The Yale expositor., 1918-08-08
SCISSORS NOW OUTFLANKED BY
ALLIED FORWARD TROOP MOVEMENT
Americans Capture Meunere Wood Which the Keystone
of the Whole German Line in the Center, Foch
Launched Heavy Attacks On Two Salients.
BRITISH ARMY CONTINUE RAIDS IN NORTH
Allies Gathering Their Way Through Strong German Defenses
Have Made Substantial Gains On Either Side
of Fere-en- ardenois.

Paris.-On the battlefield north OF
the Marine the French troops during
the Thursday night continued to press
back the Germans farther towards
the Vesle, says the official statement
from the war Office Friday.
The ground won yesterday north of
the Cures has considerable value. 1t
is a long spur about 900 feet high,
forming the watershed between the
Crise and the Ourcq and is valuable
observation point.
From il the German prevented the
Allies from seeing the Crise, while
they overlooked the ground won from
them on the Ourcq. The Allies storm
ed not only the summit, but the north
ern slope of this terrain.
AS a consequence, they can now
Vancouver safely in the Ourcq region.
In addition, they have a view behind
the great Hartennes plateau, where
the enemy still clings along the Sois-
ons-Chateau-Th ierry road and that
bIlOhS poSilhOh, uihlSuiI VI "~e"SA
frontally, can now be turned from the
north through Villemontoire and from
the south by way of Hill POS.
The Allies also gained an important
advantage on the left in the capture
of Meuniere wood by the Americans,
giving them a position which, accord
to Henri Bidou, is the keystone OF the
whole German line in the center.
British Capture Prisoners in Raids.
London.-The British have carried
out raids at Festubert, northwest of
Lens, and at Albert, in Picardy, and
have captured prisoners, according to
statement issued by the war roffice.
German artillery has shown in
creased activity south of the Somme
and south of Ypres, while it has been
active north of Bethune and east of
Hazebrouck, in the Lys sector.
Enemy Being Forced Back Steadily.
Battering their path through strong
German defenses, Allied troops have
made substantial gains on either side
OF Fere-en. Tardenois.
Fierce fighting continues on both
sectors with the enemy being forced
back steadily.
Taking advantage Of the two sal
tents driven into the German lines,
General Foch launched heavy attacks
and their results already have proved
the value of the positions. West OF
Fere the salient has been widened,
while east and southeast the Ger
mans in the small pocket between
Sergy and Romigny are in a fair way
to being cut off completely.
Combats of the greatest intensity
marked the allied forward movement
Thursday and Thursday evening. The
Germans used every natural advant-
age to the full and protected their
positions with plenty of barbed wire
and hundreds of machine guns.
Seven hundred prisoners were cap.
tured by the French, the British and
Americans, bringing the total for the
second Marine battle to over $4,000
Between July Is, and July 80, 33,400
Germans were captured by the allies,
besides many guns, great numbers of
machine guns and large quantities of
material OF all kinds.
Surging forward between the Ourcq
and Plessier Huleu, west of Fere,
British and French troops captured
Cramoistlle and Cramaille and i'm
portant heights, and are approaching
the hills around the head waters of
the Crise.
From their new positions the
Franco British forces outflank the
German line northward to scissors,
which has been virtually unchanged
since the first days of the allied
counter-offensive They also threat
en- the strong enemy position in the
woods north of Fere.
7 AT Cramaille the allies are within
seven miles OF Bazoches, one of the
two German bases along the Ourcq,
the other being Fismes. It is report
ed unofficially that the Germans have
begun a retreat from Launoy two
miles north of Grand Rozoy.
East and Southeast of Fere, Amer
ican and French troops carried the
burden of the day as successfully as
their comrades to the west. Here
the salient driven in earlier in the
week by the Americans was utilized
as the starting point of a further
advance This, with the French blow
on the eastern flank. which resulted
in the capture OF Romoigny, places
the Germans in a V-shaped pocket
s~~~~~-~~-~-~~~-~~~ -~~~~--~~--~~~--~~~
With the Americans on the
! Aisne-Marne front. - American
heavy artillery commands the vii
) lage Of Chamery, northeast of
I Sergy, Americans having wrested
} the hill beyond Sergy from Ger
I mans in a battle lasting hours.