The sun., 1918-10-16
BILLIARDS MEN
WIDEN BREACH
AT KRIEMHILDE
Advance in Fiercest Fight
ing of War, as Germans
Increase Resistance.
ROMAGNE FULL OF MINES
Americas Now at the Gates
of Grand Pre- After Cross
ing River.
ROMAGNE FULL OF MINES


WEST OF VERprS, Oct. 15.-In the face
Of the most stubborn resistance con-
ceivable, including literally hundreds
Of machine gun nests, the Americans
advanced again to-day and widened
the breach In the Krlemhilde line.
The Germans heavily shelled the
entire and left centre of the Ameri-
an line and desperate counter attacks
were carried out. These counter at.
acks failed.
The Americans. who captured Hill
2ss and penetrated the strong wire de-
fences between Landres and st.
Georges, have passed st. Juvin.
BY noon the troops on the left had
crossed the river and were soon half
kilometer northeast of Grand Pre-.
although there is no indication that
Grand Pre- has yet been taken.
The right wing also was fairly ac-
tive throughout the day, but chiefly
in liaison with the troops to the west.
The enemy in this sector put up lively
artillery and infantry opposition and
resisted with every ounce Of strength
left In his makeshift divisions.
The American gains in general were
accomplished through pursuance OF the
strategic policy OF surrounding the OBJ
jectives rather than stormlng them.
The machine, gun filled woods and
heights lying In the path OF the Ameri-
can advance we're taken for the most
part BY going around them on the Oft
and right and Joining forces again or
the north side and clearing up the area
thus encircled.
Tanks also were used In the opera
tions 10 break way through the enemy
wire entanglements west of Romagne.
Face WitherinK Gunnre.
The days hghting began early when
the centre moved forward and encircled
the difficult position at Hill 2ss, from
which a machine gun fire estimated AZ
coming from ct least 200 machine guns
concealed in the adjacent woods Was
poured into the Americans. The patrols
pushed forward despite the enemy OPP
position into the Bantheville Woods.
Hill 2s6 was taken early notwith-
standing a withering machine gun fire
and a deluge Of gas shells which COM
PEELED the Americans TO fight for hours
with their gas masks adjusted They
also encountered vast quantities OF wire
which had no, sufficiently been cut by
the artillery. and faced an enllading fire
from both sides.
A big fight ensued for the strategic
Cote de Chatillon. which commands tho
terrain northward and which was at
tackled by the eucirclinS method, the
Americans taking the Tuileries farm to
the northeast. This farm was taken
under artillery fire by both the GeS-
mans and Americans late this after
noon and for n time remained No
Mans Land.
The American advance at this point
involved the capture of Lo Marsard farm
and filtration through the wire guarding
the SommeranceLandre road. The op-
position against the right centre OF the
Americans grew less in the afternoon
no that patrols were able 20 push north
ward and westward TO gain a suro foot
ing In Banthvil.e and Banthevillc Wood.
Gains North of ROma.ne.
BY late afternoon the centre had ad-
vanced a kilometer north of Romagne,
thence TO a point south OF the Tuiieries
farm. south OF the slope OF Cote de
Chatllon and north to one kiloneter
south OF Landres-et-St. Georges and a
half ki!ometer to the south OF 81.
Georges The engineers inspecting Ro-
magne found It full Of mines and traps
Tho enemy began again his gas shell.
Ing 10 check the attack. which now
was fully even with hts I<rienhilde po-
Sition or Beyond It. but could not pre-
vent the Americans from capturing Hill
.s2.
Perhaps the most interesting develop
ment OF the day was the fact tina, the
Americans, and the Germans. too. fought
with n iierceness. stubbornness and
tenacity utterly belying any belief that
their part In peace is a matter of the
near future. The Americans are almost
unanimous that the German proposals
are insincere. and that whether sincere
or not the enemy must be severely pun
ished.
Many with whom the correspondent
talked during a tour OF the most active
parts OF the front seemed to take the at
tituds that they had perhaps only a 1T
tie time in which to strafe the enemy
and wanted 10 make the most OF II,
Cheered by Wilson's Note.
President Wilson's answer to the DER
mans was greeted unanimously by the
men as a document OF supreme states.
completely filling the bin and
imposing on the Germans the humilia-
tion and abnegation absolutely naces-
sary. II served. however, to increase
the doubts whether the enemy will in
the last analysis back down completely
conss~asd = ssoond Poss.