The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-16
NYANKS PLAY BIG PART
INf SMASHING GERMANS
Take 1000 Prisoner. and Check Big Hun
"sGEansiUe

is out OF the question when troops are
muzzled for long hours with masks.
Officers cannot communicate orders.
and each man is thrown on his own
resources.
Another advantage which the allies
have had IN this offensive Is that the
attack was expected just where il
was delivered.
London, July.-On the front west
of Rheims the Germans had rather
more success but the only important
gain to their credit for the mornings
work was the crossing OF the Marne
and zone little more than mile be
yond on a front about ten miles. The
Marne in this district is only a small
river; it is shallow and can easily be
crossed in the early morning mists.
/ Its loss TO the allies, however, de-
prives them of fairly valuable de-
fensiye landmark.
/ The battle began with a wholesale
bombardment inaugurated about mid.
night along the whole front from
Chateau Thierry to Massiges except
] lOT II ndlIUN SttlOl dApuAu ihHtiulS.
This intensified bombardment OF the
I French lines, with the usual accom-.
I paniment of trench mortars by the
{ thousands, was also reinforced by a
/ long range bombardment OF the back
areas on a scale greater than ever
I heretofore attempted.
: The bombardment lasted until 430
ocfock. Then came the German at
tack, launched at dawn under the
\ cover of the morning mists. which
/ are particularly heavy in the Marine
vale;
BY mid-afternoon the entente mill
! tary experts were actually feeling op
timistic, although the danger was not
yet over. But il was evident that the
first big rush had failed to yield the
Germaus anything like the results
which might have been expected. One
\ reason probably is that the attack this
time had no element OF surprise, fol
General Foch knew OF the German In
tention days in advance, and the
French made their plans for it last
+ week..
Even In the main region where the
Germans made their most important
gain, they have not reached the high
ground south of the Marne, which i:
strategically very important.
In their previous attacks the Ger
mans used one division to each mil,
OF front, hence il is estimated tha
they are using at least sixty divisions
in the present operations. whicl
would mean between 100000 and 500
600 men
Paris, July l6.--Violent artiller,
fire continued last night on the fight
ing front. Paris residents again
heard the roar and saw the flames
The reports were fainter than thos,
Of Sunday night and Monday. House
in the suburbs were shaken slightly
, On The French Front, July l6.-Th
impression Of the first days battle re
suits Is good. Nowhere did the enc
I my penetrate more than four thou,
{ and yards and that was only on
. small sector near Marfaux, soutl
west Of Rheims, although order
= found on dead Germans announce
s the initial onslaught should TAX
them twenty kilometres. On IN
$ front east of Rheims the enemy di
r not even get beyond the advance
line the invincble resistance of tn
o French preventing him from attain
h ing the main combat line With IN
n French on the sector west OF Rheim
the American and Italian troor
fought They We'd with the othe
Allies in keenness and courage.
London, June 16.-The British. a
ter sharp fighting, improved the
lines east of Amiens. The German
were busy south west of Albert. an
showed activity at other points on tn
northern front.
Paris, July 16.-The battle cor
tnues violently especially south Q
The Marne and near Chatillon 4,
cept for one sector south of IN
Marne the situation Is unchanged
The Americans and French are cour
terattacking magnihcenlly and ar
aking many prisoners, the war oflic
announced South of the Marne. tn
Germans haven't been able to az
vance beyond Ctagnan, Laohapell'
Monthodon Lisieres and South q
Bouquigny The French in this res
ion have thousand prisoners. o
the front east Of Rheims. despite tel
rife fghting day and night, tn
enemy Is unable to penetrate tn
trench zone. The German losses 1
men and prisoners The first day wa
extremely heavy
With American on the Marne, Jul
l6.-- Today's word from the battl,
front east Of Rheims shows the Allie
defense not only holding but appear
! TO have broken the enemy's spiri
The Americans at one point counter
attacked and drove the Germans fror
salient in short order by hot tigh
Ing. The Americans Of this sectio
occupied intermediate positions /
the rear of front lines. The German
were allowed TO come through. bu
when they tried to cross the ope
fields up a slight grade, the America
machine gunners infantry. ocoupyin
excellent positions, moved down Oh
enemy ranks, the enemy brealdn
land retiring in many places.
vUcr'isatltl sfss,ft 2