The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-02
Attacked Thursday Northeast Of
Fere- En-TardenOiS.
Made Marked Advance by End
of the Day.
FRENCH FOUGHT BESIDE THEM
Find German Troops Young
and Good Fighters.
Enemy Protects Machine Gun
Nests With Wire.


With the American Armies IN
Fran .e. August (S:45 a. m.).-
American troops advanced their en-
tire right wing during the night as far
as Bomplery.
They hold Cierges and all of Meu-
Mere wood Intense fighting is pro-
ceeding beyond Cierges. where the
Americans gained dominating posi-
tions from the Germans by a sudden
heavy attack.
The American gains were made in
the face of stiffening resistance. Yes
terday morning, our left wing attacked
northeast of Seringes "a mile and Q
half east and north of Fere-En-Tar.
denois) following a smoke cloud which
partially ncealed their advance from
enemy machine gunners, which were
planted thickly in the fields.
The doughboys went forward in
groups, filtering thru the German posi-
| tions and gaining all their first objec-
tives without pause. Fighting CEN
| tered in Nesles forest (northeast of
Seringes and n. rth of Sergy). Our
infantry quickly dispersed the outer
lin& of German machine guns in a
hand to hand combat. The advance
was DISCONTINUED here during the at
ternoon, owing to the sharp salient
| created.
Right Wing Advanced, Too.
The Ameri Ii right wing, advancing
simultaneously. moved eastward IN y
! thanking movement around Meuniere
wood (southeast of Cierges). Fr1Ach
| - tai IN,
evening the German resistance lad
been wiped out and the wood was
| cleared, the allied troops progressing
almost to Goussancourt (three miles
east of Cierges).
| Fighting in Meuniere wood was in
tense, artillery raking the boches
while infantry charged up a steep/hill
into row of machine guns, driving
out the defenders with the bayonet.
| American artillery continues to
pound German strongholds along the
roads leading northward, exacting
heavy casualties. Latest indications
are that the boches are massing in in
creasing numbers to oppose further
advances. altho no additional defenses
| have been encountered other than
| widely scattered sections of half dug
trenches and increased barbed wire
| entanglements. The wire is not con-
4
| chine gun posts.
The Germans now opposite the
Americans are mostly young troops
and good machipe gun fighters. They
show increased courage in hand to
hand combats. but no German yet en-
countered has proven the equal of the
Yankees in the style of 'in-fighting,"
that goes with the bayonet.
Our men are exceptionally equipped
now. having in addition to their usual
nj ffA1E1 a
en- from captured German officers and
shock troops.
While lying inside the American
! lines in Nesles wood yesterday morn
| ing, sergeant remarked that he need
| ed pair of glasses. He walked into
the wood and encountered a German
officer and three men, He killed the
| officer, chased the men and returned
with the formers glasses and revolver
| All roads behind the American lines
are thickly dotted with vehicles carry
ing quantities of German ammunition
and supplies. Much of it is uncounted.
| owing to all attention being centered
on the advance. In numbers of cases
Americans are now using German ma
chine guns.
Some Prisoners Discouraged.
Some of the prisoners brought in
yesterday and last night were ex-
tremely young. Several are above the
average intelligen All repeat the
substance of o. IS remark-"Only the
| German rulers expect to win. We
don't care who governs, SO long as the
war ends. Food is scarce and the
people are sick and -uffering-
A group of prisoners from new
/ unit said the Germans are not at
tempting to erect any permanent de-
fenses this side of the old Fismes line
Huns Chained to Guns.
Along the Ourcq. where the Amer
| lean right wing was in action. II was
reported that many Germans were
| found chained to their machine guns.
The boches attempted to utilize an
aero circus to hamper American in
| fantrymen but our "archies" out up
an effective barrage. On the other
hand, prisoners tell of the havoc
wrought by our airplanes in Strafins
their troops.
Twenty-Five doughboys rescued the
| civilians of Sergy who hailed the
Americans as saviors when the latter
| divided their meage pack of rations.
the first food the French villagers
had had in days.
Feeding Refugees.
Far in the rear yesterday. while on
| his way to the front lines. the cores
pondent saw a pretty picture at Cha
teau Thierry. Refugees were still re-
| men, women, children and babies
were eating doughboys' food from
rolling kitchens.
But in contrast to this picture were
, the hundreds of graves all about. with
earth roughly heaped above and
helmet atop. The fallen mems names
are stenciIef on the crosses above the
American graves; the Germans are
marked only by boche helmets.