CROWN PRINCE'S DEFEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 July 1918, Page 5

CROWN PRINCE'S DEFEAT.

ON A DISASTROUS SCALE. ENEMY FIGHTING DESPERATELY. Received July 29, 7.50 p.m. London, July 29. A Paris message from the front states that the enemy is lighting desperately, owing to the order to cover the retirement in the centre. The Allies' pressure on both wings continues. The pursuit indicates the Crown Prince's defeat to bo on a disastrous scale. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent with the French states that tho" enemy fell back several miles on the whole of the Marne front on Friday night, the retreat being effected by the withdrawal of one company out of every two in the first line, then two sections out of each company. The third section had retired before, leaving small outposts of picked men with machine-guns to cover the retreat. Many of the outposts were wiped out as the Allies pressed forward.—Reuter. RETREAT HAMPERED. BY OUR INFANTRY AND LIGHT TANKS. Received July 29, 7.45 p.m. French Headquarters, July 27. The enemy's retreat was on the chessboard system adopted in the Somme retreat in March, 1917. It was greatly hampered by tiro daring of our infantry and light tanks. General Mangin's army faced the strongest enemy positions, protected by powerful flank firo from the north bank of the Aisne. One British division with General Mangin engaged in a local operation and gained much ground, despite the most obstinate resistance. —Reuter. ON TWENTY-MILE FRONT. FRENCH ADVANCE FOUR MILES. RETREAT BIGGER THAJT ANTICIPATED. Received July 2fl, 7.45 p.m. London, July 29. The retreat began on Friday, night, the enemy withdrawing their main bodies from the north of the Marne, 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 the Ardre, the Allied cavalry patrols pressing forward at Chambreay, where the enemy resisted with long range artillery and machine-guns, but were unable to hold the French attack. The outstanding fact of the present situation is that the enemy does not retain a single inch of the ground gained in his offensive on the 15th. There are good reasons for believing that tho retreat will be on a bigger scale than was at first anticipated, but it is quite an orderly withdrawal and not a rout. — Reuter. FERE-EN-TARDENOIS. pCCUiPIED-BY THE ALLIES, Received July 29, 7.45 p.m. London, July 29. This morning Allied patrols entered Fere-en-Tardenois.—Press Assoc. (This town is westward of Rheims, and is on the Ourcq, at the junction of seven roads and served by the railway . which runs from Rheims to Fisines and. southwards to Chateau Thierry.) MAKING THE ROADS IMPASSABLE. TO IMPED 3 'ALLIES' 'ADVANCE, GERMANS STILL 20 MILES TO RETREAT. Received July 29, 7.50 p.m. Paris, July 28. The Germans are desperately trying to make all the roads impassible by 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 that the Germans will retire to the Vosle and the river Crise, south of Soissons, which means that they have still twenty miles to retreat. — Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.