Evening journal., 1918-10-05
YANKEE ADVANCE LOOSENS
HUN GRIP ON RHEIMS

as lL snaLlefeu llS way duedd OF Iue
advancing doughbOys.
The weather was so perfect that it
reminded one OF a midsummer Sunday
afternoon. The sun shone from a cloud
less sky. Dust rose from the roads
where doughbOys were pushing toward
the front Couriers dashed by COW
cred from head TO foot with white pow
der-like dust.
70 was like fighting across a western
prairie There was scarcely a tree I'm
sight over the vast stretches Of fat
plateau with only a dominating rise
here and there to break the mon0t0ny.
The American attack was highly
spectacular 1t. resulted in General
Gouraud sending his personal cOngrat-
ulatlons 90 the American division com
mander. The French had taken a posi-
tion known as Elba trench. But few
bOches remained there. The Americans
desired this as a jumping Off place. SO
they flushed cleaning out the enemy by
a local operation the day before and
established themselves there for the at
tack.
with the crash Of the opening bar
rage the infantry jumped of. Their
Z =
that one officer said: "rhe men just
leaned against the barrage."
The positions pulyerized by the ar
iillery fire were quickly crossed. Fur
lher on numerous pill boxes were en-
lcouhtered. French tanks assisted in
cleaning mp some OF these. In other in
stances the pill boxes were smothered
with smoke bombs the Americans then
closing in with their bayonets.
: A corporal with a famous unit which
cannot be. named, captured i3 officers
/ including a major. and 26 men in one
fdugout. The major who was IN COM
mand OF an artillery group was greatly
downcast when brought 10 the rear
lie and an The other officers wore iron
crosses of the first class.
The corporal was approaching the en-
trance Of a dug0ut when a B0che came
out. The doughboy quickly covered
and disarmed him. He then rushed for
the other entrance and encountered an
officer coming out with a revolver in
his hand The corporal demanded his
surrender, adding that he had better
tell all the others inside to surrender
as he was about 20 unload all his gre
nades in the dugout They complied
and the corporal marched them back
TO the rear.
With the capture Of Blanc Mont the
Americans now have downhill lighting
IAN The way to the Aisne
The ridge over which they passed
was the enemy's strongest point in this
region.
The wonderful comradeship OF the
French and Americans was again
demonstrated in this fighting, where
the latter weer engaged under French
command. the same as certain number
Of French troops have been operating
under General Pershing in the st. Mi
hiel and Nerdun attacks In the past few
weeks.
Oven the dusty roads. American motor
cycle drivers dashed by. carrying
French officers in the side cars, and vice
versa
Ambulances Fastening to the rear car
ried French and Americans alike.
/ Overhead was the familiar ribbOnine
OF the sky by French and American
shells followed by the crashing OF
heavies and the swapping Of seventy
iives. The heavy guns stood in the
+. open, without any semblance OF camou.
nage An American rolling kitchen
served dusty poilus and doughboys.
Late in the evening the scene was
most dramatic. The flash Of guns pierre
ed the horizon 90 the northward sill
houetting men. guns and horses, as the!
moved worward across the plateau:
while to the westward q blood-red SUI
sank slowly over Rheims. The sky wa.
tinted, as though with the blood Of th,
thousands OF Frenchmen who have die,
In the city's defense