The Colorado statesman., 1918-09-07

the commencement OF the offensive
on Aug. s, according to an official
statement on aerial operations. Sixty
one hostile balloons were destroyed
and 9l1 tons of bombs dropped on
various targets Two hundred and
sixteen British machines are missing.
The French and Americans are fast
driving the Germans out of their posi-
tions in southern Picardy and in the
sector between the Vesle and Aisne
rivers. So rapid has been the prog
ress of the allies-the French in Pic
ardy and the Americans and French
from scissors eastward toward
Rheims - that the retirement OF the
enemy has the appearance of the be-
ginning almost of a rout
Meanwhile, Field Marshal Haig in
the north, from Peronne 10 Ypres, has
been almost as busily engaged with
his troops in carrying out successful
maneuvers which are only in slight
ly less degree of rapidity forcing the
Germans everywhere to give ground.
Haig's men again have made the Ger
mans taste bitter defeat on numerous
sectors and the end of the punish
ment for them seems not yet in sight.
In the latest fighting in the region
extending from the old Noyon sector
TO Soissons the French have reclaimed
thirty villages from the Germans;
have crossed the Somme canal at sew
era points and are standing only
short distance from the important
junction of Ham with its roads lead
ing TO st. Quentin and La Fere. On
the south they have made further
crossings of the Ailette river and are
fast skirting the great wooded region
which acts as a barrier to direct at
tack on Laon, the Chemin des Danes,
and the western Aisne defenses of the
enemy. Seemingly at the present rate
of progress this barrier shortly Will
have been overcome and indeed the
entire salient northwest of scissors
obliterated Already the French
south of Fresnes, on the fringe of the
high forest of Coucy, have penetrated
the old Hindenburg line. All behind
the lines northeast of Noyon great
conflagrations are to be seen, partic-
ularly around Jussy and La Fere,
which apparently indicates that the
Germans intend to fall back as fast
as they can to the old German lines
running southeastward from st. Quen-
tin.
In the initial maneuver to the re-
treat along the Vesle front the Amer
leans and French captured both Ba-
they moved six miles northward to
Viel-Arcy, while from Fismette they
have penetrated more than three miles
northward to Barbonval, which is only
a little more than a mile south of the
Aisne.
The French and Americans are hard
after the Germans between the Nesle
river and the Aisne and for more than
eight miles, extending from Conde 10
Niel-Arcy. they have driven the enemy
across the Aisne and are standing on
the southern bank of the river. East
ward toward Rheims, almost up to the
gates of the cathedral city, the Ger
man lines is falling back northward
At the anchor point of the line in the
vicinity of Rheims, however, the Ger
mans seem to be holding, evidently
realizing that "a retrograde movement
here would necessitate Strengthening
of their line perhaps as far eastward
as Verdun.
In Flanders the British have taken
the town of Ploegsteert and positions
southwest of Messines and northeast
of Wulverghem and repulsed strong
counter attacks launched against
them
The Germans have been violently
bombarding the Americans at Frapelle,
on the eastern end of the battle front
in Lorraine, but have attempted no in
fantry attacks. More than 5000 shells,
many of them gas projectiles, have
been sent into the American line by
the enemy.