The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-09-18
U, S, ARMY MAKES
new GAINS NEAR
GERMAN BORDER
Patrols Moving in Direction of
vandieres-ToWn Only Mile
From Frontier.
HUNS ARE BURNING TOWNS
Enemy Destroying Villages Along
MoseIIe River Which Would Fall
Into Hands of the
Americans.

Paris, Sept. 1S.-General Pershings
swung the right wing of his army for
ward and captured the village of Van
diereS, on the MOselle river, only
mile and a half from the German Lor-
raine border.
This advance was made despite q
vigorous bOmbardment from German
guns and a free use of mustard gas
by the enemy The Americans replied
to the shelling with an even heavier
output of explosives from their bat
teries, while allied aviatOrs wrought
destruction behind the German lines.
The airmen are concentrating their
bombs on the knot of rail and road
communications before and around
Metz, and are materially interrupting
the feverish work Of the Germans to
strengthen the old Hindenburg line.
With the American Army in Lor-
raine. Sept. 18.-Chief activity during
the Moselle below Pagny, where our
forces pushed their combat patrols In
the direction of Wanderers.
(Vandieres is on the Moselle mile
west Of the German border and half
way between Pont-a-Mousson' and
Pagny.)
The American line at this cabling.
runs as follows Ronxaux-Manheul-
observation-disclosures. Hileire-DOncOurt-
Woel-Haumont-between Jaulny and
Rembercourt-north of Wanderers,
south of Champey-P y-Pont-aMousson.
Enemy Burning Towns.
American Army Headquarters In
Lorraine, Sept. 18.-In addition to the
towns along the Moselle which would
fall into American hands should the
enemy withdraw behind the linden
burg line and which he is burning,
other fires have been started by the
Germans.
The towns Of Dommartin-la-Chaus-
see and La Chaussee, both on the Hin
denburg line, are in flames.
Enemy aerial activity has shown a
decided slowing up in the past "a
hours, partly because of the aggres-
siveness Of American flyers and partly
because all the airdromes behind the
German lines have been greatly dam
aged in the persistent bombardment
they have undergone.
The fighting on the new American
front in Lorraine was featured by the
gallant action Of an American staff
officer
Leads Men in Charge.
When the officer saw there was
danger Of part of his advancing
forces being outflanked by German
machine gunners, he personally led
his men in a charge against the guns.
He captured one gun himself and his
men took the others. The officer
was wounded, probably mortally.
The officers troops belonged to the
division operating on the eastern
wing Of the American offensive sec
tor. They had taken the village Of
NorrOy and were pressing onward in
the face of opposition from machine
gun nests.
The IRREGULAR advance suddenly ex-
posed one unit to a fianking fire and
the officer forgot he, as q staff off,
Ger, was supposed to stay away from
the fighting, and rushed In. 1t is un-
derstood he has been recommended
for recognition of his bravery.
Airmen Magnificent.
Magnificent work of American avi-
ators under most difficult weather
conditions must not be forgotten in
telling the story Of the st. Mihiel vic
tory. To them were intrusted every
kind of mission, but the task in which
they distinguished themselves most,
perhaps, was harassing the enemy's
withdrawal from the deepest part Of