1918-07-27 — Page 5

Page

THE

WAR.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, JULY 27TH, 1918

FOCH TIGHTENING GRIP ON GERMANS.

CONTINUED SUCCESS OF AMERICANS.

LARGE LINER TORPEDOED.

SUBMARINE DISCHARGES ELEVEN TORPEDOES.

COMPLETE SUCCESS OF ALBANIAN OPERATIONS.

anco-Belgian bront.

LATEST CABLES.

ENEMY'S MAN-POWER.

LONDON, July 25th.

3.50 p.m.

Hitherto 64 German Divisions have.

FOCH CLOSING THE PINCERS,

LONDON, July 25th.

1.25 4.1.

GERMAN ASSAULTS SMASHED UP. Naval Activities.

PARIS, July 24th. A communique states-The night was characterised by great artillery firing be- tween the Marne and the Aise in the Bois-de-Courton and Bois-de-Roi.

The latest communique shows that Generalissimo Foch methodically continues closing the pincers which have been grip- ping the Germans between the Aisne and The Germany counter-attacked at nine the Marne since July 18th, The capture o'clock last evening in, the region of of Armentières increases the envelopment Vrigny, but our troops smashed up all of Oulchy-le-Chateau, and the capture of the asetates, and we maintained our post Brey brings the Allies, only five miles | Lions intact.

from the important centre of the roads at The remainder of the front wns Fere-en-Tardenois, whence, according to eventful.

GERMAN REPORT.

un.

communiqué to-day, the Germans are hastily removing the material which has accumulated since, the beginning of June.

LOYDON, June 25th. The Allies are thus relaxing the German

A wireless German official report hold on the Chateau Thierry-Soissons states:We defeated five attacks between rood and are gradually linking up the Noyant and Hartenues and captured front formed by Oulchy-le-Chateau Fore-Ville Montoire.

We repulsed enemy en-Tardenois Montagne-de-Rheims, where attacks between the Aisne and the Marne they promise to eventually establish and drove the enemy back from the height strong fine. On the eastern side of the north eastward of Hocourt and Chatelet been engaged in the Marno battles, repre-triangle the British advance north of the Wood. After a desperate all-day struggle senting nearly one-third of the available

Ardre river is most important, threaten we repulsed the French and British at German Army. All groups of the Gering the German left with envelopment, many points north of the Ardre. man Armies from Flanders to Alsace while the Franco-Americans advancing Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re-Lorraine have been drawn upon, but from the Marus menace the Germana ports:--Early at night the enemy entered Prince Rupprecht has still plenty of re-entre.

serve divisions. The enemy, however, scens to have reached what might be

(THROUGH NEUTÉR'S - AGENCY:]

THE BRITISH FRONT.

BRITISH LINE SLIGHTLY ADVANCED.

LONDON, July 20th.

10.00 p.m.

one of our posts southward of Villers- Bretonneux, but an immediate counter- attack ejected him.

The British success at Vrigny threatens. Fismes, another important centre. Hence called the downward curve of his man- the desperation whereby the Germans are We repulsed a raiding party north-power. His units ar much below ward of Sotte

We slightly advanced our line at night southward of Rossignol Wood in the Hebuterne sector, taking a few prisoners and six machine-guns.

EARLIER CABLES.

HOSTILE ARTILLERY FIRING IN YPRES SECTOR.

Loxnos, July 24th. 10.03 p.m.

Field-Marshal Sir Dougins. Haig te ports:-There was considerable hostile. artillery Bring this morning in the Ypres

sector.

Little" flying, was · possible yesterday wing to wind and rain.

LATEST CABLES.

FRENCH FRONT.

AMERICAN ADVANCE AT JAUL-

GONNE.

LONDON, July 25thi

1.00 pm Renter's Correspondent at American Headquarters, telegraphing at o'clock yesterday afternoon, in a graphic de spatch describing the American advance at Jaulgore, gays:--

strength. This applies ales to Prince Rup precht's army, and possibly explains why Prince Rupprecht does not seem inclined for an offensive, The Gerraan battalions. are likely to remain at this low level until September, unless buys who have not yet been greatly used are previously utilised. FRENCH COUNTER-OFFENSIVE RECOVERS GROUND,

PARIS, July 26th.

A communiqué stater: We captured 30 prisoners in a raid south of Mont

didier.

striving to prevent the Allied advance in

tion.

BRITISH EXTEND ADVANCE.

LONDON, July 25th.

9.35 p.m.

at French

Heater's Correspondent. Headquarters, telegraphing this after non, states: The British resumed operations this morning and further ad- vanced in the woods surrounding Vrigor. A considerable pocket of thickly-wooded ground has thus been taken from the enemy's possession, which is of consider

this direction. Their defence at Soissons is also beginning to be more formidable as the Allies continue to advance, for Sois sons is a vital pivot of the German posi-able importance. Meanwhile the French continue to press with unabated vigour on the western salient

side of the German

AMERICANS AND GERMANS IN FIERCE FIGHTING,

LONDON, July 24th. Reuter's Correspondentat French Tuesday evening, states: The German Headquarters, telegraphing at 10.30 on

It is estimated that there are 400,000 Germans fighting within this triangle, whose sides the Allies are squeezing. Their very numbers apart, the obstinate resist-- alice in this rugged country constitute an obstacle to the closing of the pincera at the narrow heim-Soissons opening but the relentless Allied pressure

is

resistance to-day was very stubborn.

On the north bank of the Marne Bradually emptying the triangle of the Fighting was persistent on almost the

enemy Innsgen.

EARLIER CABLES,

enemy at night-time powerfully counter- attacked in the region of Dormans and occupied a small wood 1,500 metres north of Treloup and the village Chassins, both AMERICANS FORCE BACK ENEMY T British divisions in the Ardre of which our counter-offensive speedily be

covered,

There was violent artillery fring south of the Ourcq and in the region, west of Rheims.

ENEMYS POSITION UNTENABLE

LONDON, July 26th.

11.15 am..

Reuter's Correspondent at French Headquarters, telegraphing yesterday at

LINES.

LONDON, July 25th;

10.a.m

-

An Amerienn official report states: Between the Oureg and the Marne local combats resulted in our farther forcing back the enemy's "lines

The enemy's positions north-westward of Jaulgonne were penetrated to a depth of from one to two miles.

The enemy opposition, chiefly echeloned infantry, was most admirably concealed in thick woods, entailing the greatest midnight, states--The enemy's posi- AMERICANS RECONQUER EPIEDS. American precaution against ambush. In the dense undergrowth machine-guns were at a discount, and it virtually be came a fight with the rifle, in which

tion in the salient south of the Aisne has become untenabic. On the

battle, depending upon machine-guns in western side his fighting a retreating

PARIS, July 25th.

A communiqué states: Between the area and the Marne our attacks were

LATEST CABLES. [THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]. WHITE STAR LINER TORPEDOED.

LONDON, July 24th.

Subsequently 10 torpedoes "were fired, of which only two were effective, and four were exploded by gunfire from the ship:

General.

LATEST. CABLES.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY

***FOR VALOUR."

LONDON, July 25th.

The award of three new Victoria Crosses

is announced in the Gazeffe, the most

The White Star Liner Justitia (32,000 tone) was sank of the North Irish coast conspicuous beingTM on the morning of July 20th, after an Brigadier-General Sr. GunGE GROGAN, extraordinary 21 hours' fight with a sub-Worcester Regiment. Throughout three marine..

days of intense fighting he com The first torpedo wrecked the engine manded. infantry remnants of a room, which stopped the ship.

division and various attached troops, displayed magnificent leadership and materially stayed the onward thrust of enemy masses. Throughout the most eritical part of the third day he spent the dimo prider artillery, trench-mortar, rife and machine.gan five riding up and down the front line encouraging and reorganising the troops, and leading back

his horse shot under him, but nevertheless those who were beginning to retire. He bad

continued on foot to encourage

No passengers were lost. Ten of the crew were killed, Four hundred survivors were landed. LATER.

GERMAN PRESS JUBILANT.

torpedoing of the Justitie, which it de The German Fress is jubilant at the

clares was the former Vaterland. The fact is, the Justitia was launched in 1915, being built for the Holland-America line, which christened her the Stateudum,

Three to eight submarinéa aré

the men

until another horse was brought. His wonderful example inspired not only

ed as participating in the tion his own but the adjacent Allied troops.

attack. Accompanying destroyers dropped many

depth charges. While patrol-boats stood by a Naval tug took the vessel in tow.

Seven torpedoes were fired between.

three in the afternoon and eight o'clock next morning. The Justitia was then well en route to port.

THE JONAS CONSPIRACY

CASE.

LONDON, July 25th. Salin, who was arrested in connection-

with the Jonns case (mentioned on July ist) has been found not guilty.

The defence of Jonas is that he obtain-

She was damaged by the first torpedo,. which alone hit the vessel. Finally, theed the information merely for business

at ten in the morp submarine emerged ing and fired two torpedoes, both of which struck, one forward and the other. aft.

The Justicia sank at one in the

afternoon,

EARLIER CABLES.

THE U-BOAT MENACE PROOF OF DIMINUTION.

LONDON, July 4th- whole front between the Marne and Aispe

Conclusivo prout of the diminution of and between the Marae and Vrigny, the U-boat menace is afforded by the ad which village, with the woods to the east.miralty's latest statement of losses of

total losses of the world's merchant ships ward, were captured by the British.

merchant tonnage. This reveals that the

sector were engaged in a desperate offen- for the month of June were 216,040 gross Faivo battle for four days

tons, comprising 161,062 British and In consequence of the advances scored 114,567 Allied and neutral. These igures by the Allies in heavy attacks the line show a monthly drop in the world's sink- to-night runs, roughly, along the railwayings of 81,905 tons compared with Mars from Nanteuil to Chateau Thierryg. 37,788 compared with April, and 125,834 German artillery firing was very severe compared with March of 1918, while cotn- on both sides of the Ouren

Their front pared with the month of June last year was stuffed with machine-gun neats. the world's drop is 437,092 The purely There was fierce fighting between the British drops are 44,627 compared with Americans and Germans on

the crests May, 67,005 compared with April, and north of the Marne.

63,064 compared with March this year, Speaking generally, the French and and 271,393 compared with June Inst American bridgeheads narth of the river year. The losses in world's tonnage. were steadily enlarged during the day. including murine risk, are lower for the of Charteves and Mont St. Pere, captur- since September, 1916. Comparing the We advanced two miles in the region month of June, 1916, than for any month

quarterly periods the losses for the three Fires were visible during the night at months ending with June were lower than several points behind the enemy's front, in any quarter since the third quarter. the Germans burning stores or

their of 1916.

The sailings exceed the high depots being set on fire by our guns. level of recent months. The total sailings Aerial Activities,

for the quarter ending June 30th amount to 7,430,386 grous tons, being consider LATEST CABLES.

ably higher than for the two preceding (TREOUGH EESTER'S AGENOT.):

quarters.

the Americans excelled. Neither side was advantageous positions to hold up our adresumed this morning and continueding Munster and fortified farms able to obtain much help from artillery vance while he gets away his material successfully throughout the day

and the Germans did not attempt even to put up a barrage, but in higher and more open ground they retired behind machine-gun nests.

Captured orders showed that the Ger Juans had allotted 15 machine guns to each decinated company,

Very little enemy artillery is left on this front. Fere-en-Tardenois is about the centre of the salient, and the advance of a few kilometres, such as we made to-day, would enable us to sweep back with our long-range artillery the whole of the no- maining area to the east front, upon which the Germans are engaged with the British and French between Vriguy and the. Marne,

The Americans occupied Jaulgonne, and pursued the enemy as far as Foret de Ris. Meanwhile the Franco-American advance progressed from the Oulchy Chateau

The victory on the Marne and the large hierry road, when it was opposed by haul of prisoners we made in a few hours great masses of Germans; indeed, the pre-is significant of the feeble quality of the -Sence of nixeses of men, material and stores

in this sector suggests that the Germans had been preparing for a great advance to Paris.

We hold on the left of Armentières Chatelet Wood, beyond which we reached and occupied Brecy.

The French and Americans in the

centre advanced over three kilometres at certain points.

There was desperate fighting In the region of Erieds and Vrigny. The Germany recaptured Epieds on Tuesday evening, but the American counter attack reconquered it.

THE

E RAID ON TONDERN.

HIS MAJESTY INSPECTS ““MYSTERY SHIP.

ITALO-BRITISH ACTIVITIES IN ADRIATIC

HOME July 24th. An Admiralty communiqué, states:- Italian and British naval units continue their activities in the Adriatic. Military works and anchorages at Cattara and Antivari were again bombarded on July B1st, with visibly good results,

Italian bront

EARLIER CABLES.

{THROUGH REUTEB': AGENCY.)

COMPLETE SUCCESS OF ALBANIAN OPERATIONS.

SWEDISH SOCIALIST IN ENGLAND.

LONDON, July 25th. M. Branting, the Swedish Socialist. fender, has arrived in England from France.

BRITISH COURT. IN MOURN- ING FOR EX-TSAR.

LONDON, July 28tki. His Majesty the King has ordered the Court to go into mourning for four weeks for the late ex-Tear-

MEMORIAL SERVICE.

LATER. Their Majesties the King and Queen, Queen Alexandra, the Duke of Con naught, and the Grand-Duke Georg of Russia attended a Memorial Service for the late ex-Tsar in the Russian Church, in London.

GERMAN BANK IN BRAZIL.

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 28th. The Governtrent lins. restricted the. operations of the German Bank in Brazil to the liquidation of current business

believed that this foreshadows the closing of the bank.

It

AFFAIRS IN RUSSIA, GENERAL GOURKO COMMANDS ALLIED TROOPS IN MURMAN.

LONDON, July 8th. A telegram from Berlin,vid Amsterdam states that General Gourks commands the Alien troops in Mutman,

BARLIER CABLES. THE PRICE OF A GERMAN AMBASSADOR

AMSTERDAM, July 2ith.

M. Tchitcherin has informed the Ger- eman Churge d'Afaires at Moscow that

up to July 19th over 200 Left Social Re volutionaries who were implicated in the murder of Count Mirbab, the German Ambassador, had been shot.

IMPERI L

PREFERENCE

LONDON, July 24th. Mr. Walter Long, in a speech at Lon- doo, announced that the War Cabinet approved of the scheme for Imperial Pre- ference formulated by the Committee of the Cabinet which is considering the ques tion of inter-Imperial trade. X

LONDON, July 25th. His Majesty the King, inspecting the Grand Fleet, also inspected the "mystery" We adanced our line north of both ship employed as an acropline carrier in troops with which the enemy is obliged villages beyond Courpoil, and wo to hold sectors where he does not expect an advancing our right in the forest of Fere,

are the attack on the Zeppelin abeds at Ton dern. She reached a point off the Ger attack. Half of his "ahock" divisions north of Charteves and Jaulgonne Far man const early in the morning and have been shot to pieces between Soissons ther east we enlarged the bridgehead at despatched a number of zeroplanes, of and Main-de-Massiges, and divisions Treloup and captured the southern part which one, reaching its destination, holding quiet sectors which have been of the forest of Ris.

few at a height of only 50 feet. Tondern vas fast asleep, and the aeroplane flew Systematically drained of their best men

We captured in this sector five five-inch over the whole length of the main street,

Mr. Walter Long believed that the whole for "stora" units are no match for the

Empire would approve of the sheme. The French infantry.

gune, 50 machine-guns and much mate- where the occupant of a farm-cart waved

Committee had dealt with the question of rial.

a friendly greeting, not suspecting the

securing raw materials for the Empire o AMERICANS BRILLIANT

the first instance, and a whole series of PARTI

There was intermittent artillery bring visitor was hostile. The raid was a com-

reports on the matter had been approved CIPATION IN ENEMY REPULSE.

between the Marne and Rheims.

plete surprise, and not a single gun was

by the War Conference and the War fired until the aeroplane dropped bombs, in the occupation of the whole of the time in reeing to it that the Allies vie- Cabinet. The Government were losing no LONDON, July 25th.

In Tuesday's fighting, in which exploding a munition dump. Then it re-mountainous region dominating the right tory should he a real victory, not only 7.25 a.m. Prisoners also state that in order to

captured Reims Wood, south of Cour leased the remaining bombs on the Zeppe side of the valley of the Develi.

giving peace to the world, but giving a Heuter's Correspondent at American was, we took several hundred prisonery.lin sheds. Flames 1,000 feet high indicated We have taken the villages above the lead which other countries will gladly keep up their spirits a communiqué was

follow, and which will enable us to widely circulated in their ranks stating Headquarters states it has now been dis- Our total of prisoners taken in the region to the pilot that his object had been junction of the Holta on the left bank, develop the Empire along lines leading to

operators. (Applause.)

Hitherto nine divisions of Prince Rup precht's reserves were thrown in at thie point, and were supplemented by another division from the Rheims-Dormans front. Prisoners state that the enemy's 33 cen timetre guns, with which our back areas wore shelled, were on spurs from light railways from the Foret-de-Fere, but doubtless these heavies "have now beaten a retreat.

run

issue to distract attention from Prince

LONDON, July 24th.

A French Eastern communiqué states --The operations in Albania have resulted

that the Rheims advance was a mere side closed that the Americans brilliantly Mailly Raineval-Aubevillers, Lorth of achieved. He departed, leaving other air. We captured 842 prisoners from July prosperity to ourselves and to our ca Rupprecht's attack on the northern front, participated in General Gouraud's re Montdidier, on Tuesday, is 1,850, includ-pilot returned unscathed, despite a heavy plete success during the past two wonths,

which had begun three days before, and pulse of the Crown Prines east of Rheims ing 52 officers, of whom four were was everywhere driving the English into the sea and inficting enormous losses. The unit was marching westward to rein

The German rank and file, however, aro force comrades on the Marne when it was beginning to be sceptical regarding such zeporta.

Tecalled.

colonels. The booty includes four field guns, 45 trench-mortars, and 300 machine.

guns.

men to complete the programme. The first

barrage after being three hours in the air. The second pilot bombed s second shed, and, despite anti-aircraft fire, also

returned unscathed.

21st, to 22nd. Our losses were small.

and were carried out by much smaller The operations in Albania were a com

LATEST CABLES. LONDON, July 25th. The Daily Chronicle understands that effectives than the enemy's. Our troops Scheme includes the abrogation of the fought sometimes in spów and sometimes most favoured nation clauses.

the Government's Imperial Preference

in the broiling sun.

(Linafinued on Page 61