Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-18
AMERICANS DO
SHARE IN THE
ASSAULT TODAY
Go Over Top with Great
Cheers When Surprise At
tack is Launched.
MANY GUNS AND
PRISONERS TAKEN
Huns are Unable to With.
stand Shock and are Flee
ing Before Americans.

With the American Army in France,
July 18.-American storm troops in
large numbers launched, in co-opera-
ton with the French, a powerful Of
fensive on the line to the north of
Chateau -Thierry this morning.
The Americans passed beyond near
,ly all their objectives, including the
Paris-Soissons road. t-E..,. r..
The American troops went over
the top with a cheer this morning
in the launching of the allied sur.
prise attack on the front north
west Of Chateau-Thierry. j
raj TAKEN by Surprise. .ss--.ss-::s
Ther enemy was taken completely
by surprise all along the line.
The American troops were brought
up in the night together with their
French comrades from crack units
and lay in their positions until 5
o'clock this morning. At that hour the
American and French artillery open
ed fire.
The Americans advanced behind a
terrific barrage to their first objective
in less than half an hour. While they
were digging in. more Americans, in
most cases, passed over the first OBJ
/ jectives and. then advanced behind the
resumed barrage to the seconS objec-
tives which were speedily taken. es-
pecially at the north end Of the at
tack opposite the Paris-Soissons road.
Numerous tanks, participated in the
offensive.
!, No Artillery Preparation.
The American infantry went into
attack without previous artillery prep
aration. In their advance behind the
rolling barrage they captured many
guns, machine guns, prisoners, equip
ment and material.
The Germans in most places offered
feeble resistance, but here and there
they put up stubborn fight which
! the American shock troops quickly
overcome at the point of the bayonets
and at the muzzles of their weapons
The town of Scissors is now vel
within the range of the American
guns
| Retter Than Expected.
| C p. m.) The entire offensive op.
Grafton begun this morning on the
front between the Aisne and the Marne
| is going at this hour for the most part
even better than had been expected
The enemy so far has been unable te
Withstand the shocks the Americans
4 and their allies have delivered anc
are still delivering.
| AS the whole German left flank j.
menaced the enemy must draw in hi
troops from the Marine front or risl
their being caught where they are
This means that the finishing blow
possibly has been administered to hi.
dying offensive.
The towns Of Torcy and Givry ant
the Givry wood were taken by thu
Americans in their advance.
| Took Only Two Hours.
The final objectives in the Givr,
and Torcy sectors were reached II
about two hours of hard fighting. TIL,
troops on this part of the front die
equally as well as those on the from
further north, taking quantities of ma
terial and prisoners, who continu,
4 streaming back
Hastily organized counter-attack
Fagainst the Americans developed herr
| and there, but all were broken up ant
our troops continued to advance.
4 In one town alone on the southern
1 Franco American forces captures
/ J, Probably the most stubborn resist
ance> t6 the allied advance developed
in the region west Of Chaubun whicl
Is ~ miles southwest of Soissons
4 The Americans and French. fightini
side by side however. refused to b.
checked. The American machine gun
moved the enemy.down and then on
troops went ON.
The fighting still continued In thi
Tregion this afternoon and seems likel,
to become heavier when the German
reserves arrive. -
I; Carried Everything Before Them.
i In the region OF Soissons where tn
attack was especially successful tn
,Americans carried everything befor
them by the storm, Early this after
moon they had parsed their finAl KNOW
4 3lobiective: From the second to tn
third objective they swept behind
third bArraSe. s "a s5s,.sf lt,i9s. as3S
4 The second cb3ectives were usuall
taken by the troops of the first unit
!! who had dur In NJ the first objectiyet
Il Atfeome places the American advAnc
i ing troops were hsld up but only tenn
jporarils | 1. 4 y q: