The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-02
YANKEES LEND
HELPING HAND
Play Big Part in Gen. Foch's
Smashes on Western
Front.
NEGROES FIGHT FIERCELY
Lieut.. Luke's Specially German
Balloons-Americans First
to Reach Aisne Canal. )
(By Newton C. Parke.)


(By Newton c. Parke.) Q
With the American Army No Isl
Of Verdun. Delayed. Oct. 1.--g s.
Lieut.. Frank Luke. of Phoef S.riz.
! one OF the leading America Of
! ficiaJly reported missing Sv 81 night
| spectacularly reappeared Z night
northwest Of Avocourt.S ,ere ht
brought three German be down In
flames in rapid succession.
Luke left on n mission Sunday aft
ernoon and failed to return. At
o'clock last night an aeroplane flew
over one OF our balloon camps and
dropped z no.c containing tho brief
message:
Watch for burning boche balloons
(Signed) Luke"
Five minutes later a German bal
loon was seen falling in flames. An
instant later another destroyed boche
balloon was sighted. followed five min
utes later by third balloon In flames
1t developed that Like landed at an
advanced station near Vcrdun Sunday
night and started on the trail of boche
balloons Monday morning without re-
porting to his commander. Luke
spccializes In destroying enemy bal
looms. being officially credited with
downing fourteen balloons and five
aeroplanes.
Credit to Americans.
Much credit for the success OF Gen.
Foch's great smashes on the western
front is due to the armies Of Gen. Per-
shipg and Gen. Gouraud. which began
their offensive several days before ac-
tivities started in other sectors.
Gen. Ludendorff apparently was led
TO believe that the Anglo French drive
was to be the sole allied offensive. But
when the Germans began shifting their
reserves from other sectors to the
front. from Rheims to the Moselle. the
other mailed fists Of the allies began
to strike.
Thus Prince Rupprecht, Gen. Won
Boehm and the crown prince found
themselves without sufficient quota
OF reserves to throw against the Bel
gian. British, American and French
armies.
Transportation ealIsd Up.
Northwest OF Champagne the en-
emy's transportation system Is COM
pletely "balled up" Troop trains
laden with soldiers. artillery and sup
plies cannot be halted and turned
.sR9gt there for different destinations
owing 70 the nature OF the railway
lines. The chaos Is intensified by al
lied aeroplanes which are bombing the
railways. highways and centers night
and day.
Reserves are being thrown in against
the Americans from Flanders, from
Cambrai. from st. Quentin, and even
from the Chemin- des- Danes. This
proves how the German staff was mis-
1od n IN thu and yncSihil{fica NJ
Gen. Foch's operations.
1t is natural that Gen. Ludendorft
should insist that the most determined
defense should be maintained against
the allied Champagne, Argonne and
Meuse attacks. as the main lines Of
the German railways through Belgium
and Luxembourg are more closely
menaced in these sectors than else
where. In case of a general with.
drawal the Germans would need them
badly.
Gen. Won Hindenburg also has in
structed the German forces to keep
the American attackers from penetrat-
ing the German lines east of the
Meuse and to keep in position to hold
the line from the Meuse to the Schedlt
if the worst happens.
Colored Troops.
A certain unit of our colored troops
that had previously fought brilliantly
under the French in the Argonne
in this offensive west Of
the Argonne under command of the
French. A report from a French corps
on Sunday night specifically mentioned
that "American colored troops did good
work last night" referring to the ad-
vance near Bouconville. Several of
these colored soldiers won the croix de
guerre last spring.
Pennsylvania troops distinguished
themselves in repulsing German
counter attack north of Apremont this
The Germans were trying
10 throw the Americans down the Aire
river valley. but were completely un-
At some points the fight
ng lasted six hours.
-. Taken by Surprise.
North of Varennes four Pennsylvania |
orivates came upon seventy-five Ger
mans. taking them by surprise. All |
IF the Germans were captured. The
firing decreased this morning. |
except in our left flank. in the Ar |
;onne sector.
New York troops have been effec-
lively cleaning up strong enemy posi-
ire the same troops who distinguished |
themselves in the Chateau -Thierry
lighting. .f.
They captured Bazoches on the Vesle
liver front, and were the first OF the
americans to reach the Aisne canal.
even before that they showed their
lighting quality in raiding operations
n the hily country east Of Baccarat.
1t has been strangely quiet on the
'enter and right wing in the absence
# the usual cannonading. There were
pasmodic shots from field guns, but
10 firing by the long range pieces nor
he big calibre cannon.
Germans Withdraw.
(Night.)- appears tonight that the
Germans are withdrawing from their
dvanced positions facing the left
Iank of our Offensive front. (The
american left wing rests in the sector
# the Argonne crest)
American negro troops. operating
nder the direction of the French. have
aptured Binarville. in the sector Of
he Argonne forest
There were further Indications that
he stubborn resistance of the Ger
nans during the past forty eight hours
vas to cover another withdrawal from
dvanced positions. The big guns were
withdrawn to the rear as
7as done In the Marne fighting.
One of the finest feats performed by
he Americans was the capture Of n
,erman strong point called "Abrs st.
.ouis," which fell before the rush of
lew York troops. 1T had been hold
a.. our ,J.apro ~, tho adoa Of no | ,