WEEKLY SUMMARY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1918, Page 7

WEEKLY SUMMARY

' LAST WEEKS OFFICIAL REPORT^ By TelcgrapS.—Pres3 Association. Wellington, .July 22The Governor-General has received the following telegraphic summary of wax operations for the week ending July 19 from the Ministry of Information:— lAHjURE OE ©EI&MAN OFFENSIVE. He. German offensive of July 18 was of most ambitious intentions, aiming at very great results. The Crown Prince threw in his armies under two generate, and later a third, and also drew on the precious reserves from Prince Rupprecht's army, from where they faced the British in the north. He planned two bold thrusts downwards towards Chalons, one east of Rheims, between Frunay and Massiges, and the other south-west of Rheims on the line between Coulomnes and Fossoy, on the Miarne, wheTe the river flows south, then east along the valley through Epexnay to Chalons. Success would have given possession of the useful heights known as the mountain of Rheims, besides crippling future actions by the French Army. Or it would have struck a damaging blow against the Trench Army and brought about the fall of Kbeims by pinching out Eheims. Though Eheims had no special military importance, its capture would have satisfied the German craving' for a high-sounding name as an advertisement, and would also have given them important railway junctions, causing it to be heavily drawn on for reserves and weakening other fronts. Otherwise this area had no great strategic importance- From the outset the offensive was in difficulties. On a twenty-three-mile front, from Pruray to Maasiges, the Germans were immediately held up in the French battle positions, ami never succeeded in getting forward except for local advances sit three points. On July 16, von Mntem's troops launched five attacks on the extreme eastern front. These were not only re« pulsed, but the French several times were able to go forward and re-occupy trenches they had given up on the opening of the offensive. The French losses were sKght in men and none aA all in guns, while the Germans lost veTy heavily in men and tanks in their advance. Poor results followed the German crossing of the Marne west of Rheims. On a front of twenty miles they gat from two to three miles deep only. The Americans, on the left, countered brilliantly and recaptured their, old positions and drove back the enemy across the river. On July 18, the Germans pressed forward to the line of St. Agan-la-Ohap-pelle and Monbodon, but the French arrested the advance at midday ou four miles of front south of Dormans, advanced 3000 yards, and recovered the heights south of the river, and by evening were heavily shelling the Germari crossings. However, the enemy still obstinately but slowly crept on down the Marne, and by the night of July 17 had approached the foot of the mountain of Rheims. Here they were driven 1 hack by the Kalians as far aa the line ' of Clarizet, which the Italians took. Anyhow, s o far the Germans' progress has been trivial, and, compared with the magnitude of the operations and opening movements, must be a severe failure. They had hoped next morning after the attack to advance to a depth of twelve miles, but by the evening of the third day their greatest advance was only six . mile 3. , The gTeat German drive ha 3 been ', stopped and is dwindling into fiuctuat- ! ing loci encounters, offering very little . gain at very disproportionate, cost. The attack, in fact, had been fully fore- . seen and prepared for, so*that the eleI ment of surprise was eliminated and the first impact, which means so much, lost all its value by the splendid resistance of ) thp French and Americans. THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE. 1 It must he remembered, though, that 1 the enemy still has a considerable num--5 ber of reserves, and can either strength--1 en his assault here with them or open a big attack elsewhere. Meanwhile the ' check must be grievously embarrassing. The time limit for active campaigning is now perilously short, and not only are his promises to the anxious German people still unfulfilled, but the American troops are now present in such aum--5 hers as to threaten his numerical superiority, besides giving disturbing proof of their quality. Now in the midst of this failure the French have brilliantly struck on the West, and in six hours on the morning of July 18 had advanced farther than the Germans had been able to do in three days. On the whole of the 27 miles of front between Fontenoy and Belleau, the French have made a deep advance by tanks without gunfire. Already their success is well marked; The greatest depth attained is eight miles, to a ravine on the northern front of the Crise River, and also to Monte de Paris, one mile from Soissons, and from the former position they will soon directly command the junction of two railways running to Chateau Thierry and Rheims. These are the only lines by which the German fronts here can bo supplied, and if the French maintain their hold, the German position in the . Salient will become extraordinarily diffl- [ cult. t On their other fronts, the (British and 5 French pursue their policy of constantly keeping the enemy lively and capturing successive local and important points. On July 14 the English did excellent work on a ridge east of Diekebuach IDake, recapturing ground of most iml portance in this flat country on a front , of 2000 yards and taking 300 prisoners.