Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-01-03

front. The British and Portuguese
were swept back along the River Lys.
The Germans took the Messines ridge
and threw $4,000 men against the
British below Ypres. But the Ypres
defenses held firm, andin the west the
Germans failed in their efforts to reach
Hazebrouck. The terrific drive spent
itself and the Germans had failed to
threaten the channel ports seriously.
On April % the British navy execut-
ed one of the spectacular feats Of the
war, blocking the channel of Zee
brugge, a German submarine base.
On May 81 the Germans renewed
the offensive with a powerful attack
between the Aisne and the Marine. In
a day they swept over the Chemin-des-
Danes on the heights north of the
Aisne and crossed the river in a rush.
Next they took scissors and reached
the vesle. On they went to the Marine,
extending their front on the river from
Chateau-Thierry to Verneuil, and
threatening Reims In their advance.
The drive was halted with the Ger
mans occupying a front 16 miles wide
on the Marine.
In the meantime the Americans had
won attention on May % by taking
Cantigny on the Picardy front in
brilliant attack.
On May %, German U-boats began
operations off the coast of the United
States, sinking IL ships.
The German drive for Paris was re-
sumed but the turning point was
reached when ON June 6 and Ameri-
can marines were thrown across the
path of the advancing army at Chateau
Thferry. The Americans not only
stopped the Germans but drove them
back two miles, capturing several hun
dred prisoners.
In an effort to unite the SOmme sail
ent with that of the Marine to provide
a base for another move toward Paris,
the Germans launched another heavy
attack west of Noyon on June 10. They
made considerable gains on a 20-mile
front but the drive was halted within
two days.
On June IL, Washington announced
that the United States was then rep
resented on the battle line by 100000
men.
Austrian Offensive Is Fiaseo.
Attention was transferred from
France to Italy when on June Is the
Austrians opened an offensive on the
Italian front from Asiago plateau to
the sea. The attack proved a complete
fiasco. 1t was repulsed at all points
and the Italians pursued the fleeing
Austrians across the Piave, taking 45,
900 prisoners.
The German commanders made one
last effort to break through to Paris
when the crown princes army group
on July Is, the morning after the
French national holiday, launched an
offensive along a front from Chateau
Thierry to Massiges, 30 miles east of
Reims.
This fifth and last phase of the great
offensive failed most signally, being
stopped on the third day. The Ameri-
can forces played big part in this Sec
ond decisive battle of the Marine.
Allied Offensive Opens.
On July Is General Foch assumed
the offensive. He struck the crown
princes right flank vital blow and on
the first day the French and Americans
fought their way for six miles along
the Aisne, reaching the outskirts of
Scissors. For two weeks the great
counter-Offensive continued. On July
% the Americans met the crack divi-
sions of German guards and defeated
them in a stubborn battle at Sergy.
scissors fell to the French on August
2 and by the following day the entire
Scissors Reims salient had been wiped
out.
General Foch opened the second
phase of his counter-offensive on Au-
gust 8 when surprise attack was
launched on 20-mile front in Picardy,
the allies gaining seven miles at some
points and taking 1000 prisoners. The
following day Haig's men gained Is
miles in Picardy and the next day the
French, attacking on a 20-mile front,
wiped out the Montdidier salient.
Foch Hammers Foe.
Then followed q series Of sledge-
hammer blows on all portions of the
front, all fitting into the general
scheme of attack worked out by the
master mind of Foch. On August 20
Lassigny fell and the former Somme
front was restored. British and French
armies, aided by American units, con-
tinued the smash on the Somme front
and on August 80 the Germans were
hurled across the Somme. The British
took Bapaume and were close to
Peronne. Roye fell to the French and
dozens or small towns were wrested
from the invaders. Further north the
British smashed the Hindenburg line
and forced the Germans to begin re-
| treat from the Lys salient.
On September II, the First Ameri-
can army, under the direct command
of General Pershing, began brilliant
action which wiped out the difficult
st. Mihiel salient in three days. The
Americans took 10000 prisoners in
| this action.
Serbian, French and Italian forces,
on SeDfember 1S launched q bip drive