The Yale expositor., 1918-08-01
Germans Caught As in Vice Are Struggling At the Height
of Their Strength to Stay the Steady
Allied Pressure
ALLIED PRESSURE MAINTAINS ITS FORWARD
MOVEMENT BETWEEN 0URCQ and THE Marine
Seventy German Divisions Are Reported Have Taken Part
in the Fighting to Date-AlIies Take
$4,000 Prisoners.


German Crown Prince in the pocket
between scissors and Rheims. Allied
capitals would not be surprised IL the
situation changed suddenly and most
favorable for General Foch.
Capture OF the towns of Vile Mon
loire and Oulchy-le-Chateau is an
lounced by the Paris war Office Friday.
The French took four cannon and
many hundred prisoners in this fight
Ing. The statement says:
Thursday afternoon French troops
captured Vile Montoire after violent
lighting and captured 200 prisoners as
well as 20 machine guns. Further
south, Oulchy-le-Chateau fell into the
hands OF the French. The French
made progress east of the town and
captured four cannon.
During combats Thursday, in the
region south of the Ourcq, the French
took many hundreds OF prisoners"
Vile Montoire is slight more than
FIVE miles directly south of scissors.
on the Scissors Chateau-Thierry high
road. 1t is in this region, on the Ger
man right flank, that the enemy has
been making his most determined re-
sistance to any further advance by the
Allied forces because of the danger
to his line OF retreat from the Marine
salient.
Oulchy-le- Chateau is about seven
miles south of Vile Montoire, on the
Scissors Chateau-Thierry railway line.
This line has been virtually useless to
the Germans for some time, however,
owing 10 its having been closely ap-
preached or cut by the Allies further
north.
The taking of Oulchy-le-Chate
however, will definitely put 1t out of
business. The capture OF this town
also represents a further closing in
on Fere-en-Tardenois, about six miles
to the east, though the Allies are
closer to Fere on the line to the south.
Caught as in wise, the Germans
are struggling at the height of their
strength to stay the steady pressure,
but apparently to no avail. The Amer
leans and French are advancing in
northeasterly direction from Chateau
Thierry and north from the Marine,
while the French and British push for
ward northwestward up the Ardre to-
ward Fismes and the Velse River.
East to west, at the top of the peck
ct, is now miles, the enemy having
been forced back something like 16
miles since General Foch launched his
counter offensive. The German lines
of communication are almost gone and
the Allies are striking with force and
moving rapidly toward the two most
important bases within the salient
Fere-en-Tardenois and Fismes. Allied
guns now command every point in
the pocket.
With the capture of Oulchy-la-Ville
on the west and an advance Of more
than a mile on the southwest, Fere
now is within three and half miles
of the Allied line in the Tournelle
Wood, where the French continue to
progress.
Allied pressure maintains its for
ward movement markedly between the
Ourcq and the Marine and the latest
gain has averaged more than mile on
the entire front from the Ourcq to
Dormans.
The forests of Fere and Ris are be-
ing cleared of the stubbornly resisting
enemy, who is taking advantage Of
every natural obstacle in attempting
to hold back the Allies.
Heavily reinforced, the Germans are
striking back with great vigor all
along this front, as well as on the east
ern side of the pocket. They have not
been able to keep the Allies from adj
vancing, though their resistance has
stiffened constantly.
British and French troops are I'M
officially reported to have made an adj
vance of two miles toward Fismes
In the region of Vrigny, and have
reached Gouex and Merry Premecy
now the markers of the eastern side.
The gain here not only narrows the
pocket. but also places in great jeopar
dy the German forces north of the
Marine in the forests west and north
Of Chatillon.
Military observers at the front say
the Crown Prince, before he begins
general retreat with the possibility
of losing a large part OF his forces
now south of the Vesle river, will en-
deavor to halt the Allies by launching
a strong attack on more OF less wide
front in the region of scissors. Here,
however, General Foch is protected
somewhat by the Aisne river. and he
also holds the high ground southwest
of Scissors.
Seventy German divisions are re-
ported to have taken part in the fight
Ing already, and the enemy losses are
now estimated at 100000. More than
$4,000 prisoners have been taken by
the Allies, as well as 500 guns and
thousands of machine guns.
Berlin reports that all Allied efforts
were frustrated Wednesday. Its brief