The Sentinel=record., 1918-07-17
AMERICAN FORCES TAKE MORE HUN PRISONERS

l
 dominating tho Marne valley behind
 the German advanced positions. This
 led to the hope among officers here
 that wide flanking movement would 1 be possible which would clear the
 south bank of the river of the enemy
 and probably result in important cap lures of prisoners.
 l At any rate the fact that the defend
 CTS are hitting back hard appears 70
 make it certain that the Germans have
 been able to make only limited im-
 provement of their position.
 | Considering the operations of the American troops, the American ot-
 fcals were more than satisfied with | the showing they are making. It is | the first great battle in which they | have engaged and while previous in- ldlcations have been plentiful that they would sustain the best traditions of the American service so far as cour~ age and pure fighting spirit weat,
 some confusion and Reorganization
 was to have been expected. If it de- veloped, however, the swiftness and
 certainty with which the counter at tacks were sent home shows that it was quickly overcome, to the disrup- tion of the enemys plans on the right | of his line.
 netted any gain from his starting places.
 Speculation as to the probable pur- Ipose of the German assault was gen eraL Many officers inclined to the opinion that it's real object was 10
 widen out the German line along the
 Marne to such an extent that later
 blow could be delivered with Chateau
 Thierry and the line northwest Of
 there as the center of attack and re-
 duction of the Compiegne salient as
 It's objective.
 | In that event a coincident attack
 south of Aimiens aimed directly at lCompiegne. 1t was thought. would
 have been delivered and if Compeigne fell, the German advance could either
 be directed against Paris or the scene | be shifted for fresh blow at the
 channel ports through the British lines
 to the north
 The French official statement says: | To-day the Germans, who have not tack, broken by us yesterday, made violent efforts to incerase their local
 successes. Both in the morning and
 afternoon the battle was particularly desperate south of the Marne. Enemy
 forces attempted to ascend the river Our troops retarded the advance of the
 enemy defending the ground foot by foot they have maintained their posts on the line of Oeuilly-Leuvigny.
 "On our part we counter attacked the enemy on the front Of St. Agnaa- LaChapelle-.Mon Holden. Our troops captured these two places and carried
 their line on to the heights which dominate the Marne valley in the re- zion.
 Between the Marne ana Rheims the Franco-Italian troops repulsed several enemy attempts to conserve their positions.
 East of Rheims the Germans this morning began violent artillery prep arations, followed by attacks at sey- eral points on the front. A powerful effort in the direction of Beaumont |Sur- Vesle failed to debouch from Prunay. In the sector of Suippes two attacks were made to the west of the iriver which came to ffau5fit under our Hire. The struggle was not less spirit led in the regions north of Crosses and east of Tahure, where the enemy also attacked. Everywhere the efforts were in vain and his assaulting troops were repulsed with heavy losses.
 'tIt Is confirmed from orders found on prisoners that the attcck on the Champaigne front was carried out Dy fifteen divisions of the first line with ten supporting divisions. The obpect was to realize an advance of twenty |kilometers, the first day and reach the Marne on the centre and on the right About twenty enemy division were
 engaged in the fighting between IRheims and lMassiges. Other divisions
 were in reserve end ready to enter the battle. All the divisions have been
 Identified as representing the elite Of | tho German army showing Germany on Monday delivered an extremely powerful effort. All the divisions suf- | Ifered heavily.
 Statements made by prisoners are | to the effect that their officers had assured them they would have an easy victory asserting they would be op- posed by troops in no great numbers
 and who were completely dernoralized. | Never before were the enemy losses so high. Piles of bodies cover the
 ground. The fighting of the Americans and Italians was extremely brilliant. In the region of Prunay the heavy attacks of the enemy were repulsed out right. The German losses at that point are estimated as sixty-five per ] cent of the effectiyes engaged.