1918-06-14 — Page 5

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THE WAR.

GERMANS ADVANCING

AT HEAVY COST

SLOWLY

BLOODY FIGHTING CONTINUES.

SEVERAL ANXIOUS DAYS AHEAD.

SPLENDID AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENT IN FRANCE.

ALLIED RESOURCES TO BE POOLED,

ALLIED AIRMEN GIVE NO REST TO THE KAISER'S HORDES.

franco-Belgian Front,

SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN

EFFORT.

LATEST CABLES, (THROUGH REUTRE'S AGENCY.]

BRITISH FRONT

RAIDERS REPULSED.

LONDON, June 12th

12.36 p.m.

Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig states:We repulsed raiders on

the night of June 6th on our post at Aveluy Wood...

We carried out a successful' raid in Boyelles taking a few prisoners.

success on the night of June 10th in the neighbourhood of Morlancourt. The line south of the village was advanced to a

depth of nearly half-a-mile over a mile and-a-half front. Prisoners captured numbered 233, and 21 machine-guns and a trench-mortar werd also captured.

We successfully raided during the night north-west of Morlancourt, south of the There was hostile artillerying at inter-

Scarpe, and cast of Nieppe Forest, cap vals during the night westward of Lensturing prisoners and two machine guns ENEMY "AIRMEN DESTROY THEIR and inflicting numerous casualties.

OWN AEROPLANES,

LONDON, June 11th.

11.20 p.m. Router's Correspondent · al British "Headquarters, reporting on June 11th, states:-The fine weather has been pro- ductive of great aerial activity.

Dur flyere acccinplished wonderful feats on June 5th,

One of our fighting machines, leading a patrol, met a Halberstadt, which fired a green Fight and did not show a disposi

to escape. Suspecting a trap the British machine hovered round, where. zupon six albatrosses entered the scene. The rest of the British patrol coming up gave battle, when six more albatrosses appeared and dived upon the first half -dozen wĺziel: they mistook for cneinics. A regular melée ensued into which our

patrol plunged causing the Halberstadt and two albatresses to crash, and sending down several others without control.

EARLIER CABLES.

A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION.

LONDON, June 11th. 10.10 p.m. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re- ports-The total prisoners captured in the successful operation southward of Morlancourt was 298, of whom five were

officers.

CAERIAL OPERATIONS:

LONDON, June 11th. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, re porting on aviation, says:-Our airmen

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 14TH, 1918.

GERMAN REPORT

LONDON, June 11th 11.55 pm

A wireless German official report states-Our counter attack stopped the enemy's break through on the Corbie Bray road

We are fighting in the neighbourhood

of Courcelles and Mery.

provod

ENEMY CONTINUES PRESSURE.

PARIR, June 7th. A communique states: The enemy last d evening and last night, continued pressure. in the direction of Estrées, Saint Denis

and librcourt.

On the left our resistance was effective, the enemy being unable to expture Lo Playron or Courcelles

That the enemy's reserved re not inexhaustible

by Bathe fact that the Crown Prince has been already forced Lo borrow" four divisious of Bavarian

troops and it wag through these that the enemy cap tured the villages of Mery, Belloy and. St. Maar. Generally speaking, the battle position at present is the French hold the centre but lave fallen back a little on their right. The situation of the Frenchs between the Oise, and the MAGNIFICENT FRENCH COUNTER Aiste is becoming difficult as the wooded salient of which Noyon is the apex is endangered and the enemy is threatening the high road from Nayon to Compiegne. We pressed forward southward of the There will be much costly fighting how Oise as far as Ribecourt."

Our prisoners have been increased by 10,000.

We captured the ridge eastward of Mery penetrating the fourth enemy position, and throwing back the enemy on Aronde.

Wo stormed the heights at Marque Eglise and Vigneront Hill, and ad-

vanced as far as Antheuil.

LATEST-CABLES.

FRENCH FRONT

· THOUSAND PRISONERS AND SEVERAL GUNS CAPTURED.

LONDON, June 12th.

3.30 am.

LONDON, June 11th.

A French communiqué states-The Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, in battle continues to-day from Montdidier report, Atates-The operation carried to the Oise. On the loft, our troops, supported by tanks, counter-attacked in out by the Australians was a complete

the afternoon. On afront of twelve kilometres between Rubescourt and St. Maur and, notwithstanding desperate resistance, we reached the southern approaches to Lofretoy and captured the height between Courcelles and Mortimer. We carried our lines over two kilometres east of Alery, also recaptured Belloy and Tioisgenlis and reached the southern out skirts of St. Maur The chemy Jost heavily and left 1,000 prisoners und several guns in our hands.

In Antre, the Germans who had succeeded in pushing on to

South

of Hoges

Authouil were

driven back

those beyond” both | points. On our. right the enemy

by accentuating his pressure, sought to GERMAN BOMBER DESTROYED, gain the Mats Valley. Several violent

LONDON, June 11th,

attacks on Chevincourt were repulsed. Reuter's Correspondent British The encay gained a footing in Mache

nt Headquarters sys—A putrol Lieutenant mont and Beshangoust, which are being saw a big German bombing machine | bitterly disputed.. caught by our searchlight. He pursued it, getting within twenty-five yards. He emptied the drum of his Lewis gan and sent the machine down in flames. This is the first occasion on which an ency machine has been brought down at night

The enemy raided a post in Aveluy Wood One British soldier is missing.

There was active artillery and a gas shell attack during the night west of Len®

on

this front by aerial attack.

A British natrol of eight machines met and engaged a formation of 40 Germans, four of which were sent, eraghing to ourth, while a fifth staggered off out of control, The remainder were driven: off

Our aimrin, - co-operating with the French on the Aisne front, are doing adminlife work. On June 9th they fired 30,000 rounds and dropped 300 tons of bombs on enemy troops and transport.

GERMAN LOSSES EXPLAINED.

LONDON, June 11th

The Daily Chronicle's correspondent on the French front Bays:-Owing to the heavily-fortified Allied front now being attacked, and knowing that no surprise is obtainable, General von Hutier bas been compelled to throw in new forces at

a greater rate than in the previous stages of the offensive. This is the reason of the immensity of the German losses.

PARIS, June 11th.

on the French battlefront, despite cloudy GERMANY'S PRODIGIOUS EFFORT. weather, worked early and late dropping eight tons of bombs on troops, transports,

The well-known military critic, M.- ammunition dumps, guns and trenches Henri Bidon, writing in the Journal des Direct hits were obtained on the railway Debate, bases his hope of an Allied

at Royes-sur-Matz and on concentrations

Low-fiers machine-guuned every target offered along the roads behind the fighting line with an immense number of rounds with good effect

quècess upon,

The Americans, south of the Ourcq, in the morning brilliantly captured Bellean Wood, and 300 prisoners.-

Our day bombing squadrong continued to work on Monday, despite had weather Groups of aeroplanes are fying low in most exposed points on the battlefield, They dropped projectiles on enemy cón- centrations, dispersing reinforcements and inflicting heavy losses. Several crews made several trips. Eight tons of explo sise; were thus dropped with the best results on the enemy rear. We bombed actively on Monday night, and twenty tons of projectiles were dropped on coa- voys, cantonments and stations, while two munition depots were blown up.

Four enemy neroplanes were captured.

PAYING THE FULL PRICE.

The enemy, instead of sweeping on vic- toriously as in the first days of the Aisne: battle, is advancing painfully yard by yard, paying the full price for every step of the advance. The main effort is still the centre towards the Oise, with the ob joet of summing the salient we hold in the enemy's line with its apex at Pont la Veque on the Oise and comprising

We recaptured the village Mory at ten Carlepont and Onescamp Forest in an o'clock last night. ***

angle in the bend of the river.

SEVEN MILES FROM THE STARTING POINT,

ATTACK.

ever before the Germans succeed in reach-Arunde, but our magnificent counter ing Compiegne. The strength of the attack throw back the enemy on the whole French resistance has delighted the Paris. of this front and was restored our post inns who, though confident that Pariations on the line south of Bellor-St will not be reached, are energetically Maur and youth of Marque Eglise and pushing com preparation to defend the Vandelicourt. capital

EARLIER CA BLEN.

MAGNIFICENT AFRICAN COUNTER. ATTACK

ENEMY ACCUMULATING GREAT FORCES:

LONDON, Jane 11th. In chief the German effort is directed.

Reuter's Correspondent at Frenchi on the Belloy-Alarque Eglise front.

Headquarters, writing on Monday, even A powerful attack with large effectivesing, states that the enemy in the course succeeded in driving us at first as far as of the day, at hense cost, suceeded in pushing his advanes, frám, gjuile to three miles deeper into our front." At Mar- que Eglise, the southernmost point of his salient, he is about seven miles from the starting point of the previous morning.

Fighting with almost unprecedented. fury, the Germans continue to attack in compact masses, which are mown dotn by gunire, but others and still others follow. When a position is finally taken by the enemy as often as not it is promptly retaken by the Franch. these counter-attacks the French invart ably find the ground littered with Ger- man dend, often lying in hoaps. -

FOURTEEN UNSUCCESSFUL AT- TACKS ON PLEMONT, The little height called Piemont, south must be payed with enemy of Lassigny, 1 dend. It was held by dismounted. cavalry. The last despatch-runners who

On right fieres lights occurred

our the wooded hills north of Dreslincourt. The enemy, who has accumulated great LONDON, June 11th. forces in this region has been able to Renter's Correspondent at the French reach Antoval, compelling us to carry our Headquarters says that during the even-line of resistance to west and south of ing and night of June 10th the Germans Ribecourt.

attempted to enlarge the salient carved in our front by pushing forward both wings as well as the centre.

On the left the enemy has not made progress and has been driven back in places between Mery and Vignemont.

ENEMY'S PLAN OVER-AMBITIOUS,

Supposing the enemy's objective to De Paris, he, naturally, will begin by thrust ing a powerful fentacle south westward down the Dise Valley and another west got through from Plement before its fa)] ward from the Oured line, thereby say that they themselves saw fourteen ancircling the vast mass of Aigle. Com-unsuccessful German attacks on the hill; peigne, and Villers-Cotterets forests, and there were otless after they left. which, being impregnable to a frontal attack, the enemy probably intends to pass north and south of these, bringing the tentacles together. If this is the

A magnificent counter-altack by native Africans, supported by Tanks, enabled us

sens to retake Porte Farm, west of the Com piegne road, with the high ground north thereof and the neighbouring farm. We were hecked and even thrown back on the right and in the centre-

| cremy's plan, it is over-ambitious and The Germans have thrown in freis impossible of, necomplishment masses on the left wing with. view (9 | CONSTANT FIGHTING DEPLETES

Teaching the Oise.

The country here in wooded hills with deep ravines end lends itself readily to infiltration.

Our troops were operating in a narrow

ENEMY RANKS

As soon as this impossibility is realised the enemy's efforts will probably be

directed towards Amiens or Calais,

Meanwhile his battalions are being de

pleted in the constant fighting from "Noyon to Chatonu Thierry, and from Vermoil to Rheiros, and his wæerves of manhood are declining.

shelt hettiren the phony's advancing Ting and the Oise and ran the risk of being cut off by the enemy reaching the bank south of them Accordingly. they are being gradually withdrawn to the river, || Out of 200 prisoners taken during the first few days of June over one-fourth where the enemy pursuing will find him- self without cover in an open valley under belonged to the 1919 class, and class 1920 the fre · of our artillery and maching guns, made its appearance on the battlefield among tue prisere captured at Bligny, a considerable proportion being lads of this class.

ENEMY USES TANKS. DE

THE NEW OFFENSIVE

LONDON, June. 11th- According to Reuter's Correspondent at Paris, there is a slight advance of the enemy in the direction ni Compiegne, due to the enemy's large number of tanks, ADVANCING PAINFULLY YARD BY which our artillery did not succeed in destroying in time..

ENEMY LOSSES EXTRA- ORDINARILY HEAVY.

LONDON, June 10th.

11.403. Reuter's Correspondent at French

YARD.

1 is estimated that the Germans engaged from 20 to 30 divisions. Up in the evening the endmy's advance was so slow that he has able to bring up light artillery while the heavy guns were still firing in their old positions. The artil- lery strength accordingly was practically equal, although the French was very effcutive, their gunners being familiar with the ground.

THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE YEAR

The flerpeness of the fighting and the inflexible determination with which the

my necepte, his shocking losers show that he is determined to continue until complete victory or completo exhaustion.

The decisive battle of the year is now being engaged.

Naval Activities.

LATEST CABLES.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENOS.] ITALIAN TORPEDO-B)ATS ENGAGE AUSTRIAN

BATTLESHIP

AN ENEMY VESSEL BADY DAMAGED.

ROME, June 19th.

An offisial message states that tw

and a balloon was felled on Monday by Headquarters, telegraphing last evening, unabated fury. On the wings the energy Our torpedo-boats boldly passed the line of

chasers.

AMERICANS ADVANCE THEIR POSITIONS.

LONDON, Juno 12th.

4.5 am.

An American communiyné states North-westward of. Chatenu Thierry we

again advanced our positionis in Belleau

A

Wood taking 200 prisoners.

STRENGTH OF FRENCH RESIST ANCE DELIGHTS PARIBIANS.

LONDON, June 12th. 7.5 a.m.

the stupendous wastage of of the enemy's gain in

of infantry in the triangle from Mont-German effectives. In the first to offen didier, Ricqueborg and Rove

sives this year the enemy employed tho equivalent of 260 divisions, and he threw in the equivalent of a further 53 in the offensive commencing on May 27th, and

We shot down in this area eix aero-

a further 15 in the present attacks. Mr.

planes and brought down seven upcon-

Bidon maintain that this prodigious

trollable. We lost two machines.

effort cannot be kept up indefinitely. There is little activity on the British He calculates that we are approaching the front.

One German aeroplane was time when the German Army will have destroyed and one driven down uncon- reached a state of dangerous fatigue, trollable. lost two machines.

which will synchronise, with the inf. Night-fiers dropped seven tons of preparedness of America's young and bombs on Cambrai and Bapaume. All vigorous army which is thirsting for our machines returned.

action

The newspapers state that it is foolish to attempt to minimise the significance in ground where every kilometre is most valuable, bub point out that the Germans are very far from achieving the programme necessary, to straighten the line. While the corres pondents agree that the enemy sacrifices Were greater than in any previous battle of the war, They state that for the first time indeed, since March, the

X

states: In the centre the Germans auc ceeded in cutting an obtuae salient out of our line with its furthest point at Bessons-sur-Matz. Their gain consists of a belt of ground 1,200 yards deep, which they are able to batter with their heavy trench artillery.

LONDON, June 10th. Reuter'a -Correspondent at French- Headquarters, writing on the afternoon Italian torpedo-boats at dawn on Mon- of June 10th, saye that throughout the

day, near the Dalmatian Isles, attacked night and morning the battle raged along an Austrian naval division, consisting of two battleships of Vizibusunir type, the new front, the attack continuing, with

which were protected by ten destroyers,

were still held on practically the same destroyers and hit the leading battleship line, despite persistent and reckless at tempts to push en. On the extreme right, with two and the other with one torpedoes. Plemont, although almost in the firet They were chased by the destroyers. They roturned safely to the base after badly line, is still holding out, the French rison having keaten off successive waves damaging the enemy destroyer. of German infantry. Mont Renaud is still ours

Bar

FIGHTING OF THE BLOODIEST CHARACTER.

EARLIER CABLES.

INCREASED DESTRUCTION OF

U-BOATS

PARIR, Juno 11th Petit Parisien learns that since the

There is nothing discouraging about the results of the first day's fighting. The

In the centre of the battleheld the enemy's method of attack was the same energy, hy pouring in fresh battalions, last British and French official statements

il as on March 27th, namely, & heavy gas bas penetrated deeper into our line The the rufe of destruction of submarines bombardment for 4 hours, followed by fighting is of the bloodiest character, the has further improved. The month of

ཀྭ་ an attack by closely-massed formations in France Germaas fighting hand to hand great strength; with the object of swamp ing our line before our defence organisa over the ruins of overy hamlet and farm tions could take effect. The enemy's loss hits been extraordinarily

The denseness of the enemy's formation

May will prove still to have been more disastrous to the U-boats. One of the chief means of destruction which will be increasingly effective is the North Sea, minefield, chiefly laid by the British.

Activities.

was greater than previous attacks, heavy. This time the element of surprise His losses must have been extraordinarily was absent, and the enemy's den u masstesial Actrit heavy for our guisecution st

their

have been exposed to the fire of our mercy and did terrible

DARLIER JABLES. Several anxious days are ahead. It is machine guns and artillery for the past The Germans had to assemble

{THROUGH BEUTES'S AGENCY.] certain the enemy will make an extremely 36 hours bitter fight for it, but ho is paying the

behind the lines under our counter pNAVAL AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY fall price for every Elometre.

THE SCENE OF LATEST ENEMY

paration fire, which had been sweeping the German rear three days before the OFFENSIVE.

battle.

LONDON, June 10th

4.45 p.m. Renter's Correspondent at French Headquarters, telegraphing to-day, states: enemy have been effectively counter The scene of the latest offensive is the attacked with a swiftness which gives wooded hilly country bisected by the their storm troops no chance to restive Maiz which flowing south joins

the Oise at Montmacg.“ the correspondent estimates that the The enemy's principal progress yester on the Matr bermans have thrown 100,000 new troops izy was along the coun or eight divisions have already been with the Oise, and thereby take in the flank in the battle in the last 24 hours and six their first obicet probably being to reach drawn broken. Such is the price paid for the whole French salient north of the the enemy e relentless pursuit after Dise, which might result in our with

drawal to the south bank.

Succe

PROLONGED AND DESPERATE STRUGGLE ANTICIPATED The enemy has 18 to 20 divisions in the attacking line, the divisional front being 2,000 yards behind the line. His reserves are ready to replace skattered

struggle must be anticipated; also the ivisions _____ prolonged-and-deporate

possibility of meeting a shock from Gen cral Hindenburg's disposable reserves before the enemy breaks off the battle.

LONDON, June 11th. The Admiralty in detailing ten raide having ning objectives. in Belgium be tween June Bib and ath inclusive state that 15 tons of bombs were dropped. Fires were started at Bruges docks and in the Marialter and St. Denis Westrem aerodromes.

Four fires and two explosions occurred in the castern basin of Bruges docks. Two direct hits on the Mole at Zeebrugge.

was experienced, and the enemy zero- places were driven off. All our machines Were obtained. Heary anti-aircraft fire

returned.

(Continued on Page h)