OCR Text |
Show FRENCH TROOPS CROSS DIVETTE EAST OF BAGNEUX PARIS, Aug. 23. The French troops in their fighting Friday crossed the Divette river in the region of Evricourt and made progress to the east of Bagneux and to the west of Crecy-au-Mont, lying north of Soissons, according to the official communication com-munication issued this evening. The text of the communication follows: Between the Matz and the Oise there have been violent artillery actions. ac-tions. We have crossed the Divette river in the region of Evricourt. Between the Ailette and the Aisne we have made progress to the east of Bag- neux and west of Crecy-au-Mont. Aviation: On the 22nd our observers observ-ers carried out numerous reconnoiter-ing reconnoiter-ing excursions very deeply into the enemy line, particularly photographic missions which brought back more than a thousand photographs. Our chasing squadrons have brought down or put out of action fourteen enemy machines and set on fire nine captive balloons. Our dav bombarding aviators i dropped eighteen tons of explosives and fired thousands of rounds of cartridges on enemy assemblages and -convoys in the Margival ravine, on the roads to Soissons and Chauny, and on Vauxaillon, Anizy-le-Chateau and Laffaux. During the night twenty-five tons of bombs were dropped on the stations sta-tions of Ham, Laon and Guiscard. We blew up the ammunition depot of Sommettes Faucourt. The railway stations of Mezieres, Maison Bleu, Mauchault and Pontavert also were bombarded. A strong attack was carried out on the very important airdrome at Mars-la-Tour. From the effects of the first bombs dropped a fire- of considerable proportions broke out in the hangars and in the barracks of the aviators. An efficacious bombardment also was carried out on other hangars and sheds on the aviation, field and on the aviators themselves. i Numerous machines on the ground were seen to be burning. A total of forty-three tons of explosives ex-plosives was dropped on the 22nd, dav and night. , ! Army of the east: On the 22nd i there was more activity by the artil-lerv artil-lerv on the Serbian front. In Albania the enemy activity has been renewed. Reconnoitering parties have been repulsed at various points of our front. British aviators have bombarded enemy depots in the Struma valley. |