Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-24
Entire Aisne Crest
Won by POiLuS
Continued from Pase One

Continued from PAGE One
Ladies Way" The northern slope OF the
ridge. which was I'm possession OF the Ger,
mans. slid away abruptly into the valley oil
the Ailette.
Every inch Of these German positions was
honeycombcd with caverns, tunnels ana
subterranean qusrries Many were Two
stories deep. electrically lighted and Venti-
lated. Every one of them the Germans had
converted into Nerltabe Underground
fortress Where there was a sisgle tunnel
at Cornillet--nt which place the French
first encountered this German rabbit-warren
system Of defense-there were three tun-
nela here Some of them proved almost In
surnountable defenses.
TUESDAYS battle involved the capture OF
a score Of these German caves. tunnels and
duarries ON the ground held by the French
before the drive-.hat is, on the southern
slope of the ridge-there were similar
Caverns. gruttoes and warrcns These were
manned and kept filled with French troops.
Monday night the caves on both sides
Of the ridge-Cerman and French-were
gorged with reserves. awaiting tho rush of
the battle on the plateau. The entire ridge,
literally, was alive, like a gigantic anthilL
The massed forces below waited on both
sides for the decision of a battle on the
earth above, the manifestations of which
caused the whole ground to tremble.
The French artillery concentration was
Of unheard-of intensity. Batteries secretly
! installed weeks ago opened with an appalling
suddenness veritable volcano Of steel.
| For eight days preceding HE actual attack
| itself great guns had pounded minute by
! minute. day and night. at the German posi-
! tions.
! Although the Crown Prince had the fifth
! division OF the Prussian Guard among the
| five divisions $4,000 mem facing the French
| he rushed up two other Guard divisions and
| likewise n Havarian division, thus concen'
| fhA Of .
| flower of the German army.
| He intrusted the defense Of Fort Malmai-
| son to the second division of the Prussian
| guard.
In pursuance OF their past tactics the
| Germans massed reserves In the caNerns
intending when the French infantry dashed
| over the plateau to rush these out of their
safe subterranean warrens for counter
| attack.
But when the French attack did come, the
poilus out-Hindenburged Hindenburg. Be
| hind the very first wave of the FrenCh at
tackers came specially trained battalions
| of poilus, who seized the entrance to cav
| erII5 and blocked them effectually with ma
chine-guns. grenades and powerful forces
| They literally walled up beneath the ground
| in the vast and intricate underground gal
leries the huge reserves which the Ger
mans had massed there.
OF the fighting elsewhere on the French
| front the War Office today said:
East and west of Cerny artillerying was
most active. ON the right bank of the
| Meuse throughout the night there was i'll
tense artlllerying.
Northeast of Hill 344 an enemy attacl
was thrown back in severe fighting, eXcep
for a foOthold which the enemy gained ol
one of our fortified works counter-at
tack subsequently restored this position Il
us.
Around Courieres crest a German at
tack failed under heavy losses"