The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-31
ALLIES DRIVE
WEDGE INTO
ENEMY LINES
NEAR 0URC0
All German Counter Attacks
Fail as Allies Continue Re.
lentless Pressure on Enemy
Positions Along River.
BIG GAINS ARE MADE
(By Associated Press)

Wv O0uuVO MIL mHUl
| (By Associated Press)
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON
AisNE-MARNE FRONT, july 81
/ Noon-efforts made by the Germans
10 advane; their line against the
americans on this front last night and
TINS forenoon were fruitiess. The
Americans for their part were content
to hold their positions aIona thei,
slightly advanced line for the time
The German line, however, it is re-
ported, gradually giving away both &c
the right and left.
There was hard fighting through
out the night but no concentrated at
tack in force on either side. Durinc
the night the Americans made a ore.
tense OF retiring from the part of the
town OF Seringes. The Germans ad.
vanced into the town on OBSERVING the
evacuation. Two companies of Amer
ieans then closed in and enveIoped the
German force killing or capturing ev
cry man Of it.
Both high explosives and shells were
sprayed by the Germans over a wide
area. The air forces on both sides
were busy this morning. One Of the
american observers was attacked bv
e'ght enemy machines, but ESCAPED
and returned to his base.
! (By Associated Press)
| In spite of the tremendous effort
put forth by the Germans to check
the relentless pressure of the allies
north of the Ourcq river, today finds
the German positions there in grave
danger. French, British and Ameri.
can troops fighting their way forward
to the east of Fere-en-Tardenois. have
driven wedge into the enemy's lines
and seems to be in position to com.
pei a hurried retreat from the ex-
IRENE bottom of the salient between
scissors and Rheims.
All around the salient there has heep
continuous battle during the last
two days with the Germans launching
repeated counter-attacks against the
allied lines. They have all failed and
the allies have gained important
ground at vital points
| Immediately south of scissors and
west OF Rheims the German lines are
strongly held but enemy efforts to i'm.
prove his position in the latter region
have broken down
1here now seems to be little doubt
that the Germans will retreat to the
Vesie river as soon as possible, any
possibility of making a stand north of
the Ourcq being seemingly gone.
Against the new British positions at
Merrls, in the Lys salient where the
Germans were driven back by sur
prise attack on Tuesday there has
been heavy bombardment.
Drive in Wedge.
Plunging northward from Sergy. Am.
erican troops have made a brilliant
and important advance in desperate
fighting and apparently have opened
the way for further successful opera
tlons against the Germans in the
Marne salient
Enemy resistance Of the stoutest
character was no obstacle for the Am
ericans and they now are on the Fere-
en-Tardenois-Coulenges highway Just
south of the forest of Nesles. The ad-
vance by the Americans late Tuesday
measured little less than two miles.
French troops on the wings also moy-
ed forward and the allied pressure on
the west and east flanks of the pocket
is being maintained with force.
In their advance, the Americans
drove wedge into the enemy line and
the allies are now in a position to
drive the Germans back by flank move
ments both east and west of the head
OF the apex which lies. near Nesles.
Most exposed is the German line from
the Nesles region southwark through
Cierges to Roncherres The line IS
about four miles in length and offers
an opportunity to drive the Germans
from the region southwest of Ville-en-
Tardenois, without a frontal attack
against the hills to the south
FIanks Are Checked.
Strong efforts have been made by
the enemy to check the allies on the
fianks and seemingly they have been
successful. Attempts to drive the
French from st. Euphrais, however,
were defeated with DOSES.
Berlin says the figh'.1g front was
quiet Tuesday and that the allied ef-
forts were repulsed everywhere.
Some Of Germany's supposedly best
divisions. the Fourth Prussian Guard
and a Bavarian division, were oppon-
ents of American boys from the mid
die west and eastern states. The Am
ericans outfought them Monday in the
battle for Sergy and defeated them
badly Tuesday, although they fought
valiantly.
The Germans were driven over the
ridge north Of Sergy and out of the
village of Serignes-et-Nesles and Mes
les. Bitter fighting took place in both
pla ces, but when night fell the only
Germans remaining in the villages
were dead, victims OF their own valor.
Very few prisoners were taken. so des-
perate was the combat which ragged
throughout the day.
Nesles forest probably will be de-
Tended as stoutly as the ground al
ready taken by the Americans Ma
chine gun and artillery fire forms the
main part of the enemy defense Ger
man shell fire from the forest how
ever. has had little effect against the
Americans. The allied position about
Sergy also was improved by the cap
ture of hill PIP to the southeast and
which commands Cierges
Determined countering by the enc