The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-26
BATTLE Of lACM
IS GREAT VICTORY
FORFRENCH ARMS
ONswEEPING LATINs OVER
WHEI.M GERMANS AND SMASH
ALL OPPOSITION.
ENEMY BADLY BEATEN
Teuton Ariiiierymen Kill Their Own
Horses and Destroy Cannon They Can
Not Get Away Quickly Enough.-Bat-
iIofield l. Fearful Scene.
My IA Assoelated Pressl

nBy The Associated Press
With the French Armies In France.
Thursday, Oct. 25.-The French have
reached the Aisne canal; and the big
fortress Of Laon, eight miles away. Is In
sight. Following up the victory OF
Tuesday over the army Of the Crown
Prince the French today took Monkey
mountain. east OF Vauxaillon. the VII
lage of Plnon and the forest OF the
same name. also the village OF Pargny-
Fnnaln.
Certain decentralization In the German
command Is shown by contradictory Or
ders found on prisoners.
Crossing the battlefield I'm the vicin-
ty of Vaurains and Saint Guillain
farms. the Associated Press correspon-
dent gained ample evidence of the ex-
tent OF the French victory. Hundreds
Of prisoners in large groups were max
ing their way 90 the rear. marching
without escort. Damaged German ma
chine guns lay everywhere. while scat
tered around were heaps of ammunition.
cannons and quantities of war mate
rial.
Caverns Filled With Germans.
II
cavern of Fruty. The approaches were
battered severely and large holes were
torn in the roofs. The cavern has gal.
leries about one kilometer In length.
with many exits. most of which had
been damaged greatly by the French
guns.
When the French infantry dashed for
ward in the darkness they approached
the entrances warily and found them
full OF Germans waiting for the mo-
ment OF attack Hand grenades and
smoke bombs soon brought them out
with their hands raised in token of
surrender. Meanwhile, the tanks had
advanced with the infantrymen until
the second German position was reach
ed, destroying on the way any nest of
machine guns opposing the progress of
the French troops. The tanks advanced
several kilometers, during which they
met and demolished several machine
gun nests.
Teutons Kill Own Horses.
Today the French advance proceeded
rapidly, and the units reached the va
rious objectives with regularity. After
taking the village of Pinon. the patrols
went forward and entered the forest
of the same name. They found many
German cannon abandoned, but with
the breach blocks gone. Dead horses.
killed by the German gunners. lay be-
side the cannon. The Germans had
found it impossible to get the weapons
away over the marshes adjoining the
canal, over which most of the bridges
had been destroyed. making retreat of
artillery impracticable.
Hundreds of machine guns were cap
tured by the French. and many Of them
were turned on the fleeing Germans
who had left plenty of ammunition be
hind.
Many Cannon Taken.
II is reported that $50 cannon have
fallen into French hands. but the num-
ber is uncertain owing to the condition
of the battlefield and it's width. The
same uncertainty applies to the number
of prisoners, hundreds of Germans be-
ing encountered on all parts OF the field
marching wearily back to the rear of
the French lines.
The sight of the towers of the cathe-
dral of Laon, a few miles away. spurred
the French soldiers TO wonderful ef-
forts OF endurance and swiftness of
movement. They went on determinedly
in pursuit of the Germans. leaving par
ties behind to clear out cellars and
caverns with disgorged hundreds Of de-
moralized prisoners, who seemed as
founded at the vastness Of their de
feat.
French Casualties Small.
With all this severe fighting on a bat
tlefield where the Germans had strong
positions and where they accepted the
challenge of the French army to a
standup combat. the French casualties
were remarkably low.
The French troops of all branches are
iubilant over the victory. The artillery.
infantry and airmen mutually praise
each others work.
Where the Germans will make
stand cannot yet be foreseen. What is
known now Is that the line OF their
retreat is over n difficult and boggy ter
rain where the movement OF guns is
possible only with great precaution.
The correspondent spoke to several
prisoners, none of whom quite realized
the exteut of the disaster to the army
Of the German crown prince. who had
made guch .iahorate nraDarafiuus TO