Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-13
Americans Prepared
for Greatest Fight
continued from Page One
tion, plenty of troops. 1t is grand
show, this first American battle.

Ccntinued from Page One
tion, plenty of troops. 1t is a grand
show, this first American battle.
The attack against the salient was
of such n nature that two hard drives
were necessary. One of these was be.
tween Pont-a. .Mousson and Apremont
and the other south of Fresnes, on
the west side of the salient. Both these
drives were made by Americans.
On the west side the attack is progress.
sing most favorably
The German line in this salient is
held hard and fast by trenches at
points such at st. Mihiel and Mont
Sec, but in the places chosen for the
entrance Of our two wedges on op-
.posite sides of the triangles the enemy
has three lines. The first held sparse.
~ by outposts, the second, by small
detachments and the third is held
strongly
5' Passed First Two Lines
We have at both points of heavy
attack passed the first two lines. meet.
ing surprisingly little serious resist.
ance. The first batch of 100 prisoners
was reported at Z o'clock and many
smaller numbers came in up to noon.
4 NO strong attack has been launched
on the tip of the salient or against
Mont Sec, but progress at other points
will take care of these places.
Already there are indications that
the Germans are getting out of the
Tip OF the salient. Our troops there
are moving forward cautiously, Just
jogging the Germans along, according
to plan. 80
AS far as the withdrawal of the
enemy is concerned that was no easy
matter, for every foot of the whole
st. Mihiel salient was under fire Of
our guns.
Incidentally. while the exact mum.
ber of guns we have massed may not
be stated, it can be said that we have
one Of the largest and heaviest con-
centrations of artillery at work that
this war or any other war has seen.
Then, too, our airplane assemblage
is the heaviest of the war. Chasse
machines, bombers, and observers
they were all at work today. Our
chasse machines are keeping back the
boche aviators and strafing the Ger
man lines and our bombers are at
tacking the strategic points that the
boche must control to withdraw
IS We have a large number OF heavy
Iong-range guns at work. which, with
aerial torpedoes, reach every place in
the salient.
Germans Withdrawing Guns
The German artillery fire has beer
very weak, indicating that they are
drawing their guns back, and that
they will probably announce another
strategic victory, which they. how
ever, had not taken advantage of II
these four years before we hit the
salient to announce that America hat
arrived in this war as real militar.
factor.
I 1t is too early to tell much of tn,
achievement in our attack, save tina
5Of the German triangle. Resting oI
the base of the Hindenburg line W.
have chewed off considerable bites
and our appetite is not satisfied. Blu
lone can tell of how it started, of wha
S6ne saw when it started.
was away off on the Aisne from
krr In ,I
to get east, and do it in a hurry. Quit
ting the Meaux correspondents head
tquarters, came across France, reach
ing the headquarters of this sector
last night.
Showing that the American arm.
wants the folks back home to knoy
what il Is doing, after dinner an Amer
Jean general told the correspondent
of the whole plan of attack, taking tn
United States into his confidence.
His idea was for us to understan
what 1t all meant. The General
eyes were heavy from lack of slee
and long hours of planning, and whe
It was all planned it took him tw
hours to tel us about 1t. When h
had told us all but the time. he saic
"Gentlemen, it is now midnight; i
one hour our artillery starts and at
our infantry starts"
Big Show Begins In Rain
When o'clock came we could Sc
the big show begin. The desultor
firing before that had died down. Jus
at 1 o'clock thousands of guns spok
ana then others Joined in. It wa
< NJ 6afs of ssemingiy innuner4h'
8 q ~ e)sy With 1un n