, "but has been quiet elsewhere.

VALLEY FILLED WITH DEAD. Result of Airmen's Work. Received June 16, 12.10 a.m. Paris, June 13. A marfced feature of Wednesday"? fighting, when the Germans' massed attacks made a determined but unsuccrtI*- 1 *- ful effort to regain ground captured by the French counter-attacks, -was the cooperation of tlie Allied airmen, flying low and bomlbing and machine-gunning the enemy troops, especially in a narrow defile of the Matz, which was subsequently piled with the dead. The struggle was fiercest round Bellov and the adjoining woods, where we captured the outwork. Depressed prisoners, refuging i n the cellars and vaults, were taken at Belloy.—iPreea AssocBATTLE ON 50-MILE FRONT. Still Raging. Received June 15, 1.50 a.m. London, June 13, 11 p.m. Mr. Gerald Campbell, writing to the Daily Mail, states that a battle is raging on a fifty-mile front from Rubecourt to Brussiares. It has continued uninterruptedly since yesterday. The Marne battle for Compiegne holds the Btage.—Times Service.