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Show Germans Bringing Up Reinforcements Reinforce-ments and Making Desperate Attempt to Prevent Disaster PLAN OF GENERAL FOCH WORKING TO PERFECTION x PARIS, July 21. Important guins by the French, American, Italian and British troops in the territory comprising the Soissons-Rheims Soissons-Rheims salient are reported in the official communication issued by the war office tonight, he heights east of La Croix and Grisolles have been taken, a considerable section north of Chateau Thierry has been cleared of the Germans, and St. Euphraise and Bouilly, southwest of Rheims, have been captured. The test of the statement reads: The battle continues under favorable conditions along the whole front between the Marne and the Aisne. North of the Ourcq, driving back the enemy, we have progressed, fighting in the region north of Villemon-Toiere, and on the south have advanced to the east of the general line of Tigny-Billy-sur-Ourcq. South of the Ourcq we made an important advance beyond be-yond Neuilly-St. Front, occupying the heights east of La Croix and Grisolles. Under the double pressure of the Franco-American . forces between the Ourcq and the Marne and the French units who crossed the river between Fossoy and Charteves, the Germans were driven back beyond the line of Bezu-St. Germain and Mont-St. Pete. Chateau Thierry is widely freed to the north. Between the Marne and Rheims the fighting was extremely ex-tremely violent. Franco-British and Italian troops attacked with indefatigable energy and captured St. Euphraise and Bois Du Roi. The British took four cannon and 400 prisoners. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON-THE MARNE, July 21. (By the Associated Press, 1 p. m.) The French and Americans have broken through the German line northwest of" Chateau Thierry. The French and Americans driving the spearhead toward the northeast have already advanced five kilometers (3 1-10 miles) at various places. The German retreat across the Marne began on Friday in cover of a great smoke screen. At last accounts great- hordes of Germans were continuing north. Organized resistance has been met with so far only at a few places. The district south of the Marne and east of Chateau Thierry is entirely cleared of Germans. Two badly cut up regiments were left south of the Marne in the German retreat. Allied aviators bombed the bridges across the river and their escape was impossible. impos-sible. All Saturday night the allies hammered away at the widening wedge between the Germans and Paris as the Germans withdrew north of the Marne, Americans continuing taking prisoners and guns. Allied reinforcements are pouring in to overcome any determined de-termined resistance the Germans may attempt. The heavy artillery of the allies continues today the clearing of districts north of the Marne. Indian scouts who were with Pershing in Mexico played a prominent part in the scout work in the river region. The allied troops have taken many prisoners, including three officers, who said that they were tired , of the war. American infantrymen captured two German 77 's. Previous to the breaking break-ing of the German lines the allies battled with the desperate machine gunners, who were mowed down as the allied reinforcements arrived. The German losses were terrible. West of Rieims, where the British were engaged yesterday, the present line leaves the enemy a strip about four miles deep jat the greatest depth on a front of about thirteen miles in the Marne I valley. That is all he has to show for the big offensive of July 15. WASHINGTON, July 21. Prisoners captured by American troops in the offensive on the Aisne-Marne front up to an early hour Saturday totalled by actual count 17,000, General Pershing (Continued on Page Two.) CHATEAU THIERRY FALLS; - ALLIED DRIVE CONTINUES (Continued from Page One.) reported in his communique for yesterday, received tonight by the war department. Capture of 560 guns also is announced. Despite counter-attacks and rear guard actions of a desperate nature, the Americans advanced steadily early yesterday, says the communique. The towns of Courmelles, Rozet St. Albin and Manbry had been entered by the Americans before 1 o'clock Saturday morning'. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON THE MARNE, July 21.-(By 21.-(By the Associated Press.) An attack from Chateau Thierry to Rheims began on Saturday. American forces captured hill 193, north of Vaux and advanced more than two kilometers. At last accounts they were holding their own against German resistance. PARIS, July 21. French troops entered Chateau Thierry this morning, according to an official statement issued by the war office. Violent combats continue north and south of the Ourcq and between the Marne and Rh films Tn enifa -P 1 4. T il. the French have continued to advance, the statement adds. LONDON, July 21. The French have taken the town of Brasles, one mile east of Chateau Thierry on the north bank of the Marne, according- to advices received here. The French line includes the heights north of Brasles, which give the French a good bridgehead on the north side of the Marne. LONDON, July 21. German reaf guards have succeeded thus far in preventing the French from pushing detachments over the river Marne. They are holding the north bank of the stream with strong units. In the Ourcq valley the French are approaching Oulchy-le-Chateau. BERLIN, via London, July 21. North of Chateau Thierry, according to v the official statement issued today, the Americans suffered particularly heavy losses. I lie text of the statement says: A violent artillery duel on the Ancre was followed between be-tween Beaumont and Hamel by British infantry attacks, which we repulsed. Between the Aisne and the Marne the enemy yesterday sought by the employment of new1 divisions to bring about a decision in the battle. The enemy was repulsed, suffering heavy losses. The French subject peoples, Algerians, Tunisians, Moroccans Mo-roccans and Senegalese, were in the thick of the fighting and bore the main burden of the struggle. Senegalese battalions which were distributed among the French divisions as battering bat-tering rams, stormed behind the tanks in advance of the white Frenchmen. Americans, including black Americans, and Englishmen English-men and Italians, fought between the French. After two heavy days of fighting the attacking strength of our troops again made itself fully felt. They had accustomed themselves them-selves to the enemy methods of attack, made without artillery ar-tillery preparation and based upon the massed employment of tanks, which at first caused them surprise. The fighting of yesterday ranks in achievements of leaders and troops and in its victorious results on a level with former great fighting successes which have been gained on this battlefield. On the heights southwest of Soissons the attacks of the enemy against the town, which were launched after I lrt n wAv. n.An4- J 1 .-11 . - - ""c "lul'scal uiumiue, cunapsea, L,ecl by the tanks, the enemy infantry rushed forward to the attack as many as seven times against the road from Soissons to Chateau Thierry, north of the Ourcq. Northwest of Chateau Thierry our regiments, which during dur-ing the last' few weeks have ever and again been vainly attacked, yesterday also victoriously held their positions against many times repeated .strong attacks by the Americans. The Americans have suffered especially heavy losses and during the night, undisturbed by the enemy, we withdrew with-drew bur defeases in the territory north and ' northeast of Chateau Thierry. On the southern bank of the Marne, after four hours of artillery preparation and under cover of a heavy fire and with numerous tanks, the enemy made combined attacks against positions which had been evacuated by us during the previous night, which attacks uselessly beat against empty positions. Our partially flanking fire, which was directed from the northern bank, inflicted losses on the enemy. Southwest of Rheims the enemy brought up strong forces in an attack on the positions captured by us between the Marne and north of the Ardre. The English here came to the help of the French and Italians. As a result of our fire and counter-thrusts they failed with heavy losses to the enemy. BERLIN, via London, July 21.On the battlefield betweer the Aisne and the Marne, after a successful defense against the French, attacks have been renewed and the fighting is going on according to the official statement issued at the war office South' west of Rheims attacks by the enemy also failed, the statement adds, BERLIN via London, July 21.Fresh fighting developed this evening between the Aisne and the Ourcq, according to a late German official statement. "On the front between the Aisne and the Marne," the state ment adds, "French attacks have been unsuccessful." |