Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-01
AMERICAN BIG GUNS,
SHOOTING Is MILES.
ARE WORRYING HUNS
Weapons Which Are Moved
About on Their Own Special
Trains Shell Vital Railway
East of American Front
BY FRED S. FERGUSON.

WITH THE AMERICAN AltMIibS IN
FRANCE, oct. 29.-Wl'le the Naziercs-
LougUy Oh railway IS under fire tSom
the American long-range guns. the Ger
mans are putting up their bHterest
struggle east of the Mouse.
The Belleu wood positions in that
region are now the keystone of the en-
tire west front. If the Americans cap
ture these heights, they will have a
clean sweep across the valley TO the
Mezieres-Sedan-L onguyon railway, and
the enemy will be forced to retire be-
hind that line.
Smashing of these heights positions
and an advance across the valley the
medy C25 miles directly north of Yer
dun), will be equal in Importance &c
the longer advance to Mezieres (2S
miles northwest OF MontmedS)'
hansG Hake GAsIgnIs
Belleu wood, ssruLn Oh WaVrille
t:hree-quarters of a mile southwest OF
DamVilIers, which has been the scene
VI violent fighting Tor days.. is now
neid by the americans, although they
must still take the heights on either
sid Z. The wood was 1Irst taken 10y
stern, tnen lost as the result o. 4
Boche counter attack with heavy rem
JCrcemeGtS. The lighting SWaySu back
ana forth until the WOOD was restored
This Is an example OF the resistance
the important ridges which are bounded
III the vest Dy the big bend IN the
AeUse. il the region or the Brieulles.
In addition to giving the Americans
command OF the valley stretching TO
AIunIlncuy. capture OF these heights Will
result in flaHKIng the Briey iron fields
and bringing the ROADS from thar &c
gton under Gun artillery fire.
should che enemy De forced back OF
Montmedy and Longuyon, the entire
line 10 the westward lin the Alsne re-
L. y,pn ha rnmnHIlH0
TO recede, bringing historic SEDAN
tscone OF the decisive battle OF the
FIanco-Prussian war, 10 miles souLn-
cast OF Mezieres), again into the cat
The Germans opened heavy bonn
hardmsnJ OF the American lines east
attacks had not been renewed up 10 the
hour of cabling.
Enemy aviators are unusually active
on the front Of the second army IN the
WoeVre region, where the artillery hight
ing Is normal
Deserters insist that the Germans are
removing their artillery TO the rear ana
that there is a considerable movement
OF all kinds of material throughout the
Lorraine region.
Other deserters claim the Germans
are holding Austro- hungarian soldiers
in the front line as hostages and a
guarantee against a separate peace, in
the meantime Withdrawing the German
troops.
Three Boche planes were brought
down today when thirteen attacked eight
American machines.
Effective French Ala
While the Americans are gnawinS |
away east of the Mouse. they are eX-
erting equal pressure along the heights
of the Aire valley, beyond Grand Pre-.
Here the French, on the left, are play |
ing a most important role, pushing on
beyoad NouZiers and starting formation /
of "A salient. with the American lett
asa reak. The Germans. however. are |
iT
tinuatIcn of the heights over which the /
Americans must fight by .ncnes.
The weather is greatly improved ana
there is increasing activity every |
where. Heavy German artillery fire Oh
tho front of the American second army |
least of Verdun) is revealing the en-
emy's uneaSiness regarding the safety |
of the Briey iron fields. just as it is |
their desperation to hold the Meuse |
line Efficiency of the Briey district |
will also be affected by the big. gun |
Commandment of the Longuyon railway, |
this being the direct line over which |
Shooting IS Miles
The guns which are firing on the
Montmedy- Longuyon railway are shoot |
ing twenty-five miles. CThis shows the
guns are emplaced from five to ten
miles behind the American lines, as the
battle front is about fifteen to twenty !
miles from this line.) These are much |
bigger caliber than the Boche guns which |
fired on Paris. tThe German guns were
II. =
been announced. are siXteen-inch.)
The big guns made a big hit with the
French, who first served them In the
st. Quentin and Laon regions. The lat
them. as were all the enemy railways |
leading from that town.
Guns of almost similar calloer next
appeared at the St SIihiel salient, where |
they fired on the Metz region. Descrip- |
ton of these guns is prohibited, for |
military reasons. aside from the fact
they are transported by railway. The |
guns are of such size that the French |
despaired of the Americans ever getting |
them to the front. All the accompany |
ing equipment is entirely American. The
monsters were brought over dashed to |
Hit Boche at Vital Point
The bombardment of the Mezieres-
Sedan-Longuyon railway is the most |
serious development the Boche has yet |
faced as this line serves for switching |
purposes for troops from east to west |
and is also the main line for supplies. |
1t is the stem of the bottle neck which |
of the line means breaking of the con- |
nection between the armies of the east |
and west, except by an almost impossi-
BILE circuitous route.
The commander of the American guns |
is the biggest peace spokesman on
the west front. He is a monarch when |
It comes to consideration of his pets. |
fled that the French Intended to move |
his monsters at a certain hour, he |
drove the American engines and cars |
out on the line regardless of other |
traffic which was Immediately cleared !
TO permit him to pass.
All questions of whether the guns
could pass through certain tunnels and |
whose jurisdiction they would come |
under were swept aside by the COM
mander with the statement that he |
had to go through the tunnels and |
was not looking for proper jurisdic- |
ton. but targets
The cars of the gun train carry
complete equipment, down to food and !
clothing. as we'll as the giant shells /
which are hurled over the hills al the |
BOChe.