Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-05-30
ENEMY LOSES HEAVILY
American Soldiers Holding Sector
Where Germans Started Offensive.

the long expected German offensive
are considered in competent French
quarters as satisfactory. By paying
the price, it is contended, it was in
evitable that the enemy could gain
ground. After the terrific struggle
throughout the day of yesterday the
Germans at ruinous cost advanced
at the farthest point three and one
half miles.
Military officials say the enemy
has won enough ground to bury his
dead and that is all
In close contact with the foe the
allied line has moved back step by
step. according to schedule. giving
General Foch all the time he needs
to place his reserves--those reserves
whose whereabouts is an anxious
mystery to the Germans-iust where
he wants them.
Gains by the armies of the Ger
man crown prince on the Aisne front
have been balanced in part by the
repulses of further attempts to push
forward southwest of Ypres. In pre-
pared second line positions along the
Aisne the Franco-British forces are
offering strong resistance to the
Germans who are pressing on to
cross the river. while in Flanders the
French confidently await increased
enemy attack.
Although the Germans attacked on
the southern flank on a front of 35
miles in great strength. it is not yet
clear what is behind the operation.
Probably several days will pass be-
fore the situation is defined clearly.
Two possibilities stand out--that the
Germans felt it necessary to widen
the elbow about Montdidier. or it
was feared General Foch might be-
gin counter offensive toward Laon.
Nor is it unlikely that the attacks
on the extremities of the nearly 200
mile line are feints for stupendous
movement toward Amiens
| In gaining the heights north of
the Aisne and the famous Chemin
des Danes. the Germans suffered
most heavily. The region over which
| they have advanced thus far is one
of the most battle SCARED in France.
If the crown prince hoped to crush
the French and separate them from
the British at Berry-au-Bac. he fail
ed, as contact between the allied
forces has been maintained through
out the fighting. How far the Ger
mans have advanced on the extreme
ends of the new fighting front is
not defined clearly, but in the CEN
ter they reached the region north Of
Pont Arcy on the Ajsne, a four mile
advance
Along the six mile front from the
Locre to Voormeezle, on the Elan
ders battlefield, the French hurled
4 hA Oh nd
still hold tenaciously to the positions
protecting the ridge running west
ward from Mount KENNEL. Near
Voormeezle. where the French have
taken over the line from the Brit
ish, heavy fighting continues about
Dickebusch lake, where the Germans
penetrated the allied lines.
| Meanwhile there is very intense
artillery fire from north of the Som
me to the Avre in Picardy. The
Germans have made no attacks here
except for small raids against the al
lied lines. especially the American
sector west of Montdidier The
Americans threw back the Germans
in a counter attack after fighting in
which the enemy suffered. severe
losses and prisoners were taken by
the Americans.
Renewal of heavy fighting in
northern France is coincident with a
successful Italian thrust against the
Austro- Hungarian positions in the
mountains of the western Trentino.
In addition to gaining important
height positions, the Italians captur-
ed nearly 900 prisoners and much
war material Austrian attacks to
the south of Asiago have been re-
pulsed by the Italians. Elsewhere
on the front from Stelvio to the Ad-
Ratio there has been little activity
| With the American army in France
May 2S.-The American troops on
the French front near Montdidier de-
livered an attack against the German
positions. fought their way through
all detectives. including the village
of Cantigny. and captured 140 pris-
oners.
The American attack was along a
two kilometer front and it seems to
have taken the hard-hitting Amer
leans just about three-quarters of an
hour to complete their conquest,
which included that amount of ter
rtory as well as the village of Can't
! igny-an exceptionally short time
| for such an operation.
This remarkably fine showing
comes as fitting companion piece
| to the brilliant work done by the
United States soldiers in repulsing
an enemy assault made against them
in the same region yesterday morn
ing. One American division was at
tackled at that time and the gray
coats met with complete reversal
at all points.
This enemy attack was not a
heavy one, however, and was easily
dealt with by the Americans, who
had the situation we'll in hand at all
times.
Word of these two victories have
added much to the very favorable
impression which the American
troops have already created along
the British front. 1t was a fore
gone conclusion that the Germans
would make the newest OF the allies
along this front the object of an at
tack. in an attempt to push them
back and thereby create a feeling
that they had formed weak line
in the defending chain.
The general opinion Of the way
in which these American troops
have handled themselves in the last
two days seems to be summed up In
a comment made to the correspond
ent this afternoon by a French liai.
son officer:
Magnificent" he exclaimed
L., q Ia, - 81,