New-York tribune., 1918-07-05
Military Comment
By William l.. Mcpherson

tHe w eSC 1TOnt. III HOHOr Oh
~ our natal day the French and
British carried through four brill
liant attacks, yielding material
gains in territory and nearly 81
600 prisoners. In one Of the
British attacks--that on Hamel---
American units cooperated with the
Australians. So it was a day Of
unity. fraternity and victory.
General Foch continues his clever
feeling out" strategy. He is strik-
ing constantly at suspected thin
spots in the enemy's line. He needs
information which will help him to
guess the direction from which the
next German offensive will come.
He also wants to improve his de-
fensive positions. The Allies are
uncomfortably cramped on the lines
on which they now cover the Chan
mel ports, Amiens and Paris. They
lack elbow room. The new German
plan Of attack has been solved to a
certain extent. It can be met and
stopped by counter attacks of equal
force. But territory must be
yielded in order to bring the coun-
ter attack into play and at the same
time to neutralize the advantages
which the enemy enjoys in the way
Of gassing and artillery preparation
at the initial point of contact.
Foch cannot now afford to yield
ground freely anywhere between
Rheims and the North Sea. So
every mile Of ground gained in this
part of the battle area counts
, heavily in his strategical scheme.
The British made two advances
yesterday on the Somme front. The
, more important was Hamel, directly
east of Amiens. Hamel is on the
south bank Of the Somme, to the
northeast of Villers Bretonneux.
Possession Of Villers-Bretonneux
was bitterly contested for a time
after the first German offensive
toward Amiens had died down. The
British finally occupied it and held
it. But there had been no infantry
fighting Of Importance in this region
for many weeks.
The attack yesterday, made by
Australians and Americans, was a
complete success. The village of
Hamel was taken and the advance
continued to and beyond the Vaire
and Hamel woods, east of Hamel.
The average gain in ground was
over mile Fifteen hundred pri-
soners were captured.
Just north of the Somme and
below the Ancre another advance
of 500 yards was made on a 1,20O,-
yard front. Several hundred more
risoners were bagged. This action
was in effect prolongation of the
advance on Hamel.
The French made two more at
tacks on the west side Of the Aisne-
Marne salient. Both were in the
same neighborhood, north of the
Aisne River and northwest of Sois-
sons. On Tuesday night the French
had advanced nearly half a mile on
a two-mile front in the region north
of Moulin-sous-Touvent. Wednes-
day evening they moved forward
west Of Autreches, which lies to the
southeast Of Moulin-so U.s. -Touvent.
On front of a mile and a quarter
they made a gain Of $50 yards.
Later in the evening they extended
the attack north of Autreches ana
up toward Moulin-sous-Tou
This was on front of over three
miles and netted gain of 500 yards.
The prisoners taken in these two
actions numbered about LOO. 1t
was Fourth of July eve celebra-
ton.
Foch's activity cannot but be dis
turbing to the German High Com
mand, which would greatly appre-
Gate tranquility on his part while it
is putting the finishing touches on
the next great offensive. 1t WIS q
problem two weeks ago whether
Ludendorff would delay his next
blow until after July /. He has
withheld it in spite of the fact that
every hour Of inaction now weakens
Germany. We have had a cheering
Fourth of July. Will Ludendorff
try to make the Fourteenth Of July
ess cheering?
The Italians made some further
progress on Wednesday in the
northern part of the Piave delta.
They are Systematically clearing the
west bank OF the new Piave. Italy
has had the centre of the stage since
June Is. 1t is about time to turn
the limelight back on France.
Americans Parade as