Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-15
AMERICANS meet ENEMY DRIVE

making additional crossings.
1t is clear that the German attack in
the vaux region completely broke down
under the American counter attack.
Further. sharp fighting is likely to
develop in this area at any time, how
ever.
Machine Gunners Halt Huns.
In their attack on the Marne front
the Germans threw many bridges
across the river over these the Ger
mans are passing under a withering
fire from the artillery. German pro-
sress is being stayed by machine gum
ners.
The Americans and their French
comrades have resisted the enemy to
the utterinost and are Continuing this
character Of resistance.
Shortly after II O'clock one of the
American infantry regiments launched
a counter attack in the region Of
Conde.
Attack Near Rheims Fails.
Reports received here shortly after.
II a. m. on the fighting to the east Of
Rheims said that the enemy up to-
about an hour previously had made no
progress whatever there.
In the Conde region. however, before
the American counter attack, the
German advance appeared to elm
mate the river salient.
Word received here shows also that
the enemy launched an attack east Of
Rheims but on sector on that front
on which French and Americans are
fighting side by side. The positions are
reported intact.
Await Advance Of Huns.
The American machine gunners here
let the enemy come close to their posi-
ttons and then opened deadly fire
into the advancing close formations Of
Germans.
At IL: 20 this morning the long range
was becoming more in
tensive. The day opened sunny, but
low clouds are now scurrying over the
battlefield threatening rain.
In spite of the repulse OF the Ger
mans before Rheims early in June it
may be that the allied lines eastward
thru Chateau Thierry had been more
thinly held than that from Chateau
Thierry north to the Aisne and thence
thru the Picardy sector to Ypres.
German assaulting troops thus might
expect to encounter less Violent resist
ance in the sectors east OF Chateau
Thierry and the Germans possibly
hoped for gains which even would com
pei an allied retirement from the ver-
dun and St Mihiel sectors.
The north bank Of the Marne Is held
by the Germans for twenty miles east
from Chateau Thierry: A Assuccessful at
tack In the. Rheims area might force
the allies back on the Marne farther
east and give the Germans command
of the communication system, by which
the French and American troops at
Verdun and st. ,Mihiel are supplied with
food and munitions.
In this district is the city Of Chalona,
which is reputed> to be an important
supply center.
Americans are engaged In the battle
at Chateau Thierry and eastward along
the Marine for some distance. Their
positions extend northwest OF Chateau
Thierry to the village Of Torcy, on the
Clignon river, and eastward along the
Marine to Jaulgonne, where they have
been engaged in local fighting recently.
General Leggitt has about 100000
men, the First army corps. In this
sector. So far as known no American
troops are in the neighborhood Of
Rheims. which seems to be the center
of the tremendous bomb loosed by the
enemy at dawn today. There have
been Italian forces on the, line to the
southwest Of Rheims under attack in
the present drive. -