The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-24
HEAVY FIGHTING
BY YANKS NORTH
FROM JAUL CONNIE
Americans Are Pushing Beyond
Captured Town.
Take Marie Farm, Important
Strategic Point.
OUTFLANKED MACHINE GUNS
Villages North of Marine Badly
Wrecked by Shells.
American Soldiers Make Hun
Prisoners Garry Loads.
OUTFLANKED MACHINE GUNS
BY FRED S. FERGUSON.


With the American Armies in
France, July 81 (S:50 a. ni.).-The
bitterest fighting is proceeding north
of Jaulgonne, where the Americans
are enlarging their bridgehead.
Americans are pressing northward
along the main road from Chateau
Thierry to Fere-E n-Tardenois, in the
region of Epieds (four miles northeast
of Chateau Thierry). In this region
our forces captured Marie farm, an
important strategic point.
FIankcd Machine Gun Positions.
81, Coming thru a certain woods, an
American unit found the boches had
established machine guns every three
yards They were seemingly Impreg-
nable. The Americans massed as tho
for a frontal attack. While the Ger
mans attention was centered on these
forces, other Americans made a wide,
encircling movement and suddenly
charged the enemy from both flanks.
They were taken completely by sur
prise and surrendered to escape
slaughter.
Everywhere are the most impress
sive and unusual scenes. French and
American soldiers are fishing in the
Marine at points where the Germans
SO recently crossed the river. Amer
lean troops. wagons and guns continue
to pour across TO the north bank.
= In covering activities, American
contingents are passing thru Torcy,
Bouresches, Chateau Thierry, Vaux
and other historic points. which a
week ago were held by the boches.
Shells Dug Potatoes.
The results of heavy artillery fire
are seen everywhere-dead boches,
dead horses. smashed wagons, wreck
ed houses and SnannPd like
matches. BeYpnd Chateau Thierry, 1
saw a potato patch with most of the
crop blown out of the ground by
shells.
In the midst of the patch was a
shallow German dugout, covered over
by the footboard and headboard of a
wooden bed taken from a nearby
house. The boche occupants had left
blankets, coats and other equipment
in their flight.
Shells Play Freak Tricks.
The villages north of the Marine IRE
badly wrecked and display shell freaks
that remind one of the queer pranks
played by our American tornadoes.
One shell, hitting the side of a-house,
tore off the wall that served as the
back of a cupboard The dishes
stood revealed on the shelves, uu-
touched.
Along the road near the river, which
was held by the enemy a few days
back, [ saw prisoners at work filling
in shell holes and smoothing the way
for American wagons and guns
Yanks in High Spirits.
The Americans are in the highest
spirits, despite the fact they are liter
ally snatching their food and rest on
the run.
Two doughboys, bringing in two
boches, forced the latter to carry a
ny hi Ar.
cided their packs were getting heavy
and made the prisoners carry them.
Enroute to headquarters they came
upon two dead Germans.
II think the boches ought to bury
their own dead, don't you?" asked one
of the doughboys.
Sure" answered the other.
Whereupon they set the two pris-
oners at work digging graves.
The morale of the boche prisoners
is very low. They are astounded al
the power of the Franco-Americar
attack