The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-06-12
FRENCH CLAIM
GERMANS ARE
Being HELD;
GAINS MADE
Foch's Men Counter Attack
on Western End of Battle
Line and Regain Import
ant Ground.
new ATTACK IS BEGUN
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press)
German efforts to batter down
the French defenses between
Montdidier and the Disc, begun
on Sunday, seem to have been
checked on the first day of the
struggle.
On the western end of the bat
tie line the French have counter
attacked and regained important
ground while on the center and
right repeated efforts by the
enemy to exploit his earlier sue
cesses have been met with stern
resistance from the French who
claim that the Germans are be-
ing held.
At the moment when the
plunge of the foe west of the
Disc appears to have met with a
reverse the French to the south
east between the Aisne and the
Marne have again famed up.
Striking the allied line south
west of scissors, in the neigh
borhood of Dommiers, Cutry,
and south of Ambleny, the Ger
mans have begun what may be
a very serious threat to the Sc
curity of the allies north to the
Disc.
Seems Equal in Importance.
The new attack would seem for the
moment to be almost equal in import
ance to that east of Montdidier. 1t
appears to be an effort on the part
of the enemy to cut In south of Com
piegne forest, outfanking the French
to the north and compelling thei. re-
tirement and relocation OF the whole
allied line form Montdidier to Chateau
Thierry
Except for the fact that heavy fight
ing is in progress nothing is known of
events on this new battle area, but the
struggle will be watched with some
German thrust is developed
The French still hold the left bank
OF the Disc, although they have read
justed their lines in the northern sec
tion Of the Ourscamp and Carlepont
forests. Their positions there, now
ever, will become very awkward
should the Germans drive west of
SolSSons and take considera BILE ground
Germans Are Pocketed.
The success of French counter at
tacks along the western wing of the
battle line has forced the Germans
into sort of pocket bounded on the
east by the Disc river and on the west
by the high ground lying west of .he
Matz Squarely in front of this wedge,
the French appear to be holding the
foe for the present at least
Although there has been a belief
that the German drive east Of Mont.
didfer was planned at least in part
for the purpose Of drawing allied re-
serves from the battle fields of Fian-
ders and Picardy nothing has yet
occurred to indicate that the Germans
contemplate an immediate attack at
Amiens or toward the channel ports.
Only raiding operations are reported
by the British war office.
French Make Gains.
Smashing the German line on the
left wing, the French have advanced
mile on a front of seven and one
half miles and threaten the German
gains on the centre and along the
right bank of the Disc. At the apex
of their advance the Germans are
within seven miles of Compiegne. on
the northwest. On the French right
centre, the Germans have gained four
miles along the Disc to Bethan court,
but apparently have not budged the
allied lines on the left bank
The furious fighting, which has
marked the present German attempts,
since its inception Sunday, continues
unabated from south of Montdidier to
the Disc. Regardless of heavy loss.
es, the Germans are throwing in di.
visions of fresh troops.
In driving back the Germans on
their left the French menace all the
enemy gains in the centre and right
centre of the battle line. II the
French advance continues, the enemy
is in a fair way to be caught in a
pocket in the hills between the Matz
and Disc.
French Take 1000 Prisoners.
Belloy, Genlis wood, to the south,
and the heights between Courcelles
and Mortemer were retaken by the
French. The Germans battled stub
bornly, and suffered heavy losses.
The French also took 1000 prisoners
and several guns. Heavy fighting is
taking place around Chevrfncourt and
Antheuil This is the centre of the
German advance and the French hold
heights to the east, south and north
west.
Berlin, in its statement of Tuesday
night, reports the repulse OF French
attacks southwest of Noyon and
claims new progress. The earlier Ger.
man communious told of the capture
of more than 10000 prisoners, bring.
ing the captures since Sunday to 49,.
900 and since May q to $4,000.
Paris remains confident in the out
come, while military observers ir
London view the latest enemy attemp,
as a diversion preparatory to a great
er blow further north. The Germans