Welsh Journals

THE WELSH OUTLOOK The Editor does not necessarily 'identify himself with the opinions of contributors to "The Welsh Outlook" Editorial responsibility is limited to the views expressed in the Notes of the Month" NOTES OF THE MONTH Enemy's Third From the Western front the news is the Offensive best we have received for many a long Shattered day. The enemy launched his third great offensive on a wide front of over fifty miles between Chateau Thierry and Massiges. The main onslaughts were directed against Epernay and Chalons as the enemy's objectives. If they had been successful, the strong defensive position south of Rheims would have been untenable, and the pronounced salient in this part of the line would have been blotted out. General Gouraud and his splendid army shattered the attack to the east of Rheims. The German infantry, having stormed the forward positions, which were only lightly held, advanced to the real line of resistance, beyond the zone of their barrage fire, where they met with a bloody repulse. Further west the enemy succeeded in crossing the Marne at several points and debouching on the south side of the river he advanced a few miles in the direction of Epernay. In this sector a swift and violent counter-attack by American troops recovered a considerable portion of the lost ground. At the end of the third day it was apparent that the offensive had been held up and that, unlike the two pre- vious efforts, the German high command had failed to reach its objectives. General Foch was not slow to take advan- tage of this situation. On the enemy's right flank, between the Marne and the Aisne, he launched a lightning counter- attack which completely surprised the Boche. General Mangin, at the head of his magnificent Colonial troops (recruited, for the most part, in Morocco and Algeria), swept forward, the Americans on their right, and in a few hours had gained the Soissons-Chateau Thierry road. Twenty thousand prisoners and more than four hundred guns represent only part of the significance of this stroke. It means that, for the moment, the initiative has passed to the Allies. The German reserves must be rushed to this sector of the front to stem the tide of battle, in order that the enemy's troops on the Marne may not be cut off and surrounded. This sudden blow made itself felt im- mediately on the southern portion of the Marne front. AUGUST, 1918. The enemv was obliged to retrace his footsteps across the river, hotly pursued by the Franco-American troops, and he has already suffered heavy casualties in this retreat. West of Rheims, in front of the Montagne," he is being fiercely attacked by British regiments, who have already taken some hundreds of prisoners. Allies It would be unwise to exaggerate the Resume the results of this battle, but we cannot Offensive help being thrilled by these exploits. The enemy is now once more on the defensive, his plans are being disarranged, his reserves are being depleted. The morale of his troops must have suffered. After months of retreat and counter- attack, the Allies have at last reversed the role, they have been able to resume the offensive. They feel that the enemy has already done his worst and that now their star is once more in the ascendant. This feeling will permeate the allied armies from top to bottom. It will give them profound confidence in General Foch. It has demonstrated the value of the unity of command, the inception of which was over and over again retarded by our reactionaries and the personal and national jealousies of our incompetent generals and politicians. It has once more demonstrated that-in war-surprise is the first element of success. Can we wonder at the failure of all our offensive efforts during the campaigns of 1916 and 1917 ? We alone, of all the belligerents, are willing to tolerate incompetence in our higher commands. The Campaign In the East the Allies have at last gone on the Mur- to the assistance of Russia. We are told man Coast that troops have been landed at Port Murman to prevent the enemy from securing control over the only ice-free port in Northern Russia. It is from this point that the newly con- structed railway runs south over a distance of more than eight hundred miles to join up with the Siberian railway. Murman is within the arctic circle. For