The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-18
AMERICANS ARE
 FIGHTING IN BIG
 COUNTER STRIKE
Continued from Page One. )

(Continued from Page One.) ed at the Marne early June, closely resembled the letter V, with the acute angle blunted. Since their attack on Monday morning the Germans have made progress which has changed the form of tn line to that of the letter U. the right leg of which is shorter than the left.
 From Fontency, at the tip of the left leg, to Rheims, on the end of the right, is about 37 miles. The distance from the Aisne to the present battle front south of the Marne is about 25 miles.
 It is along the left leg of the U that the Allied onslaught began this morning. Behind the Allied lines is the forest of Villers Cotterets, with a network of strategic wagon roads and three railroad lines. In front of them there is an important railroad line running 'southward from Soissons to Chateau Thierry, presumably used as a supply artery for a large proportion of the enemy troops along the Marne river. This railroad was about four miles from the Allied front when l the attack was started today. | If the attack of the Allies is what it appears to be, it is a serious threat to the whole German position south of the Aisne. Rapid progress by 1 the Allies to the eastward would compel the abandonment of the Ger ] man offensive which is now appar- ently directed toward Epernay, to the south of Rheims mountain. It might if successful even bring about a Ger man retirement from the whole Scissons-M -Marne-Rheins salient, witt potential disastrous results to the enemy in the loss of men, guns anG material.
 During the last three weeks ths French have carried out several loca operations southwest of Soissons along the line where the present Al lied effort is made. By these opera tions the French line from the regio1 of Ambleny, south oS Fontency, tc Longport, nearly eight miles farther south, was advanced and strengthened
 Before today's attack began th'
 French held positions along a serie
 of ridges on a five mile line from Am
 bleny to St. Pierre Aigle, and were ? in strong entrenchments farther
 south.
 The part American troops are talk ing in the Allied counter blow is a yet unknown. The line mentioned T the official statement from Paris however, indicates a section of th positions held by the Americans il
 the neighborhood of Chateau Thier
 ry. Gen. Pershing's men are knowl
 to be at Belleau and they have beel mentioned as being as far north a Torey, on the south side of the Clig
 non river, above Belleau wood.
 Measuring from the Aisne river around the Chateau Thierry salien and thence to Massiges, in the Cham I pagne the eastern limits of the pres ' ent struggle, the length Of the battl
 line is about 105 miles, which is tn
 widest front that has been in activ , battle on the western front since tn , early days of the war.
 Official reports appeared to shoV the German stroke against the Marine
 Rheims-Champagne line has no
 gained further ground over night. A ,. Nanteuil la Posse, the region south ? west of Rheims, heavy German at 2 tack was crushed, while an assault b r, guard regiments north or Prosne; 7 east of Rheims, was broken by tn
 Allies.