Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-12
Special Cable to Evening Public Ledge

Copyright i9fS, bv Netc York Times Go.
with the American Army in Trance,
Nov (delayed).
Now that after ono of the hardest
fought and bloodiest battles of the whole
war the American First Army has
reached Sedan, it is perhaps hitting
briefly 70 review the final phase Of the
struggle which has led TO one Of the
most important victories the Allies have
achieved
The first phase, starting September &c,
took Pershing's men seven miles ahead
through the Hindenburg and Nolker stel-
lung. but failed TO break the German
hold In the Argonnc forest The second
phase began on october 4. and after a
gruellng fight took the First Army
through the Rriemhild stellung, break
ing the four-year hold Of the Huns on
the Argonne. and gave us Grandpc.
This phase lasted until october 81.
One week ago yesterday the third
phase began on November ! General
Liggett's army started against the Frcya
stellung. forty kllometers south OF Sc
dan. and in six DAYS crashed through TO
historic Sedan. sweeping tho west bank
of the Meusc clear, lib"rating hundreds
of villages and thousands Of French
civilians and capturing a vast and valu-
able amount of war material
OF course. the most important effect
Of our victory was cutting the German
railroad system from Mezi"res through
Sedan and Longuyou. which was not
only an important vote de rocade. but
tho more important Of the Germans
two lines Of communication between
their battlefront and the fatherand
In our sweep. which freed more than
700 square kilometers. we took some
10000 prisoners and guns.
when we peeped ahead in tho wet
dawn Of November We had occupied
The heights north and east of Grandpre,
tho Bois de Bartheville and Hill 2SS,
as well MS the hills south and on the
river We had a difficult barrier in the
remaining sector of the Kriemhid in
front of the villages of st. Georges and
Landres-et-St George. BY a series Of
fortunate local operations we had pre-
pared an excellent jumping off line.
The enemy expected our attack, but
had planned for a date two days later
than we had. which. by the way. was
the same thing he did in the ST. Nihiel
battle. 1t was 40 o'clock in the morn
ing that our attack started on the whole
front Of more than twenty-five ktlO-
meters. preceded for two hours by in
tense artillery preparation. IN which we
fired some 200 900 gas shells. The CEN
ter of our army was held by a division
which has made itself famous wherever
ii has appeared in battle. II was this
division which made the furthest ad-
vance of the day and alone took 5000
prisoners While our center shot ahead,
our left was held up at the Bois de'
Loges On the riglt we encountered
heavy resistance along the Mcusc. deS-
pite which we occupied Clery-le- Grand.
Prisoners were taken the first day
from ten German divisions. who said
they had been ordered to hold at all
COSTS Despite this. we broke through so
far that the German communiquc ad-
mitted for the first day a retirement OF
six kilometers, thus liberating St. Georges,
Imecourt, Landrevilo, LA Chinbray,
Bayonville, Remonvill2, Andeyannc and
Clery-le- Grand.
Greater Gains second Day
on the morning of Nov. We resumed
the attack at dawn. The remarka BILE
thing about the second day was that
gains were made greater than on the
first day. n thing never before occurring
on the western front. In the center we
not only smashed ahead for eleven kilo-
meters capturing the important Ger
man rail head at BuZancy. but on tho
right we broke the resistance, reaching
Fosse and on the left, where we had
been held up, we broke the cnemy's re-
sistance so thoroughly in the morning
attack and put the boche TO such hurried
flight that the infantrymen We're loaded
into trucks and sent ahead as far ~
Briquenay in an effort 70 catch up with
the enemy.
SOoa after the attack was resumed on
the morning of November 3 ii became
apparent that the enemy's organization
had been knocked to pieces. In three
days we had defeated seventeen Ger
man divisions and broken them up so
that their liaison was broken and no
organized resistance could be made. Our
advance on November 3 enabled US 10
bring the German railroad through
Longuyon and Montmedy under fire Of
our field guns.
In liaison with tho French Fourth
Army on the left we broke the German
hold on the Bois Bout. We made good
gains along the Meuse and by night the
advance had reached eighteen kilometers
from the starting line of November |
Before noon on November we had
reached the heights south of Beaumont
where We encountered the German line
running from Stenay west TO OrmCnt
We broke through this successfully, but
attempts TO cross tine Meuse between