The Detroit times., 1917-05-02
By HENRY WOOD

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WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES
N THE CHAMPAGNE Nay a.
France is waging her greatest Artil
lery battle OF the war 20 blast loose
the German hold on the crest OF
Moronvilliers OF the
Champagne Plains. And within
hearing Of the continuous thunder
NJ her cannon almost IN sight OF
them-French soldiers are working
alongside peasant women, girls and
little children in blowing. sowing
and narrowing the ground AghtiRg
Frances economic battle as their
brothers in the trenches just ahead
fight the military. combat
This greatest battle OF the guns
began today. The line extended
over more than eight miles No
sabbath quiet reigned here. It was
the inferno OF noise and smoke and
Same For "a hours watched its
progress. standing on height
north Of the Vesle Valley
The French concentrated harrage
FIRE over more than eight miles OF
front--in q spot long previously
chosen for their attack They made
this eight miles OF German trench
work a shellrimmeh furnace. As
night continued IL seemed as tho
a new maximum OF intensity OF fire
vas attained every minute Not
for a second did the terrible bar
rage fire relax, nor The methodical
long range shells cease pounding.
All thru the night OF steel hail the
isolated Germans sent up multi-col-
ored distress signals seeking assist
ance from the rear. while in front
81 their trenches over No Mans
Land. their Illuminating shells mo-
turned night into day.
AS the night advanced the bonn
tardment increased In fury Smoke
and dust turned the clear moonlignt
air into an impenetrable mist thru
which giant gun flashes appeared
as mere sparks Yet the French
artillery observers. with their ger
feet range instruments observed de-
tails invisible 20 the naked eve,
even including giant explosions 10
.l5-miies behind the enemy
lines. where well placed shot from
great range cannon exploded Ger
u,an munitions depots
Simultaneous with this all-night
earth combat, an equally fierce
aerial battle ragged in the Starlight
90 heavens. Both French and Ger
nan army commanders sent behind
the others line biz bombaFdirz
souadrons OF aeroplsnes
From where 7 stood these aerial
craft We're invisible but the rum
Sing Of their motors and the sharp
lash Of their bombs were audible
/ boye the artillery's roar
Back 20 The rear great search
ights fingered the sky locating the
nemy raiders while anu-aircrar
guns shelled the skies and hghting
planes swept aloft 20 play machine
,HH Are against them.
At the same time other French
planes circled above the artillery
IRE, hghting back German machines
md dropping bombs or occasionally
iwooping down anil flooding the
renches below nita machine gun
Gre BIZ Tor lhe most part these
lighting pianos deN far aloft. out OF
.anEe % proiect.les from the enemy
All night long these aerial battles
we're fought. repea.ed and refought
Then az daybreak these night hawks
eft the air They were replaced
BY French observation planes soar
ng over that part ~ the front whore
ne attack was impending seeking
iut the places whore the nights /
,1mbsrdment had not vet completed |
- destruction Following their re
sort and tho fixing ~ new ranges. /
be French artillery went method |
cally 20 work repairing rs omis-
ions
AZ 10 a. IN the afternoon. the |
French infantry leapad from thoir I
renches and went looping mp tho |
Hopes ~ Mounts liant and Cornn |
Aitho fri che fret onward rush |
DO French we're victorious every /
where The Germans graduany put |
OBJ the resistance u desperation |
threw into The struggle /
mother q his "strateg.cal reserve"
the thirty.third out Of his |
otal 81 80 reserve divisions on the /
western front which he has already |
scrIhced in seeking 10 check ,ua
rance British offensive.
Upon the advent OF this fresh A.
.ision nerce bayonet and hand. gren-
de hghting ensuod Tho French !
rere occssionally driven back Bu,
very time they dorgedlv rear
cked Niehtfsll found them over !
iahier EraspinR Mo-ouyilliers crest !
nd one ~ GerTnanys armest grips |