Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-27

crush the British and drive wedge De-
tween them and the French, who were
holding the lines TO the south. Then
came a period of reaction and the Ter
mans came TO stop. They had driven
ahead for thirty-6ve miles along front
extending more than fifty miles before
they were halted
Hardly had their lcgions been held
before Amicns than a new offensive was
begun in Flanders, on April 2. 1t swept
the British back through Armcntieres,
but did not break their lines. The Brit~
ish, with the French who were rushed up
to the front, stopped the Germans after
they had reached the hills southwest oi
Ypres There, on April Q, the Germans
suffered a terrible defeat that halted the
offensive in that quarter.
roCH IN SUPREME COMMAND
In the midst of the drive IN the sector
toward Amiens the allied nations took
vitallv important step. hey naneo
General Ferdinand Foch. hero OF the
first battle of the Marine. gencrallssimo OF
the allied forces on the western front.
which includes all the line in Italy as well
rs in France Even the Murman coast
in northern Russia has been held To he
under his command.
After period Of qmet the Germans
attacked once more this tune on the
Aisne river. and IN seven days they reach
cd the Marne at Chateau Iherry, max
ing penetration Of about twenty-aeht
miles At the Marne they were checked
and the impetus Of the blow was broken
With hardly dav' s pause for reorganisa-
tion Of their forces, the Germans AGAIN
attacked. choosing the sector between
Noutdidier and Nov0n, on the southern
side Of the salient driven into the allied
line during the March offensive, as the
stage of their onslaught This offensive
ran for five davs and was stopped north
Of Corpiecnc after losses which were
described as unprecedented had been
inflicted upon the Germans.
From June Ia until July IS the Ger
mans were engaged in shifting their forces
and then thew again struck Tins 'une
the line of attack was from Chateau
Th;errv eastward around to the north OF
Rheims and then down the Vesie nver
10 Prunav and from that village east
ward 70 Massiges Thrs attack st the
close Of the year developed INTO one OF
the most ambitious Of the German strokes
German forces crossed the Marnc oV'ef
WIDE front, but were unable 10 IN axe
ground against American troops near
Chateau Thicrry and could not advance
rardlv farther east They did, however,
forge ahead on the north ade OF 'fT
Narpc and between that stream and
tbc Mountain Of Rheims Il appeared
for a tIrnt, that they might reach EpeTnay
yo,,Hs GREAT CouNrrR-PIow
Thcn Grn Foch struck counter
blow. which still is IN progress American
and French troops attacked the Germans
between Fontenoy, on the Aisne west
of Soissons. and Bclleau, on the Chgnon'
north of Chatcau- Th,erry 70 sud
den and powerful was the hiov that the
Germans fell back rapidly until their re-
serves could be hurried up.
The rapid advance of the AiheS- now
ever. so menaccd the German forces
farther south that on July 19 the enemy
began a retreat across the MarIr on
Sunday, July 81, the French and Amen,
cans entered Chateau Thferry and pressed
on after the retiring Germans
Since that time the Alhees hav- gained
SLOWLY but steadily. not only south OF
Sojssons. but also north Of the Marne
and between that river and Rheims
There are Indications that German re-
treat from the salient now Is under way
ITALIANS STAND rTRs
On June Is. the Austrians began drive
against Italy II was failure. The
Austrans crossed the Piave. but on the
west bank met with such stubborn re-
sistance that progress was impossible
slowly the Austrlans were driven back
toward the river, and then the Pave,
su,ollen bv rains in the mountains, com
nlated the overthrow Of Austra's hopes
After suffering terrible losses the Aus
TRANS restreated to the eastern bank OF
fhe Piave from the Montello plateau 10
the Adm atIc.
MINOR OPERATIONS
Among the wears operations Of com
Darafively lesser importance were the
British drives in Palestine and Meso-
Dotarnia. the Turkish advance IN the
Caucasus; the French and Italian often
sive in Albania; and the fighting IN the
German African colonies.
Jerusalem was captured by the British
| on December 10, and shortly afterward the
| fall of jericho was announced. Since the
| taking of jericho the British forces In
| Palestine have not been active on the
| offensive
General Maude led the British troops
| into Bagdgd on March / l. and shortly
! aftersard died from cholera His forces
| pushed further up the TIgr1s until the
| intense heat of summer terminated opera
| tlons
The Turks after the collapse Of Russia
| took advantage Of the demOrahzed con
| dition Of the Russian forces TO advance
/ through the Caucasus and obtain pos
| session of the regions subsequently, ceded
| them bv the treaty Of Brest-IItovsk
| The French and Italian drive In
Albania began on July 6 and Is still In
progress.
During the year British forces in AIN
| ca drove German forces before them IN
| German East Africa and in German
| Southwest Africa and finally compelled
| them to disperse or surrender This
! took from Germany the last of the vast
| colonial possessions held by her when the
war began.
SUBMARINE WARFARE.
The past year has been marked by Q
| gradual decline Of submarine sinkings as
| compared with the number Of ships being
built by the Entente Allies. The opera
| tions Of the British and American de
stroyers have spread terror among the
| .ax,l,r,e Of the sea " while a great mine
| field completed in May by the British
navy converted virtually the whole
| North Sea into an area closed against
| U-boat activities.
| The harbors Of Zeebrugge and Ostend
| from which German submarines had
been operated against Entente shipping