WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

WORK OF AMERICANS. GERMANS SUFFER FEARFULLY. London, July 30. Router's correspondent at headquarters, writing on July I'.), deals with the hard fighting leading to the final capture of Sergy by the Americans, who also captured Scringes and Ronchcrcs. The tight for Sergy resolved itself into a tierce struggle with the Fourth Guards Division, one of the crack divisions ot the German army. The Guards swept down the hill when the Americans were reorganising their lines. They were all picked, fresh men, who were .determined to strike terror into the hated Yankees, with whom this was their first engagement. The Americans were overborne by the vast, weight of numbers and gave ground, foot by foot, to the brink of the Ourcq. but fiercely recoiled and drove the Germans helter-skelter at the point of the bayonet from the ruins of the village. The Germans suffered fearfully, their dead lying in heaps in all parts of the field.—Reuter.

AMERICAN PRESSURE. PLAYS HAVOC WITH RETREATING GERMANS. Received July 31, 7.40 p.m. New York, July 30. The New York Times' correspondent on the American frotn states that the Germans retreated so fast that they abandoned hundreds of tons of ammunition. While the retreat was not a rout, American pressure played havoc with the Crown Prince's army. The Americans' charge across the Ourcq was a most thrilling episode of the fighting. The Germans withdrew to strong positions on the hills overlooking the river, and placed hundreds of machine-guns and artillery in positions from which they had command of the stream, They also placed two fresh Guards divisions opposite the Americans. The Germans also destroyed the bridges on the American left positions in the wood and on the river, but were driven back by the merciless machinegun fire of the Americans there. The Americans finally, bringing bridges, spanned the river under the heaviest fire and forced the Germans to retreat to another series of hills. The Americans crossed the river in a dozen places. The Germans fired on the Allied stretcher-bearers while they were carrying the wounded across the stream, and German aeroplanes swarmed up behind a truck load of wounded.—Press Assoc.

FRENCH STILL ADVANCING. DESPITE INCREASED RESISTANCE. London, July 30. The French are advancing in spite of the powerfully increasing resistance. The heaviest fighting is between the Ourcq and Vi!le-en-Tardenois, where the French are nearing the crest of the plateau between the Vesle and the Ourcq. The Germans violently attacked Cierges and drove out the Americans and also ousted the French from Beugneux.

Seventy-one enemy divisions have been identified, including ten of Prince Rupprecht's. The pinching off of the salient is no longer regarded as a possibility. The driving back of a numerically superior force and the capture of many prisoners is sufficient cause for congratulation, and it is unnecessary to lament the non-fulfilment of ill-founded and extravagant hopes of cutting off the enemy.— United Service.

THE AUSTRALIANS' EXPLOIT. TWO GERMAN FIRE LINES CARRIED Received July 31, 5.5 p.m. London, Jul/ 30. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent states that the Australians' exploit in the Morlancourt sector was entirely successful. The river Ancre, [lowing from the north-east in a deep wooded valley, meets the Somme sis miles eastward of Amiens, and it was essential for the safety of Amiens to push back the enemy's line along this prominent ridge. The Australian Corps commands succeeded in doing this in the morning. By a series of small, repeated actions the Australians rushed two German fire lines, which consisted chiefly of unconnected posts without continuous trenches. The second wa3 entrenched throughout. Both were vigorously held in parts, as proved by the number of [bayonet wounds received by our men. This was a rare occurence, yet our casualties were slight.—'Press Assoc.

AUSTRALIANS CAPTURE MERRIS.

New York, July 30.

The Germans, attacking fiercely, drove the Americans out of Cierges, south of Fere-en-Tardenois, also from Bengneux, near Grand Rozoy. On the west front the Australians captured Merris.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. London, July 30.

Sir Douglas Haig reports a successful raid in the neighborhood of Ayette, where Australian patrols entered positions about Merris, There was hostile gas-shelling north-west of Albert.—Auf. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

STRUGGLES AT SERGY AND SERINGES AMONG THE MOST INTENSE AND TERRIBLE OF THE WAR. AMERICANS ACCEPT PRUSSIAN GUARDS' CHALLENGE. Received July 81, 10.30 p.m.

London, July 31. An American headquarters report states that the struggles at Sergy and Scringes were amongst tile most intense and terrible in the Allied offensive. Fierce fluctuations extended from Simday afternoon until yesterday evening, when the Americans proved victorious at both points. Sergy changed hands nine times. The Americans approaching waded over the Ourcq river, being slightly repulsed owing to heavy machine-gunning. They awaited artillery preparation and then re-crossed, climbed the north bank and ardently accepted the Prussian Guardsmen's challenge.

Four bitter, swaying attacks and counter-attacks followed. German artillery of every calibre shared in the din. The enemy fought well but made no headway. Ultimately the Americans saw the finely-built Guards melt away. It is believed the ferocity of the Germans was designed to gain time for the removal of valuable stores, munitions, and. guns concealed in the Nesles forest.

Many of the American wounded found in Sergy had been bayoneted. The Germans had placed in position their ma-chine-guns in a church and a Red Cross building. This so enraged the Americans that they took only a few prisoners during the final stages Of the fight. The defeated Germans hold the heights northward.—Times Service.

HARD FIGHTING. ENEMY OFFERS STRONG RESISTANCE. A "WONDERFULY BRILLIANT" ATTACK. Received July 31, 9.40 p.m. London, July 30. Mr. Campbell writes: Strong enemy resistance has become general south of Soissons,

The British are fully sharing the fighting, and bore the hardest part of the simultaneous Anglo-French attacks on Grand Rozoy and the Butte di Chalmont. The French captured the latter with ease and with remarkably small losses.

The British, after taking Grand Kozoy, advanced upon Beugneux, where the enemy were in a strong position, being apparently determined not to move. The first assault met with heavy artillerying and machine-gunning and was checked.

The French onlookers describe the second as a dashing attack, and wonderfully brilliant. The British climbed the slope in perfectly open ground and gained the woods facing their objective, the important heights northward, and are not attempting a further advance.—(Press Assoc.

OFFICIAL REPORTS. Received July 31, 5.5 p.m. London, July 30. A French communique states: Nothing important occurred at night time north of the Marne.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

Received July 31, 755 p.m. London, July 30. Sir Douglas Haig reports: On the night of the 28th the Australian first division patrols, who entered the German positions about Merris, successfully established themselves eastward of the village, which they surrounded and captured. Our casualties were remarkably light.

IPatrola captured prisoners in the Nieppe forest sector. There has been great hostile artillerying against our new positions at Merris. A French communique reports: On the right bank of the Ourcq we advanced to the north-east of Fere-en-Tardenois. In the region of Sergy our gains were maintained, despite enemy counter-attacks. South-west of Rheima the enemy counter-attacked on both sides of St. Euphrase; resulting in only a slight enemy advance west of St. Euphrase. All enemy attempts to capture this village failed.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

Received July 31, 0.50 p.m. London, July 30. A wireless German official report states: We repulsed partial attacks in the regions of Merris, astride the Ayettc. The enemy strongly attacked our new lines north of the Ourcq and the wooded heights south-west of Rheims. We threw them back, inflicting the heaviest losses. Repeated attacks against the Hartennes and Ferc-en-Tardenois front also, as far as Meunsere wood, broke down. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.

GERMAN RETREAT ACROSS THE MARNE. THOUSANDS SWIM ACROSS. London, July 17. The Times correspondent at American headquarters states that the enemy crossed the Marne under cover of a heavy bombardment with gas, weeping and mustard shells. Boats were used, but they were insufficient, and thousands plunged in and waded or swam across- The Americans rushed the railway parallel with the river, where a bloody struggle raged for two hours in pitch darkness. The American machineguns lining the banks kept up a withering hail on the swimmers, killing many, while others were swept off the bank and drowned.

The Americans fought with magnificent eagerness and valor, counter-attack-ing with great dash. Officers and troops swept on, driving back the enemy and capturing numerous prisoners, also copies of the Kolnisclie Zeitung of Friday, telling tie German people not to worry about the million Americans in France; that only tea.fes cent.. ofi'l%. effectives

AN AVENUE OF DEATH. Mr. Herbert Bailey, Daily Mail correspondent with the Americans, states that details emphasise the splendor of the American resistance. Although at first they were compelled to retire under a terrible hail of shells covering the crossing, making roads and woods an avenue of dt&th, nothing could stay the magnificent fury of their counter-attack, delivering blow after blow, until the enemy precipitately fell back to the banks. The American gunners deluges the river with thousands of shells, smashing and sinking pontoons, bridges and boats, and completely shattering further efforts to cross.

The greatest problem of the Americans was to get up ammunition and guns. The commander asked for volunteers and every man offered. Numbers started on the journey of almost certain death. All horses and some men were killed. Finally the gallant survivors pushed the trucks by hand to the artillery. The following reference to the Americans has been made by Mr. Joseph Cook, Australian Commonwealth Minister, who recently visited the Western front: "I must not forget to say a word for the Americans, some of whom were brigaded with the Australians, and fought splendidly. We travelled across the Atlantic with 6000 of them, and after spending a week among them we formed the conclusion that they are of very much the same type and temperament ai the Australians. They rough it with the same tenacity and intrepidity, and gave immense promise of splendid results, which can be expected in the future. In this war it is good to have them a3 comrades and allies. They will give us the nunf? bers which we badly need to win. complete victory, which, I verily believe, despite all untowards circumstances and appearances, will yet be ours."

AMIENS EVACUATED. Respecting Amiens, Mr. Cook says: On the journey home we visited Amiens, and found it completely evacuated. All the civil population had withdrawn, and the only signs of life were the British and Australian troops going through the town Witfh supplies for the army. It was an impressive sight to see the havoc wrought by the guns of the enemy. One of the most beautiful structures which it has ever been my privilege to look upon is Amiens Cathedral. It is splintered and chipped in many places, and is in danger of being entirely de' molished by-the artillery of the Germans; They- spare nothing. Neither man, woman, child nor building is al= lowed to escape their murderous attentions

INDOMITABLE BRITISH. CriKERY FAITH IN VICTORY. TAUGHT BY REVERSES TO DIG. If anyone imagines that the British Armies are depressed or disheartened by the bufferings they have received this year, he is wrong, says a correspondent. I have had an unusual opportunity of judging their condition during my visit, and of seeing the British defensive preparations from the air and from a motoroar, during many miles of travelling, visiting the front lines and talking with men, regimental,officers, and generals. The great percentage of the Army has been through the fiercest trials, though some divisions, including Canadians and New Zealandera and various veteran British formations, missed the fighiting and are sitill'perfectly fresh. There is no noticeable difference m the morale of those which received tho woroi handling and the freshest divisions. They are all as cheery and as confident a$ ever.

Certainly a decline in the physique of the British as compared with early in 1917 has become obvious, but the standard of the Germans has declined far more. War inevitalbly takes the heaviest toll of the heat men of the nations.

The men show the same impenturbRibility, almost eocksureness, the same cheery faith in Britain, the same gameness in fitting. The only noticeable difference in their habits is that reverses have taught them to dig. It was always difficult in the old days to get the British to concentrate for long hours on trench-making- They were an offensive army, especially equipped with all manner of mobile transport and trained for advance. Now they are digging and engineering, concentrating day and night. It is no secret, since the German aeroplanes see it, to say that the British have in some places 13 lines of earth; Works, many miles deep, whilst along the whole front the defences seem to be more stable than they were in March.

You pass line after line of wired, halfdug trenches, far behind the front, and see men of all sorts of nationalities still digging more. > It is perhaps needless to say that the British armies are not ashamed of anything which happened in IMS. The genoral attitude is one of satisfaction that the Germans' enormous concentrations failed to pierce the line. The average Tommy does not doubt the armies' capacity to withstand the Germans until the Allies are ready for the supreme effort.