The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-30
ALLIED LEADERS
HAVE 1DEuTIF led
II DIVISIONS OF.
.TEUTON TROOPS.
Vicious Counter Attacks
All Along Circular
Line Begun
CBy Associated Press.)

a million men into the gigantic bat
! tie between Scissors and Rheims
and have been viciously counter at
tacking all around the circular line
that stretches from SCISSORS to the
neighborhuod of Rheims.
Even this formidable force, how
ever, appears to have made not more
than a. dent or two IN the Allied
front in it's latest effort. while at
various points progress for the AL
lies, slight but important, Is re-
ported.
Regarding the strength Of the
German forces, unofficial advices
state that there are II Teuton divi-
sions engaged in this struggle. The
strength Of g. German division is
agout 1880 on a normal footing, so
that if all the units resisting the Al
/ lies north Of the Marine have been
kept up to standard, there are
| 958,500 men trying to hold the line
until the situation is relieved. OF
these divisions there are 10 drawn
from Crown Prince Rupprecht's
army in the north.
Has Doubled Army.
The German Crown Prince had in
the neighborhood Of 500, 900 men be-
tween Rheims and Chateau Thierry,
when the attack across the Marine
began on July 10. The increase in
the number Of divisions engaged in
the battle would appear to indicate
| that he had since that time drawn
heavily on other army groups. 1t
would also seem that this action on
his part reflects the importance Of
this battle in the eyes Of the German
high command.
Through the German counter blow
the Americans were driven back
from Cierges, southeast Of Ferne-
en- -Tardenois, while to the northwest
Of F'ere en- Tardenois the Americans
have also been forced out of Beug-
neux, into which they hRd pene-
trated after passing through Grand
Rozoy.
Buzancy, situated on the west side
Of the Crise river, about five miles
south Of Soissons, has also been the
scene of heavy fighting, and the bat
tie appears to have been general
along the line south of that point,
notably in Plessier wood, near where
the front turns abruptly to the east.
Cn the other end Of the battle
front there have been sharp engage
ments but reports credit the Allies
with making an advance at Aubilly.
in the Ardre valley west Of Rheims.
down toward the bottom or the
pocket, at Villers -Agron- -Aiguizy.
While these counter blows against
the Allied lines are general and of
great violence, 1t is not believed in
London that the enemy intends to
make a real stand south Of the Vesle
river Paris, on the other hand,
seems to believe that the Germans
may have fixed upon the present
location Of their armies as the field
upon which they Will turn at bay.
American Report.
Washington, July 30.-Severe fight
ing resulting from heavy counter at
tacks by fresh enemy troops beyond
the line Of the Ourcq was reported
in General Pershing's communique
for yesterday received today at the
war department.
The statement follows:
Section A. Beyond the line Of the
Ourcq, heavy counter attacks made
by fresh troops Of the enemy have
resulted in severe fighting. Sergy,
taken by our troops yesterday, after
having changed hands four times,
remains in our possession.
Section B. There is nothing to
report in this section.
Americans outnumbered.
London, July 30.-Describing the
attack of the Fourth guard division
on the Americans, who are now Or
ganizing their lire after their vic
tory, Reuters correspondent with the
American army, telegraphing Mon
day, says the Americans were at q
considerable disadvantage in NUM-
bers in this fighting,
There was no holding the crack,
fresh picked division OF guards as 1T
came down the hili," he continues.
THE Americans had to give ground
to weight Of numbers and fought
back step by step through Sergy
down to the Ourcq. They were far
from done with however. and before
the Germans realized 1t they rad
been forced to yield ground and
were pushed clear through the vii
lage, ,....,...,.
'sThat was the beginning Of g. des-
perate struggle, which continued all
day. Each side in turn had possess
sion Of the village until the evening,
when the AmericanB, with q final
fury OF determination, swept the
Germans from the ruins and then up
the hill, broke another counter at
tack Of the German guards, and re-
mained victoriously on a field where
the enerny's dead actually lay in
heaps.
THE piles of German dead were
all the more noticeable" the CORE
gnondenf adds SSfuce }he nYIar sI
came into the fight with complete
brand new equipment, as if they had
turned out for parade before the en-
peror".
- ann1A