The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-13
(By Aesoclated Presa. J


Lorraine, Thursday, Sept. 12.-The
allied offensive on the western front
Tor the first time is dominatingly
American, the French cooperating
land In a military sense it is regarded
| as a continuing phase Of the battle
which began early last summer.
Newton d. Baker, the American
secretary Of war, with several other
notables, witnessed the beginning of
the battle from the vantage point of
a. French fort close behind the mid
die of the line.
It was precisely o'clock OF a
rainy, moonless night when a single
| dash of flame shot across the sky.
It was followed by other flashes
which gradually merged into a sheet
OF white light on the horizon.
Gradually there began to roll from
this fame-lit area a mighty thunder
amidst which could be distinguished
| now and then the crack and boom of
German return shells bursting.
The front over which the attack
was made was so extended that the
brilliant. bands Of vivid light soon
stretched from far eastward to west
ward lighting up the clouds. Soon
there, began TO arise star shells,
signal rockets and flares thrown up
by the enemy. to betray the Ameri-
cans should they leave their. trenches
suddenly to begin an infantry attack.
10 this general color scheme there
was soon added a reddish glow as
ammunition dumps exploded and
buildings set on fire behind the en-
envy lines began to blaze.
The artillery fire lessened little In
Intensity and German star shells
burst with more frequency as 8
o'clock approached as. though the en-
envy suspected that was the hour
set for the infantry attack. More
and more ammunition dumps ex-
ploded just before 5, the artillery
bombardment suddenly resumed its
original Intensity and as the sky was
beginning to be tinged with dawn 4
1t again took on a white look along
the horizon. Precisely at 5 o'clock
the thunder. Of the guns accompany
ing the glare Of light stopped and in
the sudden silence the Americans
went over the top. All along the
lines could be heard the chattering of
German machine guns and then sud-
denly the thunder commenced again
when barrage was laid down to !
protect the soldiers SIS they ap-
preached the German trenches
Into the battle has been brought |
all the elements OF modern warfare. |
While the artillery was playing its
role, the airmen and the tank crews |
worked over their machines prepara- |
tory to taking their part in the big |
gest SHOW" the Americans have
given.
There was no question Of aerial
supremacy, or should not oe. French |
planes and French airmen supple
mented the American forces and
1a VliCIF oil ~,
Grafton. It rained in the night and |
the early hours OF the morning did |
not afford the best opportunity for
the aviators but notwithstanding
the mist the squadrons appeared
with the dawn ready for observation
Of the defense and for offensive
combat. There was a high wind dur
ing the day but the balloons were
able to remain up for observation.
One American balloon broke away
and drifted eastward. One Of the
German balloons was aloft near st.
Mihiel but it remained up only about
i've minutes. The smoke screen the
placed about MONTE ap-
pears to have been successful in
preventing the enemy observations
rom that commanding point.
The German Strength. .''..
While the heavy attacks were be-
ing made on the north and south
ines of ST. Mihiel sector, a force
around the point of the angle was
a. series of raids,
rushing far into the sides of, the
German body. The strength of the
Germans is not known but It is GER
tain there are at least seven divis-
ons in the salient. But it has been
earned that the enemy had collect
I'd quantities OF supplies in the Sec
or and, will doubtless attempt to
remove them.
The front under attack was about
Is miles in length. The French were
in the line at allotted points, but
he distribution Of the force was
such that wherever the Germans
urned they faced American troops.
Just how much the Germans were
by the offensive in a sec
or so long inactive is uncertain. 1t
seems not improbable, however, that
hey had noticed ., the indications
given for many days past that some
lew plan was being adopted. The
Of the big force was &C
,omplished however, almost wholly
n night marches, the men slipping
rom other sectors into positions in
ront Of the enemy here, often times
without even the population of the
districts through which they passed
being aware of the movement.
The guns that opened the artil-
cry preparations at 1 o'clock con-
inued for four hours to hammer the
Germans, not alone their nearby
positions but almost every cross
Gods, village and town within range.
The roads over which the enemy
night bring up reinforcements or
'etreat were broken up with high
explosives. ,.. u. rra ~
The artillery attack was. carefully
planned, every battery commander
having registered long in advance
he detectives of his divisions. The
ul1 effect OF the terrible lombard
nent could not be observed but there
S little doubt but it had immense
fleet in interfering with the defense
work Of the big German force in the