Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-18
THOUSANDS OF HUNS CAPTURED
London, July 18.-The French
have captured several thousand
prisoners and about twenty guns.
FRENCH PIJsH AHEAD.

the line from the River Aisne as
far south as the region Of Bel
leau, q front of about IS miles,
and made progress at certain
points of between q mile and .
mile and a half and Two miles,
the war Office announced today.
The situation On the MArne and !
Champagne fronts is unchanged.
Early in h movement prison.
ers taken in advance began COM
ing in. The northern point Of the
front OF attack Is the town Of
Fontenoy, nearly a mile north of
the river Aisne.
In the fighting on the front of
the German offensive the French
last night stopped the Germans
in the face of violent attacks
which the enemy launched south-
west Of iNanteuil-La.Fosee be-
tween the Marine and Rheims.
On the front behind Rheims,
east Of the Vesle river an attack
by German guard units was COM
pletely repulsed.
In the fighting north of the
Marine the Italians have retaken
the village Of Clairizet. two miles
northeast of Bligny, the adviccs
state.
The. statement reads:
1.-THE French attacked German po-
sitions from the region of Fontenoy
on the Aisne, as far as the region Of
Bellau this morning. We have made
progress at certain points from two to
three kilometers. The capture Of pris-
oners is reported.
ION the front of the Marine and
Champagne the night brought no
change,
Southwest of Nanteuil-La-Fosse,
we arrested q powerful and violent at
by the enemy.
North of Prosnes an attack by
German guard units broke down COM
pletely."
This mornings attack represents
what apparently is a strategic move
commander in chief, to counter the
German blow further south along the
Marine on the line to Rheims.
The sector in which the attack was
launched includes a part of the front
held by the Americans. The American
line extended east of Belleau wood and
on northwestward at least as far as
Torcy. probably some two or three
miles within the area mentioned.
: The oFranco-American stroke seems
to have made important initial prog
: SsS o"iN - lllEt puSIIcO, DIS IL 606II1S
bound to be, the entire huge salient
created by the Germans in their pre-
vious drive south Of the Aisne and en-
larged in their present offensive will
be seriously endangered. ~
1t Is along the line low under at
tack that the notable series of opera
tons, which Immediately preceded the
start of the present German offensive
was carried out by h Trench and
Americans. according to an apparent
~ well conceived plan Of cooperation
between the two forces.
Marked gains were made by the
French day by day in the region
southwest Of Scissors and further
south along the front edging the for
est of Villers-C otterets. The Ameri-
cans for their part took possession Of
h entire Belleau wood, captured tho
village and VauX. close to Chateau
Thierry, and advanced their lines
notably to positions where their guns
commanded the villages of Bouresch-
es. Belleau and Torcy, along the Gig
non river. It was quite generally as
sumed at the time that these attacks
were merely for defensive purposes,
to fortify the line against a possible
renewal of the German assault in this
direction. There were hints, however,
that there might be important plans
behind the persistent aggressive action
of the allies:
This front has been pointed to as
the logical one for an offensive stroke
by General Foch when he considered
the time opportune to take the agrees
sive as its success would pinch of the
entire Marine salient and II carried
through result in the capture Of large
numbers of the enemy and quantities
of his guns and material.
1t cannot be told as yet whether
such a broad objective has been de-
termined upon by the commander in
chief. The possibility that it is merely
a diversion to draw of German re-
serves from the Marine and Rheims
front nay be pointed to and further
details of the operation and progress
OF the fighting will have to be await
ed before the definite purpose Of the
attack Is developed.
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