Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-08
Establish Line on Northern Bank Despite Fierce
 Resistance.
CRUSH GERMAN
 COUNTER R-ATTACKS
Gas Artillery Barrage Fails to Keep U. $. Troops
 Back.

With The American Army On The Aisne Marne Front, D. m.-(By The Associated Press. .)-Under an inferno of shrapnel and machine gunfire and waves of gas the Americans forced their way over the Vesle river last night and early this morning, while rain, varying at times from drizzle to doWnpour, trenches the battle field
 French troops already have gained positions on the American left, and the joint movement has strengthened out the line from a point west of BaZoches to Fishes.
 Germans Lose Heavily.
 The Germans lost considerably in casualties and also a few prisoners, whose stories tended to corroborate the expressed. opinion of those pre- viously taken that the Germans ex- pect to continue their retreat until the bank of the Aisne is reached.
 The attack began between 4 and 5 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. By mid night those men on the right had reached their objectives, the main highway east and west extending along the foothills that rise north of the river and become a series of terraces to the Aisne. The left wing was delayed, but it also reached the line shortly before o'clock. this morning.
 The artillery on both sides are still fighting duels over the captured posi- tions and the Germans also have con- tinued small arm resistance. But with every hour the positions of both the French and Americans have been ren- dered more secure
 The attack by the infantry was proceeded by artillery preparations.
 Bridge River Under Barrage.
 Under cover of barrage the en- gineers completed the work of throw ing light bridges over the stream, while the officers chosen to lead the dash across the river placed their men in position, working them down. ward toward the points where the bridges were known to be.
 The challenges were accepted inn mediately by the German artillery and in a few minutes the intermittent re- ports of the guns which had been heard all day were merged into one great roar.
 The clouds which had lifted slight ly reappeared just before the attack was launched and therefore the act ion was conducted without much ad- vantage in observation by air craft.
 Hun Counter Attack Fails. ....
 When the order for their advance was given, the men, for the most part, swept forward in open formation, but the Germans were ready with de- fense, and even more. They had pre- pared, altho apparently hastily, counter attack which they launched without success later in the engage ment.
 The men on the American right fought their way along the chosen routes. Some of them floundered across through the water, while oth- CTS used the bridges that still were standing.
 Annihilate Hun Detachment.
 One detachment of Germans. some what more than company moved forward into the open. Here the Am erican machine guns caught them, and, sweeping them with bullets, destroyed them almost totally.
 The Germans also attempted to strike the Americans a disconcerting counter blow with a considerable force by plunging down a ravine lead ing to the river.
 Their path had been cleared by their artillery and they might have suc- ceeded in reaching the Americans. but the movement had been reported to the artillery stations south of the Vesle and from them there swept in- to the advancing column such a mass of shells that the formation was quickly broken.
 Tanks Win Hand.t Hand.
 At another point a detachment of Germans stood until the Americans were upon them. Then it became 8 hand to hand conflict, the only one of the kind during the battle. In the mud and in darkness where the com batants were barely able to distin- Continued on page s. Col