Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-07-30
Notwithstanding the Fact Thai
Huns Have Strengthened
Their Line They Are Being.
Forced to Yield Ground,
FRENCH AND AMERICANS
CROSS THE OURCQ RIVER
At Some Points the Germans
Check the Forward Move
ment Somewhat But it Has
Not Been Entirely Stopped,
undated War Lead, by the Associated
BInSS


notwithstanding the iacb that the
Germans have powerfully strength
cned their battle line running across
the Soissons- Rheims salient with adj
ditional fresh reserves and have stub
bornly disputed further passage north
ward to the entente allied troops. the
enemy front has been compelled to
bend back appreciably on all sides of
the salient. except at the anchor points
resting Immediately on scissors and
Rheims.
South of Scissors further wedges
have been driven eastward into the
enemy front down to the Ourcq river;
eastward along the Ourcq French and
American troops have crossed the
strean at various points and advanced
their line well to the northward, while
southwest of Rheims the allies have
debouched from the wooded sectors
and gained the plains. notwithstand-
ing the violence of the enemy's coun-
ter maneuvers. At some points the
Germans succeeded somewhat in
checking the forward movement, but
nowhere were they able to bring 1t to
standstill.
Retirement Is orderly.
Inc retirement of the Germans still
remains orderly, but everywhere the
allied troops and especially the Amer
leans near Fere- En- -Tardenois, are
pressing them hard. Particularly bit
ter Fighting has taken place around
Fere- En- -Tardenois and at Sergy. both
of which towns are now we'll in the
hands of the French and Americans.
AT Sergy the Germans paid the Amer
leans the compliment of reinforcing
their battle line with two divisions
OF well-tried Bavarian troops, mem
whose courage had previously been
tested when the tide of battle was GO
ing against the Germans. 1t was AM
effort either to destroy the Americans
or to herd them back across the
Ourcq. The effort resulted in failure.
Changed Hands Four Times.
The battle line shifted back and
forth and Sergy changed hands four
times, but the Americans proved toI
be the masters of the picked enemy
troops and finally drove them out and
retained the village. Heavy casualties
were inflicted on the Germans.
The fighting in Fere- En- TardenoisI
also was of a sanguinary character,
the opposing forces fighting in close
contact through the streets of the
town, but with the Germans being
gradually driven back under the ma
chlne gun and rifle fire Of the French
ana Americans or left weltering inI
thelr blood from contact with the cold
steel of the allied bayonets.
Allies Capture Villages.
Immediately south of scissors on
tne western edge of the salient the |
Germans strove heroically to hold !
pack thelr enemies. in order to pre-
vent the thanking of scissors and the |
possible cutting off of large forces of
their men fighting along the Ourco
south of Oulchy lie Chateau. Scot
tish troops. however, captured posi- |
tons in the outskirts of Buzancy' inst |
to the west of the Soissons- Chateau
Thierry road, while further south the |
French overcame the resistance inn |
posed against them, crossed the high |
road and took Grand Rozoy and |
Cugny and the Butte Chalmont.
Villages Are I'm Flames
Southeast of Scissors, we'll inside |
the salient and at present far outside |
the immediate battle zone. various |
towns and villages along the Soissons- |
Fismes railroad are said to be in |
flames This seemingly would indi-
cate that the retirement of the Ger
mans from the big pocket is to pro-
ceed still further northward before |
they intend to halt it, face about and
give battle to the allied troops along
\ chosen line. If the retreat on the
west is to be carried beyond the Sois-,
sons Fismes line 1t seems highly
probable that 1t is the intention of the
Germans to make their stand from
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