The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-28
FAMOUS RIDGE
IS CAPTURED
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUMMARY OF THE WAR

The Germans, striking south from
the Chemin- des- DANES after carry
ing that important ridge yesterday,
have pushed on rapidly and effected
a crossing of the Aisne river be.
tween VailIy and Berry -Bac.
This represents a front of nearly
20 miles along which the armies Of
the crown prince have crossed the
Aisne. In addition they have push
ed south of the river and are striking
for the river VesIe, which parallels
the Aisne along the greater part of
this front at an average distance Of
about five miles.
The battle is continuing fierceIy
along the whole Aisne front today,
the brunt of il being borne by the
French. French communications are
excellent in this sector, however, and
the probability is that reserves are
speedily being sent up to the threat
ened points.
The British, when the battle start
ed, apparently were holding a line
approximately twelve miles long, be-
west of Rheims, and CraonelIe,
across the Aisne TO the northwest.
the line straddIing the Aisne at about
midway this distance, near Berry
au-Bao.
LEFT FLANK HIT.
There is no indication that the
British right flank was materially
affected by tho shock. The left flank,
however, felt the effect of the impact
upon the French front further west,
where a crossing Of the Aisne was
forced, and the British left was OBJ
Iiged TO fall back in conformity.
The British line to the west Of
Berry au-Bao is now apparently
wholly south of the Aisne.
The German attack in Flanders
was evidently a subsidiary affair, al
though there was an extremely heavy
concentration of troops for the limit
ed front attacked.
The French bore the brunt of this
blow and repulsed it. The Germans
succeeded only in pushing in some-
thing like half mile south of Dieks-
busohe lake.
This morning the British and
French made a counter attack in this
saotor which was progressing well at
latest adYices and promised to turn
the whole German effort on the
northern front into a complete fail-
,ure which had cost the enemy heav-
lily.
Military opinion seems to be
swayina between the view that the
attack between scissors and Rheims,
is the main enemy effort, or whether
he is planning to deal an even great
er blow at the Amiens front.
In view Of the persistence with
which the Germans are following up
their early success in forcing the
Aisne crossings it seems probable
that a determined foIlowins-up of
the enemy effort, in the shape OF a
drive for Paris, will be looked for.
Gains by the armies Of the Ger"
man crown prince on the Aisne
front have been balanced in part by
the sanalinary repulses Of further
attempts to push forward southwest
of Ypres. In prepared second line pe"
sitfons alona the Aisne the Franco
British forces are offering strong re-
sistanoe to the Germans who are
pressing on to cross the river, while
in Flanders the French confidently
await increased enemy attacks.
Although the Germans attacked
on the southern flank on a front Of
35 miles in great strength, it is not
clear what is behind >the operation.
Two possibilities stand out--that the
Germans felt It necessary TO widen
tI,e elbow about Montdidier or that
il was feared General Foch might
beuin q, counter offensive toward
Laon. Nor is il unlikely that the at
taeks on the eXtren1ities of the near"
Iy 900 mile line are feints for a stu.
pendous movement toward Aaien9.
Ir gaining the heights north OF the
Aisne and the famous Chemin- des"
DANES the Germans auffered most
heavily. II the crown pTinos hoped
TO crush the French and separate
them from the British at BerFy-au-
sae, he failed, as contact between
the allied forces has been main.
4a9ned throughout the fighting. How
far the Germans advanced on the
extreme ends of the new fighting
front is not defined clearly, but in
the center they reached the region
north Of Pont AFoy, on the Aisnes a
four-miie advance.
Along the six-nliIe front from Lo-
Gre TO Voormezeets on the Flanders
battlefield. the French hurled the
enemy back with great losses and
stiII hold tenaeiously TO the posi-
&ions protecting the ridge running
westward from Mont KENNEL. Near
Voormezeele, where the French
have taken over the line from the
British, heavy fighting continues
around Dickebush lake. where Ehs
Germans penetrated the allied line,
Meanwhile, there ts very intense
artillery fire from north of the Som.
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