New-York tribune., 1918-08-02
AmericanGuns
Blast a Path
For New Gain
Let-Up in Enemy's Artillery
Fire Indicates He Is
Retiring to Vesle
(By The AssoeMted Press)

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON
THE AISNEMARNE FRONT, Aug. /
g P. M.).-The American troops
pushed forward their lines at certain
points Thursday on the centre of the
Rheims -Soissons salient, notwithstand
ing the resistance of the Germans. who
did not give ground on some sectors
until they actually had been shot from
their positions.
The Germans are desperately cling
ing to their strongholds at Nesles and
in Meunierc Wood, northeast of Ron
cheres, but the Americans have gained
hold on the northern edge of the
Meuniere Wood. The Nesles Forest is
under the range of the American heavy
guns.
Enemy Guns Active
Aviators report that the Germans are
rushing up reinforcements, including
tanks. The enemy's heavy guns are
pounding the Nesles and Meuniere
woods numerically.
Observers and prisoners who had
been brought behind the lines pre-
viously reported the forests as having
been jammed with German troops and
also with large quantities of supplies
The German losses in men, therefore,
must have been very great, as the
heavy guns started shelling the woods
several days ago.
The Allied troops continued to day
pofu
Seringes and Sergy there were woven
fields of wire entanglements. At creek
crossings and in the valleys the Ger
man machine gunners held their COM
manding positions until the heavy guns
of the French ard Americans blasted
way through the wire and ousted the
enemy from his positions. Some of the
enemy machine gunners stuck to their
posts under terrific fire until they were
killed
Sway Back and Forth
The American heavy artillery com
mands the village of Chamery, north
east of Sergy. the Americans having
wrested the hill beyond the last-namcd
village from the Germans in a battle
lasting for hours. The lines swayed
back and forth many times, but the
Americans eventually pushed the Ger
mans back. This fighting was in the
open, and the American infantrymcn
showed great courage.
To the north Of Cierges the Ameri-
cans also advanced their line. The
fight began early Thursday for the pos
session of farm, from which the
Americans swept away the Germans
North of Sergy the Americans crossed
wheat fields that had been planted by
French peasants. the crops of which
had been partially garnered by the
Germans. What remained OF the wheat
was recovered by the Americans.
There was much aerial activity
throughout Thursday. The Germans
sent out large numbers of aviators,
who appeared to be determined to pro-
tect the forests from the Allied armen
There were numerous battles in the air
Noon) The Germans used less artil-
lery late yesterday against the attack
ing forces on this front. depending
more upon their machine gunners for
defending their lines. This fact
coupled with stories of prisoners and
deserters, tends to strengthen the belief
that they are planning a withdrawal to
new positions along the River Vesle.
A deserter who came into the lines
last night declared that orders had
been issued for series of retrograde
movements until Fismes, on the Vesle,
had been reached
American and French troops launched
an attack Wednesday afternoon from
Seringes to Cierges, on the centre Of
Continued on nert pa0e