Bisbee daily review., 1918-07-25

''heavies get up behind the allied lines"
 Lacking railway lines on which 10 maneuver the enemy probably is mak- ing desperate efforts to get his biggest guns away safely. The attacking lines are backed by circling railways on which long range weapons on railroad mounts can be shunted back and forth at will
 It is recalled the German attack on Chateau Thierry little more than a week ago was accomplished by the fire of the big naval guns, shells from which fell ten and fifteen miles behind the lines.
 The bitterness of the battle around Chateau Thierry and along that DOT, tion of the north bank of the Marne where the enemy still retains a foot ing probably is largely due to his de- termination to stave eff Franco Amer ican attacks from the south at least until the big weapons have been dragged back to safety. The Amer ican advance reported today throug1 Chatelet Forest and to the northeast of Epieds is beginning tc menace seri- ously enemy positions further east ward on the Marne which are cover ing his withdrawal within the salient.
 It has been estimated that the Ger mans now have as many as ha-- million men in the limited salient they still hold. About forty divisions are understood to have been identified there. The irregularity shaped pOck ct is about thirty miles bread at its base, between Soissons and Chateau Thiery, while its greatest depth is around twenty miles.
 Should the final rail connection northward come under direct gun fire, it is regarded as possible a veritable rout would be the result as the massed forces of the enemy could not all be gotten away.
 Appraised at its lowest probable value, officers say, the counter stroke already has drawn in the enemy's most vital necessity, his reserves. His whole plan of campaign has been over turned in less than a week. and it is regarded as more than probable that the initiative seized by General FOch will remain in his hands permanently to be amplified into blows at other points. General Marchs statement fol- lows:
 "On Saturday I called your attention to the importance of the railroad sys- tenn in the salient which was under discussion as influencing the position of the Germans south of the Marne, and while I was talking the Germans were actually withdrawing from that salient across the Marne. Our official accounts indicate that he retreated from thic nncf+Tnr bxvc cr1aolrp clouds, and continued his passage at night across the stream as soon as the line of railroad which furnished him with supplies, food, etc, was ap- parently destined to fall into our hands.
 Along the salient here, between the Marne and Rheims, on the east flank of the salient, the enemy has been pushed back over a ten-mile front for an average distance of one and one half to two miles. This has been done by British, French and Italian troops. through a wooded country, and over high ground, reaching up something like perhaps 800 feet above the streams.
 Along the Marne itself. the Amer jeans and French have crossed the river at a number of points and now hold villages to the north of the Marne.
 "The responses of the Germans to the counter offensive of Foch was to throw in at Soissons and south of it, a large number of reserves divisions which he had not used in his advance across the Marne Our belief is that he threw in there fifteen divisions but the advance of the allies at that point has been practically steady for the last two days as far as our official information goes.
 Looking at the large scale map, the railroad running from Soissons to Chateau Thierry is now either in our hands or under our fire. The only way in which the enemy can get out now. or get supplies over railroad is shown by the remaining line running from Nanteuil on the Ouscq to BazOches on the river Vasle He may have con- structed in addition to that in and along the valleys. small temporary field railroads. military roads, which would be of advantage in handling supplies but his main line of retreat must be along that main railroad. That is the only way he can get out large material It will be observed