Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-06-29
ON FRONT OF
MORE THAN
THREE Miles
Operation is Unqual-
fled Success an d
British Reach All OBJ
jectives in Remark
ably Short Tim e.
Not Only Improves
Position but Heavy
Casualties are Infict-
ed on Two Divisions

With the British Army in France,
June 2S-(By the Associated Press)-
Field Marshal Won Hindenburgs
troops east Of the Forest of Nieppe
got nasty and unexpected knock
today when the British suddenly
drove forward in a surprise attack
along a front of more than three
miles and hurled the startled gray
coated soldiers back to an average
depth of 1900 yards.
The operation was an unqualified
success from its inception and the at
tacking infantry reached all their OBJ
jectives in remarkably short time.
by this thrust the British not only
have greatly improved their position
in this important and much contested
sector which lies just north of Mer-
vile. but they inflicted heavy punish
mcnt on two hostile divisions that
were holding the line fer--the 32nd
Division of Saxons and the 44th Re-
serve Divisions Of Prussians.
The 44th Reserve Division of Prus-
slams Largo numbers Of the enemy
were killed in the hurricane on
slaught and some $50 of the more
fortunate had been collected in the
prisoner cages before noon.
The front oil the attack was 5000
yards in length, and lay approximate
liz between Nieux Berquin on the
north and Pont Tourni, which is 1000
Yards northwest Of Melville on the
south,
West Of Melville the British and
! German lines here had been jammed
up almost against the edge OF the
F! Nieppe forest in places, with the re-
! suit that the British felt lack OF
! elbow room for operations 1t was IN
| order to acquire more leeway that to-
\ days assault was projected.
The obiectives settled upon Jay
along the winding little stream
I known as plate Becque." which
bowes out toward the east in q semi
! circle back of the German lines
/ Prussians and Saxons were holding
! this zone with series OF strong ma In
! chine gun positions linked up with
! barbed wire The first stages of the
! drive were comparatively easy. In
I fact all the final objectiNes were
! reached without much difficulty.
! At two strongly fortified farms near
| the center of the line the enemy fought
stubbornly but was unable to stand out
! long against the furious onslaughts OF
4 the British who attacked from all dlrec-
! tions. The losses among the stormng
! infantry for the entire engagement were
! extremely light, which was due largely
to the fact that the show was over be
| fore the enemy was able to organize
serious resistance.
\ AZ h specIal feature Of the program
! British troops on the left of the col
umns carried out 4 simulated attack OF
! their own which had an amazing result,
adding nearly half a hundred prisoners
10 the bag
The morale OF the prisoners taken 70
! dav was not high. These men and 9th
! ers captured recently in this sector have
appeared to be much ,disheartened by
! their failure to get bigger results N
their offensive They had expected to
get ahead much faster than they have.
| These men have professed to believe
that the United States was not going
! to be able to render much assistance to
i the Allies The helplessness of the
/ United States is being preached assid-
uously to the troops by the German
high command and this propaganda un-
I doubtedly has been having it's effect
among the men in the trenches.
, with the German officers. naturally,
! it is different. for they nave no delu'
| sions on the subject.