The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-02
Capture $50 Prisoners and In
flict Very Heavy Losses.
American Losses Are Reported
as Extremely Light.
TOOK THE VILLAGE OF VAUX
French Also Took Ground in
the Same Sector.
Points Gained Are of Great I'M
pOrtance to Line.

With the Americans on the Marine,
July 2--American troops advanced
on a two-mile front west of Chateau
Thierry last night to the depth of
about half a mile, taking $50 prison.
ers and inflicting the heaviest losses
on the enemy. The American losses
were extremely light.
Our men took the village of Vaux,
Hill 1872, La Roche wood and pene-
trated CIerembaut wood.
Combined French and American
attacks on Hill 204, conducted stimuli
taEeously with the American attack
on Vaux, are reported to have been
successful after a bitter battle.
The hills are very important domi-
mating Chateau Thierry, as well as
the country to the left.
Perfect cooperation between the
artillery and infantry made the Amer
lean advance possible, as some por-
tions of the German line were un-
usually well adapted to defensive pur-
poses.
Attacked Last Night at 6 O'Clock.
The shelIing lasted from O'Clock
yesterday morning until o'clock last
and attacked all its objectives in forty
minutes.
The advance was made on a front
miles) and reached a maximum depth
of a kilometer (.621 miles)-
One of the most remarkable artil-
1ery successes yet staged by Amer!-
cans preceded the attack. The back
areas were thoroly swept first. Com
Ifzof IF
artillery was evidenced by the feeble
ness of its reply
The concentration of fire later on
Vaux resulted in the gunners hitting
absolutely every building IN the town;
Fxceptional intelligence work resulted
in every man entering the place with
an exact description together with
photographs and maps indicating
buildings each was expected to occupy.
When they reached the town they
found maps more available than the
photographs, as the artillery had
wiped out any resemblance to a house.
Reach Town Practically Unscratched.
The advance which carried the
Americans down two depressions and
up one to a plateau, was made In
skirmish formation behind perfect
barrage and landed them in the town
practically unscratched, altho the left
wing met stiff opposition from ma
chine guns in the wood.
In Vaux in % Minutes.
Twenty-three minutes after their
departure from their trenches, the
Americans were in Vaux Half an
hour later the American ambulances
were there The latter's work was
vastly lighter than might have been
expected.
American patrols for the past sew
eral nights had drawn the fire of Ger
man machine guns, revealing their po-
hi fN
proach the nests warily and surround
and capture them with minimum cas-
ualties.
Kept German Reinforcements Away.
After the success of the advance,
commandments of the rear areas was
resumed so as to prevent German re-
Inducements being rushed up.
The village Vaux is less than two
miles directly west of Chateau Thierry
and is one of The principal defenses of
the latter city. Clerembaut wood is
mile and half west of Vaux. Hill 1872
is about the same distance northwest
of C1erembaut wood.
Hill 204 is amout a mile east of
Vaux and extends to within less than
a mile of the western outskirts of Cha
teau Thierry.
Washington Pleased.
Washington, July 2-Brief mes
sages from General Pershing today
confirmed United Press information of
the valiant work of Americans in the
Chateau Thierry region last night
Officers in touch with the situation
were elated at the success of the
United States forces. Careful plan
ming backed by clean-cut belligerent
action was responsible for the victory,
it was held. The cooperation among
the artillery, infantry and intelligence
branches was deemed especially good.
Great work. was the verdict on
every hand. Officers~Sai that it SUD-
ported strongly the recent actions in
the neighborhood where Americans
have struck terror into the German
ranks.
More Attacks Soon.
Today's action improves the allied
lines in that region and it is likely it
will be followed up by further actions
to straighten the line and to push the
boches from their positions
Foch is now nibbling at the enemy
forces on all the belligerents sectors
Pursuing his recently expressed belief
that no war was ever won by purely
defensive fighting, the allied gem
eralissimo has directed battling thrusts
at the Teutons almost continuously
for many days now, tending to throw
the German plan of concerted often
Sive into confusion.
To Launch Fourteen on Lakes.
CbiCaP0 .T1IlV PART of 81