The Washington herald., 1918-08-27
FRENCH TAKE 2 TOWNS
CLOSE TO ROYE;; They
CAPTURE 600 OF ENEMY
Vesle Line Heavily Bonn
barded Where Ameri-
cans Dug In at Railway
Embankment.

Va AhS
Aisne-Vesle Front, Aug. 20
Evening.)-The entire Vesle line
was bombarded heavily through.
out today by the Germans with
a mixture of sneezing gas and
high explosives.
There were patrol brushes. The
river bank between La CourviI-
lette and the west of Magneux is
still occupied by the Americans.
Under cover of last nights dark
ness, the Americans dug in" on
the railway embankment south of
the Vesle between Couriandon
and Magneux, They consolidated
and held they positions despite
heavy enemy fire.
German patrols reconnoitered
tho positions, intending to reoc-
eupy them if they found them
empty, but a hail of American ma
chine gun bullets greeted them
and drove them back to their line
of defense which is now north Of
the Vesle.
Hanks Advance to Rail-
Early yesterday Americans advanc-
ed to the railway, but fell back under
heavy fire from the Krupps. being
unable TO dig in during daylight
Last nights advance was on q
two-mile front and carried the Amer
lean positions forward a quarter Of
q mile.
American tank on,cers and observ-
ers attached to certain French
squadrons are gaining frst-hand
knowledge OF the tank tactics in the
most successful engagements in which
the mobile forces have ever par
ticipated.
American mechanics Nalso are COM
pleting their training under fire. aid
ing the French in putting Knocked
out tanks to the rear. repairing them
and sending them back in record
time.
The new German anti-tank rife.
which is larger than the so-called
elephant gun, occasionally disabies
a tank temporarily. bat seldom puts
one permanently out Of action.
Gen. MS-rs- CONTINUES tbrasfinK -,
wkru uIs Soiss1-as vnahs5 hsfh rcah
Between the Ooise and the AiSne.
east OF Bagncux. The French havI
reached Bonn and Crey-au-Mont aud
are in possession Of the narrow
gauge rail running through Chayigny.
Of the elevator shaft caused by a shor
Every inch Of ground captured here
adds to the doom Of the crown
princes positions south of the
Cheniin des Danes. as not only the
German line on the Vesle, but that
on the Aisne as well Is threatened
with imminent collapse. Mangin's
army is penetrating deeper and deep
er into the crown princes hank.
The new French tanks are playing
a most important part in these oper-
ations. there being no streams TO inn
pede them since the country here is
open and rolling.
Owing to the rapldity OF the French
advance. the Krupp field guns are
being continually moved back. The
amount OF anti-tank fire Is thus stead
lily minished. The German trench
motars are ineffective agairst the
tanks.
An American observer present today
praised the excellent cooperation &C.
tween the tanSs. infantry and ar:tl-
lcry during the operations. He as
serted that owing to the absence OF
b&Tbei. wire the infantry was able to
advance in the lead. the tanks follow
ing and cleaning up the terrain oc-
cupied
Only when machine-gun nests dom
mate the ground across which the
troops must advance does the infan-
try hold on for the tanks. Then the
steel monsters work around the
tanks Of the machine-gun nests. TAX
ing them under enfilading fire. or even
from the rear. while often also delib-
erately running them down and
smashing the emplacements.
Three great forests-the Upper AMI
Lower Coucy forests and the forest
of St Gobain-lie directly In Mangin's
path. barring the road to Laon. But
allied airplanes are showerng steady
streams of explosives upon these
woods. while the French longrange
guns are shelling them necessarily.
for II Is in these forests that German
reinforcements are billeted and shat
tered divisions are being reorganized.
The Germans flooded the La Fere
region. blowing up the Oise dams. in
1917 during their great retreat. when
the three forests were organized as
bastions in the Hindenburg line. but
they are unable to food the Oise
gateway toward Lson now owing to
the fact that there is but little water
in the river bed at this season.
The forests do not bar the French
advance now as they did in 1917, since
the allies have perfected a heavy gas
by which the French can render the