Evening star., 1918-07-16
FIFTH IN SERIES
). Of GERMAN DRIVES
First, Started March 21,
I Made Salient That Could
/ Not Be Widened.
OTHERS WERE FAILURES

Er0m Che New 1orK Times.
The fifth in the German series Of Of
1ensives begun since March 81 covers
front of sixty-fve miles, extending
from Chateau-Thierry. east up the
Marine to beyond Dormans, then north
east with q semi-circle north of
Rheims. then due east to the Main de
Massiges This last is a hill thirty
two miles from Rheims and six miles
west Of the Argonne 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 at
tacks here with others on the Aisne.
these last principally to recover the
Chemin des Danes. He failed. using
up seventy divisions in three months,
with a total casualty list which is
said to have approached half a mil
lion. Then the front became COMPARE
lively static until, on the first of the
present month, the Germans attempt
ed a rush from the semi-circle on
Rheims with three divisions support
ed by two others and were either
held or made to relinquish newly ac-
Quired positions by barrage and in
fantry counter attacks.
First Offensive, March 81.
The offensive begun on March 81
called the Battle Of Picardy, was
launched from a sixty-mile base and
attained a forty-mile perpendicular.
with its vertex on the Somme, six
miles east Of Amiens. Its objects were
twofold: u) To reach Abbeville and
the sea. with the corollary of isolating
the armies north Of the river and in
vesting the channel ports, and, (2) to
annihilate the French army or force
1t back on the defenses of Paris, with
whatever corollary that situation
might produce, on the French body
politio
But the TANKS of the Picardy salient
held-in the north from the ridges
protecting Ypres and ArraS; on the
south by the French positions on the
Chemin des Danes and the watersheds
: of the Ailette. Disc and Aisne.
Drive Of April 8.
southern barriers having failed. the
Germans on April attempted to force
the northern ones. They thus develop
ed between Ypres and Arras, from a
base of twenty miles, with a perpen-
dicular of fifteen, what is known as
the Lys salient. This was nearer YDres
than 1t was Arras; and for twenty
miles north of Arras the line, fnclud-
ing the Lens sector, has remained
static to this day.
tanks, lust as the Picardy salient was
held. the Germans next move was to
return to their failure at this salient's
southern barriers.
Third Offensive, May 81.
On May 81 they launched their third
offensive from Noyon over a front Of
forty miles to Rheims. They crossed
the Aisne on. an eighteen-mile front
and reached the Marne on six-mile
front, between Chateau Thierry and
Dormans. They managed to deploy to
some extent on the east of the Marine
front, but were held on the north
bank of the river.
This third offensive was stopped and
neutralized on May 81.
Fourth on June 9.
On June the enemy. on an extern
sion of its base westward. between
Noyon and Montdidier-twenty miles
launched the fourth offensive with
Compiegne as its obvious objective.
His maximum penetration was seven
and a half miles, which immediate
counter attacks reduced to less than
five. It was held almost from the
first and died away on June IL.
Both the third and fourth offensives
were rendered abortive by the allied
troops. instead of retreating before
the enemys advance. deploying right
and left. thus strengthening the tanks
making them in these instances in
vuInerable-and depending on prepar-
ed positions to stop the enemys CEN
ter.
From June IL until yesterday the
Germans. save for their assault on
Rheims on July 1. have been practi-
caIly on tho defensive, while limited
local offensives made by the allies
from Ypres down to Chateau Thierry
and almost daily air operations over
the enemys supply bases and lines
of communication. have broken up his
formations, delayed his concentra-
tons and robbed him of several val
liable strategic positions-east Of the
Forest Of Nieppe in the Lys salient,
north and south Of the Somme before
Anniena, northwest and southeast Of
Montdidisr, northwest and southeast