The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-06-29
ENEMY MAKES
ATTACK ON
FRENCH LINE
AT SOlSSONS
Effort to Regain Positions by
Coulter Thrust F ails-
French and British Take j.
400 Prisoners in Drive.
ALLIED LINES INTACT
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated Press)
Positions taken from the Germans
by the French on Friday along the
vital sector of the line southwest of
scissors have been the scene of Wig
orous counter thrusts by the enemy.
These attacks, one at FOsse-en-B Bas,
and the other on Cutry Ravine, which
are about three miles apart, have been
repulsed by the French according to
the official statement issued by the
war office at Paris. The new French
lines have been held intact.
The Italian forces southwest of
Rheims, on the heights of Bligny, who
last week CALAMITY held their posi-
tions against two strong assaults by
the Germans, have again repulsed the
enemy. after they had succeeded in
gaining foot hold in their lines.
American units northwest of Mont
didier, in the vicinity of Cantigny.
have captured 40 prisoners, accord
ing to the French official statement,
which continues by saying that the
French have taken prisoners and ma
teriaI in Apremont forests. This po-
sition has been held by American
troops and it is probable that Gen.
eral Pershing's men were involved in
the fighting there.
Apremont forest is situated just
east of st. Mihiel and has been the
scene of desperate fighting by the
Americans against the Germans.
No German counter attack against
the positions taken on Friday by the
British near Nieppe forest in the Lys
sector are reported. The British, it
is announced, captured more than
400 prisoners in their attack.
1,4oo Prisoners Taken.
Attacking the Germans suddenly
on two widely separated sectors,
French and British troops have i'm
proved their positions greatly and
captured 1,40O prisoners.
By their enterprise in taking the
initiative Unexpectedly, the allies ap-
parently caught the Germans mapping
and realized their detectives in a short
time. The British rectifed their line
east Of Hazebrouck in Flanders. South
Of the Aisne, the French drove the
enemy back on the important Ambleny
Montgobert sector which bars the open
space between the forests of Com
piegne and Nillers-Cotterets. The
fighting here continues.
Not only did the allies straighten out
their lines, but they took from the
Germans salients which would have
suited admirably as jumping off"
points in future operations. Although
the British attacked on a front of
three and a half miles and the French
on four and half miles, each effort
was intended as a purely local opera
ton to harass the enemy.
MerviIle Menaced.
In the north. the British wiped out
the German salient toward the Nieppe
forest northwest of Merville, and tnat
town is now menaced seriously. Three
hamlets were retaken in an advance
of one mile and the Germans lost 300
prisoners. Australian troops around
Merris. north OF Merville, made a
small gain and took forty-three Ger
mans.
After his check on the Noyon-Mont-
didier front the German crown prince
made a strong attack south of the
Aisne for the apparent purpose of get
ting in behind the forest of Com
piegne. A large part of the gains
made then now have been recap'ured
by the French. Important positions
were taken from the Germans, whose
lines were penetrated at several points
to the depth of more than mile The
French bag of prisoners totals 1860
Berlin reports the Germans as striv-
ing to check the Franco British at
tacks. Merville is the farthest point
west, the Germans rea ched in the Lys
battle and the British gain there les
sens the peril to Hazebrouck No less
satisfactory from the allied viewpoint
is the successful French thrust south
of the Aisne, which also relieved
enemy pressure at more or less
vital point
Western Front Quiet.
The Germans show no intention OF
resuming the offensive but it may be
that the French and British strokes
will spur them to action before the
allies gain other important positions
between Ypres and Rheims. Except
in Flanders, and south of the Aisne.
the western battle front has been
quiet.
Intense aerial activity continues
without a let-up. The Germans re-
peated their raid on Paris Friday
night for the third night in success.
sion, but only a few bombs were
dropped. In fighting in the air. allied
airmen have accounted for fifty-three
enemy machines. while Berlin reports
the shooting down of twenty-five al
lied airplanes. French airmen are
bombing military targets in Picardy
and north of the Marne, and British
bombers persist in their raids into
the region about Metz.
Fighting activity on the Italian
front is of minor character. Artillery
duels have increased in yigor along
the front. Austro Hungarian trenches
on the Asiago plateau have been pene.
trated by British troops who took
prisoners.