The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-09-28
American First Army Makes At
tack on Both Sides of St.
MihieI Salient.
HUN ARMY MAY Be TRAPPED
Many Towns and Prisoners Taken
Foch May Be Aiming at Metz
Germans in Picardy Trying to
Halt Retreat Approximately
on Hindenburu Line.
BY EDWARD w. PicKARD.

The American First army, General
Pershing commanding, started the first
great wholly American offensive
Thursday, attacking on both sides OF
the st. Mihiel salient southeast Of
Verdun. The French assisted by at
lacking on the point of the salient, but
the operation was planned by the
American staff and executed by Amer
lean l.s>ssrsaers asad troops.
After terrific artillery preparation
which for four hours smothered the
entire region within the German lines
with shells, the Yanks went over the
top exactly at five o'clock, following
a rolling barrage timed for an adj
vance of 100 meters every 40 minutes.
Great numbers of tanks supported
them and cleared the way by crushing
numerous concrete machine gun shell
tiers and breaking down the elaborate
wire defenses. American aviators In
focks quickly drove away the few Hun
airmen in sight and thereafter del
uged the enemy supply centers, mu-
milton dumps and hangers with
bombs, while the observation planes
directed the work of the artillery.
Everything moved like clockwork and
| the troops speedily gained their OBJ
| jectives and went on to the next ones,
| Village after village was taken and
| by Friday the cavalry had advanced
far into the center of the salient and
occupied strong positions, At the
time of writing the drive was progress
ing steadily and the Germans were in
| danger of finding their retreat from
the big wedge entirely cut off. Hun
dreds of prisoners were taken. The
st. Mihiel salient had been held by
the Huns ever since 1914 and was
very strongly fortified. It's base is to-
ward the German stronghold of Metz
and 1t may be that the drive is direct
ed against that city. However, Mar.
shall Foch's strategy had not been re-
vealed when this was written.
IA
Having given up all the ground they
won in their great spring drive, and
finding themselves back on the old
Hindenburg line, and in some places
well behind it, the Germans decided TO
stop their retreat for while. Marshal
| Foch did not fully assent to this deci-
sion, but powerful concentrations Of
Hun artillery and reserves In strong
positions, coupled with torrential
| rains throughout Picardy, brought the
| allied offensive almost to temporary
standstill. Not that the fighting by
any means ceased for the French and
| British kept pressing forward though
more slowly, and the Germans deliv.
cred desperate counter-attacks, which
in almost every instance resulted only
in severe losses for them.
1t is the opinion of expert observers
that the halt of the Huns approximate
ly on the Hindenburg line will be only
temporary Indeed, 1t is believed they
cannot stay there long II they
would. For many weeks they have
been hastily building new lines of de-
Tense farther east, and Marcel Hutin
In the Echo de Paris says they are now
constructing supreme line from Ant
werp to Metz and are putting the Ant
werp forts in defensive condition
Their present line depends on DOuai,
Cambria, st. Quentin and Laon, and
farther to the southeast, on the Chemin
des Danes. Douai already was be-
ing evacuated last week and the air
drome moles east of it were being dig
mantled. The British, fighting fierce
ly and repulslng heavy counter-attacks
were advancing steadily through Hav-
rincourt, Pezieres and Gouzeaucourt
and forced crossing of the Canal du
Nord, thus taking the main defense Of
Cambria on the southwest. st. Quen.