Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-08
AMERICANS FIGHT
THEIR WAY ACROSS
VESLE IN STORM
Made Passage in a Veritable In
ferno of Bullets. Shot. Gas and
Fiery Flames.
IN D-TO-HAND FIGHT

With the American Army on the Aisne
Marine Front, Aug. s Under an inferno
of shrapnel and machine gun fire anc
waves of gas the Americans have forcec
their way over the Ncslc river while rain
varying from a drizzlc to a downpour
drenChcd the battlefield
French troops have already gained
positions ON the American left. and the
joint movement has Strengthened out
the line from point west of Bazoches to
Fismes (about three miles
GERMAN LOSSES SEVERE.
The Germans lost considerably in
killed and wounded. and also few
prisoners, whose stories tend to cor
rohoratc the expressed opinion of those
previously taken that the Germans expect
Ia continue their retreat until the bank
OF the Aisne is reached
The attack began between { and 3
o'clock Tuesday afternoon BY midnight
those men on the right had reached their
objective. the main highway cast and west
extending along the foothills that rise
north Of the river and become a series
of terraces to the Asnc
The left wing was DELAYED, but it also
reached the line q little before s o'clock
this morning
The guns are still engaged in ducls over
the captured positions, and the Germans
have also continued small arms resistance.
But with every hour the positions Of both
the French and Americans have been
rendered more secure
ARTILLERY PREPARATION roR ATTACH
The attack by the infantry was pre-
ccded by artillery preparation Under
cover of a harragc The engineers conplet-
ed the work OF throwing light bridges
over the stream while the officers chosen
10 lead the dash across the river placed |
their men IN position, working them |
downward toward the points where the |
bridges were known be Tho challenges |
were accept cd Immediately by the German /
artillery. and in few minutes the inter |
uattent reports of the guns which had |
been heard all day were merged into one !
great roar
The clouds, which had lifted slightly. |
rcappearcd Just before the attack was
launched and therefore the action was
conducted without much advantage in
observation hy aircraft
When the order for their advnce was
gwen the men, for tho most part swept
forward in open formation, but the
Germans were ready with a defense. and
even more. They had prepared, al
though apparently hastily. counter
attack which they launched without
success later in the engagement
The men on the American right fought
their way along the chosen routes Some
Of them floundcred across through the
water, while others used the bridges
that were still standing
GERMAN DETACHMENT wIrEp OUT.
One detachment of Germans, somewhat
more than q company moved forward
into the open. Here the American ma
chine guns caught them. and, sweeping
them with bullets, destroyed them al
most TO man
The Germans also attempted to strike |
he Americans a disconCerting counter
1low with a considerable force by plung-
no down ravine leading to the river
Their path had been cleared by their /.
rtillery, and they might have succeeded
n reaching the Americans; but the move
nent had been reported to the artillery
tations south of the Nese and from J
hem there swept into the advancing
olumns such a mass Of shells that the
ormatlon was quickly broken. :
HAND-To-HAND BATTLE.
AZ another point a detachment Of {
'ermans stood until the Americans were
pom them. Then il became a hand-to-
anu 'oIiAltt' lHc oLlS one oI N1e klflu II
uring the battle. In the mud and dark r
ess, where the combatants were barely Fl
BILE to distinguish one another, they s
ought 1t out, and the Americans won. d
The Americans on the left failed to [
zach their obiectlves until they had il
allied for a second harrage Under its 81
over they rallied and struggled forward a
} the chosen positions. Il
The Germans, in attempting to re- G.
ulse the attack. used guns of q and los
,,lber and minenwerfers. They had
lem on the higher ground. considerably Il
} the rear of the battle line The | v
Tnerican guns did excellent work, not 7
1ly IN covering the advance, but in j
up formations, especially one tt
rye assemblage OF infantry.