The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-10

nad Ecsaneisa II miles from La Fere
ana were within six miles Of Amiens,
sere the advance was halted. In tie
meantime, on March 90. the allies, fac.
ing catastrophe. at last agreed upon
q unification OF command, and General
tOch, the brilliant French lender. was
placed in supreme command of all the
allied armies.
few days after the launching Of
this drive, Paris was bonbartled fy a
mystery" gun which it was known
was al least G., miles away. On March
-. Good Friday. this iong.range gun
made direct hit on Il Paris church
ana 70 worshipers were Killed.
On April 10. Tic Germans shifted
their attack and l5F::saii the second
phase of their ofreas;ye---:,, drive
against the British in Flanders with
the channel ports rs the objective.
Here again tho British were forced TO
give ground, but there was no .,reak
such as occurred earlier on the Soinme
front. The British aud Portuguese
we're swept back alo,is the River i.ys
The Ger.nans TOOK the Messines ridge
and threw $4,000 men against the
British below fpre&. But the Ypres
defenses held fra. and in the west. .Iie
Germans faiif1 IN their efforts to reach
Hazehronck. The terrific drive spent
itself and the Germans had failed to
threaten the channcl ports seriously.
On April % the British navy execnt.
ed one of the spectacular feats of the
war, blocking the channel OF Zee
biVgge. Il German submarine base.
Germans Renew Offensive.
On May 81 the Germans renewed
the offensive with powerful attack
between the Aisne and the Marine. In
a day they swept over the Chemin-les-
Danes on the heights. north of the
Aisne and crossed the river in a rush
Next they took Scissors and reached
the Tesle. On they went to the Marine,
extending their front on the river from
Lllierry to Verneuil. and
threatening. Reims in their advance
mans occupying 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 a
brilliant attack
On May %, German U-boats began
operations off the coast Of the United
States, sinking II ships.
The German drive for Paris was re-
stunned but the turning point vas
reached when on June and Aneri-
can marines were thrown across the
path of the advancing army at Chateau
Thierry. The Americans not only
stopped the Germans but drove them
back two miles, capturing several hun
dred prisoners.
In an effort to unite the Sonme sail
Ont 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 gums on a o0-,uiie
front but the drive was halted within
two days.
Austrian Offensive Is Fiaeco.
Attention was transferred from
France TO Italy when on June Is the
Austrians opened on offensive on the
italian front from ASiago plateau to
the sea. The attack proved :; complete.
fiasco. 1t was replilsel at all points
and the Italians pursued tie fleeing
Austrians across the Pave. taking a.
600 prisoners.
The German commanders made one
last effort to break through to Paris
when the crown princes army groul.
on July IL, the morning after the
French national holiday. launched an
offensive along a front from Chateau.
Thierry to Massiges, 50 miles east Of
Reins
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 III this sec
oIld decisive hattie of the Marine. East
Of Che teau-Tbierry the Germans forced
passage across the Marine and the
Americans who opposed them We're
forced 10 fall back temporarily. Then
in a brilliant cnunter-attack. the Amer
leans drove the Germans back across,
the Marine. taking i,a00 prisoners, IN
Guiding complete brigade staff.
Allied Offensive Opens.
On July Is General F'och assumed,
the offensive. He struck The crown
princes right flank a 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 djvi-
sions of German guards and defeated
them in a stubborn battle at Sercv
scissors fell TO the French on August
, and by the following day the entire
Soissoi.s-Reinls salient had been wiped
out.
The indignation Of the British, PEG
pie. aroused by the C-hoat outracex
perpetrated by the Germans. was in
tensi6ed early in July when news was
received of the sinking by "a sul,nsa-
rine Of the hospital ship Llandevery
Castle. carrying wounded men and
nurses between Canada and England
causing a loss of 25s persons. incltad-
ing Il nurses. The United States CON
finued 10 speed up IFS war activities
during July. and early IN the tnonth 1t