CROSSING THE MARNE.

From G. H. PERRIS WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES, Tuesday.

From Château Thierry to beyond Dormans the Germans have held for a month past the north bank of the Marne, with, under its woods and in its dales, good cover to gather bridging material and to make other preparations to force a passage. The effort began in the darkness on Sunday, when a few contingents got over the stream, which is between 100 and 150 yards wide, in small boats, and commenced the construction of bridgeheads. The French were on the watch, and this work was constantly destroyed and as often recommenced.

At last, at several points of the valley, where its greater breadth made it more difficult for the French outposts to cover the south bank under heavy German fire, pontoons were constructed and masses of men poured across. During the morning in this sector of 14 miles the enemy had six large bridges, of which two were eight to 10 yards in width. Meanwhile, the French airmen had come into action. The weather was not very kind to them, but the flying bombardiers carried on, sowing death among the close ranks of the advancing enemy and harassing his rear.

Von Boehn’s advance guards were strongly attacked as they advanced up the foot of the hills of the south bank of the Marne at Dormans, Courthiezy, Reuilly, Mezy and Fossoy, and the French batteries hidden in the woods above poured a stream of fire on them. Counter-attacks limited their progress, which up to last night had at no point exceeded two miles. West of Fossoy an American division delivered an effective counter-attack, and more than once the enemy was driven back on the river.

On the line across the hills, from Dormans to Rheims, the French and Italian troops met the onset with courage, and gave way during the day only a little at the centre on either side of Bligny. The front ran last night from the Marne at Chatillon, which is ours, by Cuchery, Marfaux and Bouilly, to Rheims.

The German losses yesterday were very much more severe than on the first day of any of the previous phases of the offensive. Documents taken on prisoners show that Mortmirail (and with it the main railway to the eastern fronts) and Epernay were the objectives for yesterday, and that the capture of Châlons was fixed for to-day. Disconsolate men from picked German corps say this was to have been the decisive battle for a German peace. It is not so, very far from it.