The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-09-06
AMERICANSHOT
ON HUNS TRAIL
Sammies Sweep Across PIa.
teau South Of Aisne and Es.
tabliSh Line Along Ravine.
UNBURIED GERMAN DEAD
Grown Prince Offers Desperate
Resistance in Effort to Delay
Allied Advance.

| WIN lit .NnlillNdH -Nliig OH Tux
Aisne-Nesle Front, Sept 5.-(NightD-
UN S.)-The cornerstone OF the Hin.
denburg line southwest of Laon has
been preached by Gen. Mangin's
Franc American army.
In that sector the allies are now
progressing toward the emplacemen'
OF the original big Bertha which
shollod Paris.
(This long range German gun was
located in the sector of Crepy-en-
Laonnois on the eastern fringe of the
| 81. Gobain forest)
| French and American troops have
now reached the Aisne as far as Well
Arcy, about thirteen miles east of Sois-
sons. Nieil-Arcy is on the southern
bank of the Aisne, on the Rheims
Scissors railway.)
Closely following up the retreatinG
Germans on the Aisne front, the Amer
leans swept across the plateau i'm
! medately south of that stream this
morning. establishing themselves along
the ravine leading to the river.
| All of these valleys had been
drenched by the Germans with gas as
they retired.
Air observers reported that patrols
had established themselves on the
southern bank of the Aisne canal.
German troops of the crown prince have
been resisting the Franco Americans
advance with great bitterness in an
attempt TO delay the advance of the
| allied forces and expedite the German
retreat.
The Germans fell back in a north
easterly direction, but were handi-
capped by the scarcity of roads.
Mangn's Army Advances.
As Gen. Mangins army went for
ward in a northeasterly direction from
Missy sur -Aisne. rolling up the Ger
man flank, fires and explosions were
observed between Conde-sur Aisne and
Aizy, indicating that the Germans were
retreating all the way to the Chemin-
des- Danes.
(Conde and Aizy are both north of
the Aishe river, on the high ground
to w.iich the Germans fell back fol-
lowing their decisive defeat at the
Marie in 1914. Afterwards the Ger
mans were compelled by the pressure
of the French to retreat to the north
of this chain of heights and IL was
from their positions north OF the
Chemin- des- Danes that the Huns ne
gan their offensive towards the Marne
in May)
Belief was expressed today that the
Germans probably would go all the
way to the Aisne heights without at
tempting TO make any serious stand.
(Reports from the Aisne-Nesle front
on Thursday told only of isolated re-
sistance by the Germans)
Only n few machine gun nests were
encountered by the Americans and
French south of the plateau on the
southern bank of the Aisne.
Unburied Corpses.
As the allied forces went forward
north of the Nesle they encountered
hundreds of unburied German corpses
and much material that the Germans.
had ATTEMPTED to burn. The ground
was pitted with dugouts.
The American division that was first
in reaching the Vesle was In the van
OF the advance to the Aisne. The
troops were led by mounted patrols.
At one point of resistance on the al
lied right wing, the Fifth Prussian
guards were employed in an effort to
hold up the allied push. Storming bat
talions were thrown into the fighting.
In the region of Morrival and Mo-
nam the Franco American soldiers
had to pass through heavy indirect
fire from machine guns and field guns.
The stiffest resistance which the al
lies encountered was on their left
ries northwest of Bazoches and Perles.
In that region units of Germans that
were cut off from their main force
fought to the death. MANY were killed
by bombs thrown into the subterra-
mean passages from the surface.
Corpl. L. A. Hickman and Private
c. l.. Brookes. two observers, went
across the Vcsle on the heels of the
combat patrols. unwinding telephone
wires as they proceeded.
Flashes Of Machine Guns.
The pair reached the crest of the |
plateau west of Perles. where they per- |
,eived flashes of machine gun fire. At
The same time they spotted nine Ger
nan soldiers. Dropping their reels OF
wire, the Americans unslung their ri
1es and onened fire.
The two intrepid Americans made their |
yay forward on the northern solpe of
he plateau coming upon n dozen Ger
mans who were crawling along on their
Ia nds and knees.
The Germans were trying to get In the
ear Of the Americans. but were 1rus-
rated in this endeavor.
Hickman shot two Of the boches and
he others ran.
Then the Americans climbed tree ana
rom this vantage point they could see
\merican and French cavalry patrols
lorthward of the plateau.
At the same time German machlne gun
tests was located ny tne ITesiliH tuiiieu
arth due north of Perles message
vas telephoned back to the artillery ana
,eavy guns opened fire, smashing the
Ioi man strong point.
Dropped Bombs
German airmen rot glimpse OF tns
mericans perched in the tree ana
ropped bombs. The missiles missed the
rec. but broke the telephone wires;
Ieckman immediately went TO work ana
DON had them repaired. -,
An American machine gunner. IrnH'
org Island City. who had heen N F1s-
,ette when the Germans recently at
acked there, was able to give his com
AIDES excellent information about the 10
alton OF German machine gun en-
n cements. s
Fortv-six corpscs were counted arounu
smett. and It was estimated that the !
ernans had lost Mt least 200 IN kllieu
hen they retook Fismette.
Fismettes lies north of the Nesle ana
n,nedietey north Of Fismes. IL was
rcupied by the Americans shortly after
rev rea ached the Neslc, hut the Germans
ado n strong counter attack and retook
Now it is in American hands once
ore. .,,v.r,ra
ON the Vesle through the valleys ana
wines. they were compelled TO wear
,eir gas masks nv the clouds OF poisoned
mes with which the Germans han
.crched the terrain. -
The ground was torn into burrows n.
e fire from the American artiliery ana 4 c
as covered by the bodies OF dead men v