Evening journal., 1918-07-16
Fifth IN Series
OF GERMAN DRIVES
First, Started Mar. 2l, Gre
ated Salient Whose Sides
Couldn't be Widened
OTHERS REALLY
WERE FAILURES

The fifth in the German series OF Of
fenslyes begun since March 2i covers a
front Of sixty-nve miles. extending fran
Chateau-Thlerry, east up the Marne to
beyond 'Dormans, then northeast with
a semicircle north Of Rheims, then due
east to the Main de Masslges This
last is a hill thlrty-twO miles from
Rheims and six miles west Of the Ar
gonne Forest
A year ago the Imperial Crown
Prince, from April until nearly the end
OF July, attempted to break the French
lines between Rheims and the Argonne
Forest, alternating his attacks here
with others on the Alsne, these last
principally to recover the Chemln des
Danes. lie failed, using up seventy dl-
visions in three months. with a total
casualty list which is said TO have ap-
preached half a million. Then the front
became comparatively static until, on
the first Of the present month, the Ger
mans attempted to rush from the semi
circle on Rheims with three divisions
supported by two others, and were
either held or made TO reinquish newly
acquired positions by barrage and In
fantry cOunterattRoks.
The offensive begun on March q,
called the Battle OF Plcardy, WINS
launched from a slxty-mlle base and at
talned forty-mlle perpendicular. with
Its Vortex on the Somme, six miles east
Of Amlens. Its objects were twofold:
a. To reach Abbevllle and the sea
with the corollary Of isolatlng the ar
mics north Of the river and investing
the Channel ports, and, ri TO annlhi-
late the French army or force It back
on the defenses Of Paris, with whatever
corollary that situation might produce
on the French body polite.
But the flanks Of the Plcardy salient
held-ln the north from the ridges pro-
tectlng Ypres and Arras; on the south
by the French positions on the Chemin
des Damas and the watersheds Of the
Allette, Olse, and Alsn
A series OF attempts TO force south |
ern barriers having failed, the Germans |
on April attempted TO force the north |
ern ones. They thus developed between |
Ypres and Arras, from base Of twenty |
miles with q perpendicular Of fifteen, |
what is known as tie Lys salient. This
was nearer Ypres than II was Arras
and for twenty miles north of Arras the
line including the Lens sector has re-
mained static 60 this day.
The Lys salient being held on It's
hanks, Just as the Plcardy salient was
held, the Germans next move was to
return TO their failure at this salient's
southern barriers.
On May q they launched their third |
offensive from Noyon over q front OF |
forty miles TO Rheims. They crossed |
the Alsne on an eighteen-mlle front
and reached the Marne on a six-mile
'front.', between Chateau-Thierry and
)ormas. They managed to deploy to
lome extent on the east Of the Marne
ront, but were held on the north bank
II the river.
This third offensive was stopped and
leutrslized on May 81. On June the
'nemy, on an extension Of its base
westward, between Noyon and Mont
iidier - twenty miles - launched the
ourth offensive with Complegne as its
obvious objective. His maximum pene-
ration was seven and a half miles,
which immediate counterattacks reduc-
ID TO less than five and died away on
Iune fl.
Both the third and fourth offensives
we're rendered abortlve by the Allied
roops, instead Of retreating before the
,nemy's advance, deploying right and
eft, thus Strengthening the tanks
making them In these instances invul-
depending on prepared
to stop the enemy's centre.
From June Il until yesterday the Ger
mans, save for their assault on Rheims
IN July 1, have been practically on the
defensive, while limited local offensives
made by the Allies from Ypres down to
Ihateau-Thierry and almost daily air
operations over the enemy's supply |,
,ases and lines of communication have
,roken up his formatians, delayed his
concentrations, and robbed him'Of sew
raj valuable strategic pOsitlOnh-east
Il the Forest Of Nieppe in the Lys sal
ent, north and south Of the SOmme be-
ore Amiens, northwest and southeast
4 Montdldler, northwest and south
asst of Scissors. and finally northwest
4 Chateau-Thlerry, where the Amerl- .
ans, first. from June TO June i2, and ,
hen on July 3, gained ground, includ- :
ng the strategic positions Of Vaux. /,
which measurably strengthened the :
'rench positions as far north as the :
olssons sector and protected the Marne !
rom an enemy crossing west of Chat :