ions of their
first-line defensive system in the region between the river Lys and
St. Yves. Following closely the retreating enemy, the British made
important advances east of Ploegsteert Wood and also in the
neighborhood of Gaspard.

While their allies were gaining ground and hastening the German
retreat on their front, the French in the regions of Braye, north of
Craonne, northwest of Rheims, and on the left bank of the Meuse, near
Cumieres, were being hammered continuously by German guns. It seemed
that defenses and defenders must be destroyed by this hurricane of
fire and shell. But the soldiers of the Republic had learned many
lessons concerning German methods of warfare since the fighting began
in this region and knew how to conserve their strength, and were
prepared to out-fight the enemy whenever the odds were anything like
equal. The concentrated fire of the German guns damaged the French
defenses, but were ineffective in crushing French spirit, so that the
attacks that followed the bombardments failed in every instance to
gain any advantage.

Positions the British had captured earlier in the week south of the
Ypres-Commines Canal were attacked by the Germans on June 15, 1917,
following heavy artillery preparations. In the first dash a few
Germans succeeded in approaching the British front trenches, but they
were killed or driven out and the attack collapsed at all points.

In the night of the 15th the sorely tried French forces continued to
bear the brunt of German fury around Craonne and Mont Carnillet. Raids
they made in the region of Hill 304, on the heights of the Meuse,
broke down with heavy losses. East of Rheims the French were
successful in minor operations in which they captured a good number of
prisoners. Artillery duels were almost continuous on the following day
north and south of the Ailette River, in the Champagne, and in the
region of the heights of Carnillet and Blond. The Germans won a
section of trench in neighborhood of Courcy, but later were driven out
or destroyed by the French in a counterattack.

East of Monchy-le-Preux the Germans after a heavy bombardment of
British positions made an attack in force that was entirely successful
in gaining the first-line defenses. The British were driven back with
considerable losses to their main new position on Infantry Hill.

After the disastrous experience of the German airmen during the battle
of Messines Ridge their flying forces adopted the