Evening star., 1918-07-18
failure OF HUNS
A DECISIVE DEFEAT
Scheduled to Advance Thir-
teen Miles First Day; French
Stopped Them Short.
PAID DEARLY FOR FIASc0
BY PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.

BY PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
to The Evening Star and
Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. July
has a moro complete
check been met with by the Germans
than that forced upon the enemy by
the French army defending the Cham
pagne front from Pompelle fort to
Main de Massiges. From the very
start the Teutons counted largely on
gaining an easy victory and making
a rapid advance there. but instead
met a crushing defeat. which will
rest as one of the wars capital events.
On Tuesday 1 visited the army
which broke the enemy's attacktan
was able to see Gen. Gouraud. who
the action. This is the
officer. 1t will be recalled, who left
his right arm at the Dardanelles.
From what saw Of the battle myself
or learned from officers am now in
position toN give the following sum-
mary:
Awaited German Attack.
The greater number Of our men, ex-
cepting a few in garrisons and obser-
walton posts, retired from the outpost
zone when the German bombardment.
which was one OF the most terrific
ever known. began and were safe in
shelters awaiting the enemy's infan-
try attack. That came Just after
am, and the advanced observation
posts instantly sent back the infor-
nation. Cannon. machine guns and
rifles opened up heavy flrt which
caused heavy casualties to the enemy.
The isolated observers and machine
gunners we left in the advanced
with doing all the harm possible to
the enemy while retarding the ad-
vance, these heroes fulfilled thetr mis-
sion. not only with a courageous ab-
negation which commands respect.
but with -extraordfnaryssfat sfateliigence.
The gunners retarded the enemys ad-
vance. while the observers kept the
main line of resfstanc informed by
all means as to what the Germans
were attempting to do Several small
cement b1ockhouSes. each occupied by
a few machine guns, held up the en-
emy's advance for more than two
hours. shooting down large numbers
of the charging infantrymen.
Still Stuck to Posts.
Coming on regardless of losses, the
enemy surrounded the advanced posts,
whose defenders. having accomplished
their task. nevertheless held on with
almost a certainty Of death or cap
ture. Some of the groups were still
in communication with the main line
of resistance at o'clock in the after
noon. awaiting the counter attack
which was delivered then. A group
of twenty-five strong holding Mont
Sanu now cut their way through the
Germans with the bayonet.
Lieut.. Trenchant. leader of the group,
was decorated on the battlefield with
the cross of the Legion of Honor.
Thanks to the perfect execution down
to the smallest details of all the plans
made for their defeat, the Germans
were unable to enter our resistance
line, but were stopped at the barbed
wire entanglements. which literally
are weighed down by cadavers,
Enemy losses were very heavy. One
division alone lost half its electives.
Our losses. on the contrary, were ex-
light. The Germans made the
attack with some fifteen elite diyi-
sions in the first line and about ten
good divisions supporting them. We
them with less than a third
Of that number>without losing a can
non. Indeed. Tuesday was a fine day
for US.
Map Showed Hun Plans.
saw a map found upon the body OF
a slain German officer showing that
the first days advance should have
been twenty-five kilometers (thirteen
miles). Chalons, thirty kilometers
miles) distant should have
fallen before dawn Tuesday. I dined
In Chalons Tuesday evening.
was told that heavy German guns
shelling the city at the exact
when the preparatory bonn
bardment began at the front. Many
OF the citizens got up from bed and
went out into the streets. which were
by the light from the
front 30 Clearly tnat one COulQ reau
print. The Inhabitants had the i'm
preston OF being right on the bat
:,
The French artiiierymen WED with the
Germans in rendering shell for shell, al
though the roads, second line shelters
and battery emplacements were almost
smothered with projectiles. The main
enemy bombardment, however, was d.
rected against the advanced trenches
which were held by only a few poilus
While the German divisions taking part
In the attack have been forced to be re-
lieved. the French troops are still in
position, with morale even better than
It was before the battle.
French Morale Unshaken.
A French officer questioned upon the
battlefield at s o'clock Monday after
noon declared:
'It is my impression that my troops
are In al good q condition today as
they were yesterday. We count upon
profiting by the superiority we have
over the enemy to dominate
him even more.
The Americans played a very small
part in the battle on this part Of the
line. but played It well. They were not
Ia the advanced combat zone and only
Isne came In contact with the Germans.
THOSE that did 90 stood their ground,
kiIlinE numerous Germans. One element
Sd a trench 100 meters (3z8 feet) taken
by an American countercharge contained
nifty German bodies.
twenty-five enemy 4eroplanes accom-
panied the first wave Of the attack, mr.