The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-12-25
WHEN The YAA|!kl'S Z!
STRUCK on MEUSE
American Doughboys Faced
Three Fortified Defense
III. Systems. ri
NOTHING COULD STOP THEM
Interesting Description Of One Of the
Last Big Fights In Which
Pershino's Troops Were
Engaged.

Pershine's Troops Were
Engaged.
With the First American Army
Three fortified defensive systems
guarded the, German positions be.
tween the Argonne and the Mouse
when the Americans burst through
them.
The advanced line, the enemy's old
line, called the Hagen stellung; his
intermediate line ran a kilometer OF
two behind it, according to the config-
uration Of the terrain, hills, streams
and woods, and was called the Volker
stellung. Behind that a his main
reserve line of defense, the kremhilde
stellung, a continuation Of the Brun-
hide stellung, which runs through
Champagne. 4
At their. first bound the attacking
waves of doughboys swept owe the
first two fortified zones with their
b%arbed-wire entanglements cut to
pieces by the preliminary lombard
ment, and in several points they pen.
etfated the Kremhilde stellung, which
pivoted in the Aire-Meuse sector on
Montfaucon. ),
The three-hour artillery preparation
between 2:3O and $50 O'Clock in the
morning had driven the enemy to his
deepest dugouts and the advanced as
sault troops were in the trenches,
throwing gas bombs and grenadsa
down the stairways into the under
ground bombpro0f shelters before the
Boches could get upstairs.
Reducing StronghoIds.
Between the three different lines Of
intrenched positions the Boches had
installed series of strong points, ma
chine gun. nests, sometimes emplaced
in concrete and steel pillboxes, or else
merely. set in strong, natural, COM
manding positions. The system for re.
ducing these strongholds was identical
with that already practiced by the
enemy in his various offensive opera.
tons.
The advanced waves Of stormins
troops going forward in open order.
worked their way between the strong
points, often by wormipg along for con.
siderable distances on their stomachs,
or by crawling on hands and knees
through woods or along ravines. Ar
irving in the real Of these positions
they established contact with n an.
other and proceeded forward, leaving
snipers to work their way back in the
rear Of the strong points and pick of
the Boche machine gunners in many
cases.
It was the job Of the succeeding
waves of assault, with their light ma
chine guns and their little trench NOR
tars mounted on light, .two-wheeled
carts hauled by man power to reduce
these strong points with or without the
aid Of artillery, tanks, or airplanes.
The most advanced waves were en-
tirely safe from the machine gun po-
sitions once they passed them. as the
Boches usually could not work their
guns toward their OWE rear, the EN-
placement having been organized with
a view to firing ahead or on the tanks
only. Furthermore, II the Germans
fred toward the rear, they would re-
veal their presence to the succeeding
attacking waves which would put
them out Of action before they could
swing around again.
Why Casualties Are Light.
It is because the attacking waves
went forward deployed IN extended
formation and behind a curtain Of fire
Of bursting shells, q creeping barrage,
that casualties among attacking
troops were 80 much lighter than any.
one unfamiliar with these tactic1
might imagine.
The doughboys passed Montfaucon,
which was a hive Of machine gun
nests In their advance toward Nan.
tllois and Clerges. and It was not I'M.
til the day after the town had been
practically surrounded that the lasa
enemy resistance vas crushed there
After penetrating. well beyond Mont
faucon on either side. American pa
trolls of twos and threes began Il
reeonnoitre the town and the chateau
which stands on a tent-like ridge com.
manding the plain in all directions
Those patrols which entered from the
north, from behind, worked their way
through the ruins Of shell-shattered
houses right up to the front Of the
town, where they sniped the German
machine gnnners In the backs, as they
were firing on American patrols ad
vancing from Cuisy. Prisoners wert
taken from the deep dugouts so and
60 feet below the ruined town twt
days after the Americans had estab
lished themselves In the town.
So! -
+ Finds Sunny Man" in House.
ST. Louis, Mo.-Peter Fefes Of THU
city was aroused from a deep dream
49, n 49," a.