The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-06-06
FRENCH DRIVE
BACK GERMAN
FORCES EAST
OF SAMP|GNY
Enemy Again Turns Atten-
ton to Sector Considered
Connecting Link Between
Somme and Marne Battle
Fields.
LINE STANDING FIRM
(By Associated Press.)

Held up in their effort to batter their
| way through the American and French
lines near the Marne, the Germans
have again turned their attention to
| the front farther north IN a sector
which may be considered as the con-
Meeting link between the Somme and
Marne battle fields.
The French official reports, in deal
| ing with operation along the front.
says that the French forces east of
Sampigny have continued to drive
back bodies of German troops which
had crossed the Disc.
When the initial plunge along the
Aisne had gained intensive ground,
but the process had created a salient
dangerous to the Germans to the west
of Scissors, they attacked along the
Ailette river, northwest Of that city.
to straighten out their line and thus
guard against ianking operation by
the allied armies.
Gain Five Miles.
They gained considerable territory
in this vancouver, but were held after
they had progressed approximately
FIVE miles. Since that time the
French have held their position with
the Disc river forming first line OF
defense and there has been little fight
ing of significant nature in that Sec
tor
Military experts have expected an
attack upon the allied line running
east OF Montdidier past Noyon and
thence along the Disc to the new lines
formed since the German offensive on
the Aisne began. 1t may be that the
fighting reported in the French Of
ficial statement marked the initial
stages OF an attack there.
Farther south along the line running
from the western suburbs of scissors
to Chateau Thierry the line is stand
ing firm before the German thrust.
| The French have succeeded In improy-
| ing their positions north and west OF
Hautebraye, a little village on the
right bank Of the Hoxien river, north
of the Aisne.
On the rest Of the front especially
at Longpont, Veuilly-La-Poterie, and
west of Rheims. the artillery fire has
been violent.
Along the front held by the British
there have been raiding operations
but no fighting of a serious character
Hun Efforts Fail.
Determined German efforts to break
through the wall of allied defense on
the western front Of the battlefield.
south Of the Ailette are meeting with
failure. For two days the Germans
have attacked strongly at isolated
points but have made only slight
progress.
At some points ground has been
regained by the French and Wednes-
day they took more than 200 prisoners
from the enemy, In addition to in
flisting heavy losses on the German
units which failed in attempts to push
back the French defenders. The lat
est French gain was made around Vim
gre, north Of the Aisne, where the
Germans were driven from all the
ground they had gained there in re-
cent days. In addition, the French
took more than $50 prisoners and
some machine guns.
Enemy efforts have been strongest
along the Disc and on the eastern
edge Of Retz forest, east OF Villers
Cotterets. In attempting to cross the
Disc. near Monta Agache, the Ger
mans were repulsed completely.
Ground was gained by the enemy
troops near Longpont, east OF Villers-
Cotterets, but French counter-attacks
threw them back with the loss Of 30
prisoners. Elsewhere along the salient
through Vauilly. Chateau Thierry and
along the Marne, where American
troops are in the line, to Rheims, the
Germans have been unable to prog
ress. The Berlin official statements
on the fighting grow shorter. Wednes-
days reported only slight advance
along the Aisne Tuesday and local
fighting near the Ourcq. The situa-
ton is unchanged, according to the
Wednesday evening announcement
from German headquarters.
There are yet no signs that the
enemy is preparing for still another
blow in his campaign to crush the
French and British before the Ameri-
cans enter the fighting in large forces.
Artillery Fire Normal.
On the Flanders and Picardy sal
tents, small raids continue and the
artillery fire is about normal
American troops around Veuilly.
fContinued On Page Ten.