The sun., 1918-10-28
They Have Liberated As VIII
lagos, Taken 10000 Men and
Beaten 33 Divisions.
4 DEFENCE LINES BROKEN
Pershine's Men Also Have Cap
tured 1877 Big Guns and
Other Booty.
BY the Associated Press.

considering the clearing out or the st.
Mhiel salient as a local affair, the
American Army in a few days less than
month has liberated more than forty :
FIVE villages and advanced to an average
depth OF ten miles, freeing 100 square
miles OF territory. In the offensive the
Americans have captured more than
10000 prisoners.
The Americans attacked on a front Of
twenty miles from the Argonne to the
Meuse, and the advance has been made
in the face of almost insurmountable
dlfrculities, due particularly to the ma
ture OF the ground, which Is covered
with hill, deep ravines and woods. In
addition the Americans had fronting
them four organized systems OF trenches
the Hindenburg line. the Hagen posi-
lion. the Nolker position and the Kriem-
i hid position. They have forced their
way through all these lines. Ahead of
Them lies the Freya position, which has
been reached at one point in the region
OF the Bantheviile Wood.
The advance has been particularly diff
icult because the Germans have stub
bornly resisted every foot of the way
and have used more than thirty-three
divisions on the twenty mile front. The
enemy continues to make a formidable
effort to hold this front in order to pro-
Tee: his great lateral line of communi-
cation running through Hirson. Mezicres.
Sedan, Montmedy and Longuyon. This
line already is threatened, and should
the Germans lose 1t they will lose their
main line Of communication from Ger
many into occupied France.
1877 Big Guns Captured.
In addition to the prisoners Gen.
Pershings men have taken more than
1871 guns OF large calibre. numerous
machine guns and anti-tank guns, a
great store of ammunition and muoa
war material, including locomotives
and railway cars.
Since September 26 the Americans
have fired more than 100000 shells.
the number at times reaching as high
as 10000 daily. The guns used in
Guided great number OF heavies and
also some captured from the enemy.
American aviators and anti-aircraft
guns since September 81 have brought
down $50 enemy machines and % enemy
balloons, despite adverse flying condi-
tons and bad weather at times.
Bombing airplanes dropped more than
10000 Kilograms of explosives on rail-
road centres. troop concentrations and
other points behind the enemy lines.
From the viewpoint of the engineer
the most difficult task faced has been
the repairing of roads and the move
nent Of supplies. men. ammunition and
FOOD to the front. More than 10000 en-
sineer troops are employed day and
night in rebuilding shell shattered roads,
using where possible crushed rock from
villages destroyed by the German shells.
Wire Defences BridKed.
In the Argonne hundreds of yards of
German barbed wire entanglements, fas-
tened from tree to tree at various
heights. had to be bridged, as II was i'm
possible TO cut them. In addition many
roads In the Argonne were of black
loam which became morass in rainy
weather. The engineers were compelled
10 virtually build bridges over many
miles OF these roads.
The crossing OF FORCES Brook was ac-
conplshed in the first day of the ad-
vance under heavy fire. The brook runs
through marshy lands. and in order to
bridge II the engineers had to lay bun
dles Of faggots on both sides of the
stream. Thercrossing was made In rec
ord time. and then began the battle OF
The Argonne, which lasted more than two
weeks
Compilations made by army officers
show that OF the more than 163 square
miles taken from the enemy since Sep
leMber 26, almost one-half were heavily
wooded and machine gun infested. The
|. Americans had to take by storm 159
hills and high crests, most of which were
heavtly wooded and defended by strong
machine gun detachments, OF the hills
~ we're west of the Mouse and eighteen
east OF the river, The Germans also had
10 be driven from 430 ravines, all de-
'-nded by machine guns and nearly as
hard TO take as the hills.
Gen. Pershing's men have had to adj
vance against the pick of the German
army fighting desperately to hold this
important front. Their difficulties are
understood more easily when the num-
her of hills. woods and ravines they
have had to take is considered.
strong German Forces.
Natural positions for defence held by
The Germans north of the American line
are probably as strong as any along the
entire battle front from Switzerland to
the sea. These positions which the
Americans are now facing are especially
strong owing to the thickly wooded dis
tt.cts and series of hills and ridges. TAX
Ing advantage OF these natural military
positions the Germans have thrown In
strong forces of men and brought up
immense quantities of artillery OF vari-
Gus cal!bre, determined to hold what
has been called the eastern pivot of their
defence line in France at any cost.
From Grandpre Pass. where there has
been fierce fighting for nearly two weeks,
the Americans face the Bots de Bour-
Eogne and Bots de Bias, which really are
continuation OF the Argonne forest.
Back of these great woods Is the Foret-
ds-Bouit all Of which forms a splendid
protection for troop concentration and
orocalng ammunition and heavy ar
i.lery Here the Americans are prepaT-
.ag for the battle of Argonne all over
again.
German prisoners report that the Bots
ne BOurgogne IL literally filled with ma
'7ine guns, many OF them In the hills
and ridges within the forest and even
Installed in trees. Further east the Ger
mans have taken advantage of the more
wooded tracts OF the Bots de Barricourt
and the Bots de Tally. to the south OF
which is the Freya Steilung. which has
been reached by the Americans west
or Aincreville. East Of the Meuse
americans have more wooded dis
trcts in view OF the observers. the
Principal one OF which Is the Forest de
Woevre, along the southern edge OF
which passes the Freya Stellung. TIC
me south OF the F'reya Stellung are three
series OF smaller lines directly facing
ne Americans. some OF which were pene.
rated In Thursdays fighting.
FROM what Is known about the Freya
S'elung it follows the hills. ridges and
woods, zigzagging just north Of our
present line and extending eastward
from the ridge north of Bots des Hazofs
1fd runs along the northern edge OF
b1iS de Rantheville, bending south