The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-09-13
Go Over Top Under Barrage of
Fire and Supported by
Fleet OF Tanks.
HUNS FIGHT FIERcELY
Secretary Baker and Gen,
Pershing Watch Battle From
Advanced Post.

mander- in chief of the American army,
and Newton d. Baker. the American
secretary Of war, today watched the
Americans smash their way to victory
on the battle line between the Meuse
and Moselle rivers.
Gen. Pershing and Secretary Baker
took up their station in tho muddy,
rain-lashed post of observation before
the infantry went over the top in the
cold, wet dawn.
The Americans. supported by a great
feet Of tanks, went forward with Nan
irresistible rush and three lines OF
German entrenchments were captured
in single bound.
AS a result of the American prog
ress, Montsec, the key to the German
line in the Toul sector. is menaced by
development.
German machine gunners fought OBJ
stinately, but were soon hurled back
by the onrushing dopghboys.
So fast did the Americans go for
ward that over one hundred yards of
ground was covered In four minutes.
1t was a deep bite which the Yam
KEGS took out of the neck Of the st.
Mihiel salient.
Striking forward west of the Moselle
river toward Thiaucourt. and eastward
of Tresauvaux and Verdun. the Amer
leans pinched in the Gerrian salient
at its apex and on both fianks.
The mist which had followed the
might of rain was thickened with
smoke screen which the Americana put
out at the hour of the assault. Under
cover of this mask tanks began to roll
forward while American infantrymen,
with fxeo bayonets, were leaping
across the parapets of their trenches.
All along the rear, over wide 'front.'
the guns were laundering, putting
down slowly crawling barrage nre;
The first, German lines were found
to be lightly held. On the apex OF tne
salient there were some French fight
ing with the Americans and they
nroyed as successful as their COM
rades in arms. Everywhere the Ger
mans were thrown back from the
Meuse river.
, French and British airmen helped
out the American Ayers. in the attack
and they quickly swept the sky clear
of Germans.
ward their progress was reported py
Aithoueh Gen. Won Gallwitz. the
German commander in the Verdun re-
gion, was apparently unaware that
Gen. Pershing was concentrating troops
in the Woeyre district, 1t was found
that the Germans were prepared to fali
back.
The fact that the Krupp guns re-
sponded so weakly to the Amerlcan
batteries made it plain that German
guns had been withdrawn from the
fighting zone.
seven hundred prisoners were taken
In one batch by one advancing Ameri-
can unit, of whom many were macnlne
gunners. A number of cannon were
also taken. ,.,.
The German batteries that were lett
behind the front attempted to put down
q ha rrage. but it was quickly broken
In the meantime the long-range
American guns were keeping the roads
and railways within the whole Ger !
man salient under an intense fire:
The Americans picked out DIM
cult part of the German front TO at
tack. It has been unchanged In four
years and in that time the Germans
had every opportunity to strengthen IL
and enlarge the works defending II.
There were French attacks on the Lee
parges and Bos-le- -Pretre positions IN
1915, but since then the Germans nave
reinforced their field Notifications with
steel and concrete. Il
It was found that the Germans mad
sent some of the shattered troops, from
the Marne front to the supposed quiet
sector" Con the Woevre plain). The
Tenth German division, which was
crushed by the Americans In the fight
Ing on the Marne front, was again en-
countered and some of its men were
made prisoners.
A feature of the battle which had
much to do with its big success was
the rapidity with which the American
gunners got their pieces up to the
front.
The cannon were rolled forward In
the wake of the advancing infantry
and were so close to the enemy that
he was fired at through open sights.
It was a great achievement.
The old people were keen for news
rom the front. Sometimes they
stopped wagons that were on their way
o the rear to ask questions.
The most important of the opera
ions were directed from a deep, COM
ortable dugout where tall. well built
american major general was pacing
lp and down smoking a cigar andt
waiting the first word from the in
antry jump off. II
At one end Of the dueout small
oom had been partitioned off where
cook was serving hot coffee, beans
nd white bread to the weary officers
oming and going to the front Along
10Th sides of the dugout and every
where, even under tables, lay sleeping
oldiers rolled up in blankets. One
oiled out and stretched himself, re-
This is one big night-the first
light OF the American offensive. And I
is the first night 7 ever slept under
generals table. l sure did want TO
ee that artillery start but I was too
lred." {
over In another corner a COLDER /
rom Pittsburgh, unmindful of the
reat struggle in its preliminary
tages outside. was showing his COM
AIDES snapshots.
Here is one girl" he remarked ear
estly II am going to marry her. 2
his is my mother. And here is q :
ed headed kid I went to school with" =
A colonel, attired only in pajamas /
nd trench coat, paced back and
,rth with q thoughtful face.
Batteries of light calibre guns had
cen moved up close to the front and =
le artflerists fired them as quickly h
s they could pull the lanyard. The t
arly morning, with its rain and mist, :
as pierced by incessapt flashes from !
use busy pieces. Shells from bigger y
leces were screaming overhead as the s