WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

I 25,000 PRISONERS TAKEN. INCALCULABLE LOSS OF MUNITIONS AND MATERIAL. GERMANS BEGINNING OFFENSIVE AGAIN. Received July 27, 5.5 p.m. London, July 26. Frencli headquarters report at il p.m. on the 25th: Since the liilh 25,000 prisoners, -UK) guns, and several thousand machine-guns have been captured from the enemy, whose loss of munitions and material are incalculable. Nightly fires indicate where depots and stores, which he was unable to remove, are burning. Tt is now clearly proved that the Germans are beginning the offensive again, being deluded by tho idea that the French army is lengthwise exhausted, and therefore has left the possibility of a counter-offensive on their right flank, They are out in their calculation, having failed lo reckon the Americans' presence, which enabled the French commanders to take measures which they might have hesitated to take with their own resources alone. The New Zcalanders repulsed an attack at Rassigual wood, taking prisoners.—Reuter. GERMAN WITHDRAWAL FORESHADOWED. GERMAN NATION BEING PREPARED Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, July 2(f. German military critics are preparing the public for a withdrawal on the front at Soissons and Rheims. The Lokal Anzeiger states that a change in tho present line is probable. It is indifferent whether the troops move forward or backward, provided our adversary's aime are impeded. The Tageblatt warns the public not to get excited if von Hindenburg sees fit to retire to the Aisne, or even further north. It will -mean nothing more than a strategic move which cedes no German ground. We may have to retire in order to prepare new blows.—United Press. THE GERMAN PLANS. A DRAMATIC CHANGE. ENEMY ORDERED TO RESIST TO THE LAST MAN. ■Received July 2S, 5.5 p.m. New York, July 27. The New York Times' correspondent at the French front learns from a French staff officer on the Marne sector of a dramatic change in the German plans. Explaining the recent fluctuations of the battle, the officer said that on the night of July 17 the Germans had recrossed the river, protected by a strong rearguard and heavy shell-fire. By July 20 the south bank was in Allied hands. On 21st July the German artillery had greatly decreased and tho French troops crossed to tfie north bank. It was reported that the German lines were held by machine-gunners only. Air observers reported that the gun supplies and troops were in the greatest congestion behind the enemy lines, moving northward, and that untransportable supplies were being burned. On July 22 terrific German artillerying commenced at dawn. An air observer reported that the German army was then moving south. Germans who were taken prisoners on July 22 said the retreat had been abandoned and the troops ordered to hold to the last man. The assumption is that General von Boehn or the Crown Prince had decided to retreat, but the higher command had countermanded the order. The French advanced north of Ponta Binson, otherwise the advance is stayed. The total captures during General Foch's offensive amount to 30,000 Germans.—Press Assoc. IN FULL RETREAT. FROM BOTTOM OF SALIENT. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. New York, July 27. The United Press correspondent at the French front, writing on Saturday night, states . that the Germans are in full retreat from tho bottom of the pocketPress Assoc. FERE-EN-TARDENOIS. ALLIES SLOWLY CLOSING UPON IT. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. iParis, July 20. The* Allies- are slowly closing on Fere-en-Tardenois. They ara barely three miles away. Meanwhile the artillery and airmen are inflicting heavy losses on the German troops. BRITISH BEAT OFF ATTACKS. London, July 28. Sir-Douglas Haig reports this evening that the enemy attacked our new .positions in the Hebuterno sector, but wa3 driven off with severe losses. The enemy this morning launched a local attack against the line we recently gained near Meteren, but was repulsed. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reuter.

: GERMANS' CHANGE OF PLAN. SAVIN'G ACCUMULATION OF STORES ENEMY RESERVES RAPIDLY BEING USED UP. Received July 23, 5.5 p.m. London, .Inly 20, 7 p.m. The French made bill, little progress round >Sois~ons, where the German resistance was strong. The French situation here i; rather unfavorable, owing to the enemy being able to keep up an enfilading fire. Still, the French can maintain tlieir position on the heights overlooking Soissons. j There id good reason to think that tho enemy made up his mind on the I 19th to undertake a general retirement | to the Ardre and Vesle, but later can- j celled the orders. He may now try to hold hia present line at all costs, or straighten the front between Soissons and Rheims. His object in hanging on may be a desire to save the enormous accumulation of stores and reduce the confusion in tho congested transport area. Should he fall back on the Ardre or the Vesle it would be an admission of complete failure, and would seriously affect the Central Towers' morale, The Crown (Prince's reserves are entirely used up, and Prince Ruppreeht's 30 fresh divisions arc all that are left on the western front. The prospects of an attack are less apparent than they were a week ago. The enemy appears to be disinclined to stake everything on an isolated attack on another front. • Another reason is that the man power situation is not as good as he would like, but he cannot expect an improvement until the 1020 classes are ready to take the field two months hence.—Renter. FURTHER FRENCH CAPTURES. TWO VALUABLE POINTS. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 2li, 4.20 p.m. A French communique states: Last night we captured Ville Montoire, after a desperate struggle, taking 200 prisoners and 20 machine-guns. Further south, Oulchy-le-Chateau fell into our hands. We advanced east of the town and captured four guns. Wo took several hundred prisoners south of the Ourcq yesterday.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Renter. ENEMY FORCED BACK. BRITISH GUNS DANGEROUS. AMERICA'S FORCE NOW 1,250,000. Received July 2S, 5.5 p.m. Washington, July 27. Two additional American army corps havo been organised in France. Summing up the situation on the French front, the New York correspondent at French headquarters states that the Allies have forced the Germans back eleven miles. The Germans are retreating towards tho centre of the salient. The British guns are especially dangerous to the enemy, because they have placed the southern Germans in an awkward plight. The United States, according to General Marsh, sent 290,000 men to France in July, the total in France being a million and a quarter, of whom CO per cent, are fighting men.—Press Assoc. RECHARMEL CAPTURED. BY THE AMERICANS. --- Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 20. An American official message states: We captured Recharmel, between the Ourcq and the Marne, on the 2oth.— Press Assoc. NEW ZEALANDERS ATTACKED. GERMANS VIGOROUSLY THROWN BACK. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 2G. The Germans last night attacked the New Zcalandera on tho left flank at Hebuterne, under protection of a heavy bombardment, but were vigorously thrown back, leaving prisoners. Elsewhere there has been mutual shelling, the Germans using mostly gas. The British heavily gassed the Germans west and north-west of Albert, simultaneously machine-gunning and artillerying them. Judging by the feeble response, the Germans must have lost considerably.—United Press. BRITISH OFFICIAL. AERIAL ACTIVITY. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 2G. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We repulsed attacks at Aveluy wood and in the neighborhood of Vieux Berquin. We prisonercd a few in the enemy's unsuccessful attack at Meteren, Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: Wo attacked three large ammunition dumps, also the docks at Bruges, and numerous 'Villages used as billets. A strong west wind greatly favored the enemy in air fighting, but 25 hostile machines were brought down and six others driven down uncontrollable. Fifteen of the British machines are missing. Our night-fliers attacked the railways at Courtrai and Senlin. They also dropped 300 bombs on rest billets. All returned. Our anti-aircraft shot down enemy night-fliers behind our lines.— Press Amw.

CAPTURE OF MAIN DE MASSIGES. ORIGINAL LINE RESTORED. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. Paris, July 27. General Gourand's army in many places has taken the original line occupied before the attack. Main ile Massigcs in the most important gain of the series which was secured by a nibbling process —Australian Cable Assoc. EFFORT TO REGAIN METEREN. GERMANS CRUSHED. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 27. Mr. 'Philip Gibbs writes: This morn ing's futile attack on Metercn was mad by six companies belonging to Germai divisions recently arrived in the line, re lieving the division which the Ausarali ans and Scottish almost destroyed. The Germans advanced resolutely after heavily bombarding the Seottisl positions, but were raked by fire fron the start, and never reached the roa< through our positions, which was the: goal. They made some progress on tli right, but the Scottish infantry drovi them back with severe losses, the enem; only gaining a small outpost.—Australi an Cable Assoc. FRENCH OFFICIAL. GROUND GAINED AT VARIOUS POINTS. Received July 28, 5.5 p.m. London, July 27, 3.30 a.m. A French communique states: South o the Oureq there has been reciprocal ar tillerying, but no infantry fighting. W captured, north of the Marr.e, on Tliurs day evening, Previl and the Savard farm, and drove back the enemy to th Houthenr outskirts Binson, Orquigny an Viller sous Chatillons. Altogether 70 prisoners were taken on the 25th a Ville Montoire and Oulehy le Chateau. Local attacks undertaken in th Champagne, after breaking- the enem; offensive, resulted, notwithstanding en emv resistance, in our advancing a mil on a front of thirteen miles cist. Of thirteen miles east of the Suipp and north of the general line St HilarcGrandsonain—Mesnil les Hurlus, we re captured the whole of Main de Massige and re-occupied our old first lines in tha region. We -captured in these operation 1100 prisoners and seven guns. We felle seven enemy aeroplanes, and the Britisl felled eighteen. On the 25th we dropped 38 bombs dur ing the day and night on stations, roads hangars and dumps near the battlefield Fires and explosions were observed. Th British dropped four tons on Bazoehesj Fere, Tardenois and Mont Notre Dami —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reutei