Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-07-30
'FOCH FORCES WIN
MORE TOWNS; YANKS
PUSHING ONWARD
Americans Capture Two Villages
and Make Advances.
ALLIES TAKE 1900 HUNS
Marine Fighting Grows Fiercer as the
Germans Make Stand in Effort to
Break Grip of Wise Closing
on Salient.

on Salient.
Paris, July 24.-French, American
land British troops made considerable
advances during the day on the Aisne-
Marine 'front.', according to the war of
flee statement. IL addition to cap
turing several villages they took 1,SOO
or more German prisoners.
The French and Americans, by max
ing important new progress against
the apex and western side of the great
Marne-Aisne triangle, made impossible
further retention by the crown princes
army of the areas below the Vesle
river.
South of scissors the Americans
captured the town of Buzancy, and
farther south, in the center of the Ger
man flank, the French took Oulchy-le-
Chateau.
On the north bank of the Marine
Americans occupied Jaulgonne, in the
bend of the stream, with 300 prisoners.
French in New Drive.
Oulchy-le-Chateau was one of the
German pivotal positions on the Aisne-
IMarne front. 1t lies about eleven
miles south of scissors on the STRAIT
logically important Soissons-C Chateau
Thierry road.
At the same time the French struck
the enemy in a new sector on the
Picardy front, northwest Of Montdid-
A &c
whether Americans co.. perated in the
action.
The Poilus stormed forward on a
front Of four miles and penetrated the
German positions to a maximum depth
of two miles, taking three villages
Aubvillers, Sauvillers and Mailly-
Rainoval.
The French attack at last advices
had progressed to the western edge
of the wood north of Sauvillers-Mon-
gival, about 1000 yards east of Maillu-
Raineval, giving the French control of
the heights dominating the valley of
the Avre. Twelve hundred Germans
were made prisoner.
Allied artillery is reported Smelling
both sides of the German salient be-
tween the Aisne and Marine, over a
width of from six to seven miles, leav-
ing only a seven-mile strip through
which the German crown princes
troops can effect their retirement
northward.
The French attack was presumably
designed as a diversion aimed at keep
ing the enemy's mind occupied and
preventing him from sending large re-
endorsements to the southwark.
improve Their Line.
At the same time it also effected an
important local improvement in the
line at sector where every advance
means better protection for Amiens
and Paris. The French attacked on a
four-mile front after an hours bonn
bardment, and captured all three of
the villages within fifteen minutes.
About thousand more prisoners
have been counted by the entente al
lies in the past "a hours. OF this num-
Der about half have been credited to
the Americans and British, but as a
matter of fact the allies just now are
far too busy to devote much time to
the counting of prisoners.
Battle Line Waivers.
Fighting of the fiercest character
continues, and the present to and fro
struggling all along the scissors
Reims loop is very close, strenuous
work, and probably not 80 many pris-
onerS are being taken as would be the
case in a direct advance or a retreat
action.
There has been little change in the
last "a hours in the appearance of the
Soissons-Reims pocket as it appears
on the map. What changes have been
made there are all to the advantage of
the allies. The French and Americans
have gained further ground in the bot
tom of the pocket. The French also
are pressing hard on the long line
south of scissors, and the map shows
advances of a thousand yards or SO at
several points.
Foe Fighting Hard.
The expectations of those who
thought that the Germans were pre-
pairing to give up Immediately the en-
tire SoisSons-Chateau Thierry-Reims
salient and retire to the Vesle river or
the Aisne have not yet been fulfilled.
According to dispatches the Ger
man is fighting his hardest to hang on
to every foot of ground he has, and is
constantly counter-attacking with sur
prising momentum, both on the Marine
and along the west side of the salient.
1t is true of course that this is ex-
actly what the German would be likely
to do If he were actually in the process
of retreat hut the allies so far have
had no definite indication that the
German has made up his mind that a
general retirement will be necessary.
The Germans are burning villages
and some small dumps, but presume.
bly, a further prodding will be needed
to push them back TO the River Vesle.
Meanwhile the entente allies. not
only the infantry but also the artillery
and bomb dropping aviators. are work