The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-12-05
American Doughboys Facee
Three Fortified Defense
Systems.
NOTHING COULD STOP THEM
Interesting Description Of One Of the
Last Big Fights In Which
Pershing's Troops Were
Engaged.

With the First American Army
Three fortified defensive systems
guarded the German positions be-
tween the Argonne and the Meuse
when the Americans burst through
them.
The advanced line, the enemy's OLD
line, called the Hagen stellung; his
intermediate line ran kilometer or
two behind II, according to the config-
uration of the terrain, hills. streams
and woods, and was called the Volker
stellung. Behind that ran his main
reserve line of defense, the Kremhilde
stellung, continuation Of the Brun-
hide stellung, which runs through
Champagne.
At their first bound the attacking
waves of doughboys swept over the
first two fortified zones with their
barbed-wire entanglements cut to
pieces by the preliminary lombard
ment, and In several points they pen
etrated the Kremhilde stellung, which
pivoted In the Aire-Meus sector on
Montfaucon.
The three-hour artillery preparation
between 2:30 and 8 80 o'clock In the
morning had driven the enemy to his
deepest dugouts and the advanced as
sault troops were In the trenches
throwing gas bombs and grenades
down the stairways into the under
ground bombproof shelters before the
Boches could get upstairs.
Reducing stroneholds.
Between the three different lines Of
intrenched positions the Boches had
installed series of strong points, ma.
chine gun nests, sometimes emplaced
in concrete and steel pillboxes. or else
merely set In strong, natural, COM
manding positions. The system for re-
ducing these strongholds was Identical
with that already practiced by the
enemy in his various offensive opera
tions.
The advanced waves of storming
troops going forward In open order,
worked their way between the strong
points, often by worming along for con.
siderable distances ON their stomachs
or by crawling on hands and knees
through woods or along ravines. Ar
irving In the rear Of these positions
they established contact with one an
other and proceeded forward, leaving
snipers to work their way back In the
rear Of the strong points and pick on
the Boche machine gunners in many
cases.
] 1t was the job of the succeeding
waves of assault, with their light ma
chine guns and their little trench NOR
4 tars mounted on light, two-wheelet
carts hauled by man power to reduce
these strong points with or without tht
aid Of artillery, tanks, or airplanes
The most advanced waves were en-
tirely safe from the machine gun pO
sitions once they passed them, as thu
Boches usually could not work theil
guns toward their own rear, the em
placement having been organized will
view to firing ahead or on the fiank'
only. Furthermore, IL the German
fired toward the rear, they would re
veal their presence to the succeeding
attacking waves which would pu
: them out of action before they coul'
swing around again.
. Why Casualties Are Light.
1t is because the attacking wave
went forward deployed in extended
formation and behind curtain OF mr.
of bursting shells, a creeping barrage
that casualties among attacking
troops were so much lighter than any
one unfamiliar with these tactic
might imagine.
The doughboys passed Montfaucon
which was hive of machine guI
nests in their advance toward Nan
tillois and Cierges, and 1t was not un
til the day after the town had beel
, practically surrounded that the las
, enemy resistance was crushed there
After penetrating. well beyond Mont
{ faucon on either side, American pa
trolls Of twos and threes began t
reconnoitre the town and the chatea'
which stands on tent-like ridge com
manding the plain In all directions
Those patrols which entered from tn
north, from behind, worked their wa.
through the ruins of shell-shatteret
houses right up to the front OF tn
town, where they sniped the GermaI
machine gunners In the backs. as the.
were firing on American patrols ad
|. vancing from Cuisy. Prisoners wer'
3 taken from the deep dugouts % ans
I 60 feet below the ruined town twt
} days after the Americans had estah
+ lished themselves In the town.