New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
u s. Cannon
Placed for
Ne1u Attack
Continued rum rnge I

without break. As soon as the con-
centration area was reached the troops
jumped out and the camions turned
their noses back for more.
The road was literally alive after
darkness, loaded trucks moving quickly
back to prevent enemy aviators observ.
ing undue traffic on the roads at day.
break. American aviators were as
signed to keep the enemy away from
the rear Of the area and performed the
task we'll. However, on the ground the
camou1age corps saw that anything
that might be giving roaming airmen
the tip there was something doing"
was disguised.
The troops were tucked away in the
woods of the area More trucks and
ammunition trains, awaiting the at
tack, were festooned with branches of
tees and spaced approximately as
natural trees.
Prisoner Cages Prepared
Wednesday I saw many prisoner
cages built by the engineer corps,
but it was necessary to look twice to
find them. They were camoufaged to
appear as small orchards from above
If enemy birdmen came around.
Prisoner cages during the last three
months have been one Of the most
essential of the pre-battle organi-
cations, and only the best discipline
hos made it possible for concealment of
the immense numbers of troops and
material behind the battle line on
Wednesday.
Men were congregated only in the
smallest groups all day long, but at
night a thousand American cannon
we're sent forward into position, and
the doughboys took up their battle po-
sitions under cover. At $3.50 Thurs
day morning the Germans had the first
irkling the attack was coming on
wide front. Our guns opened all to-
gether, hurling almost unprecedented
amounts Of steel and high explosives
and gas into both enemy gun and in
fantry positions.
Gas Smothers Germans
The great concentration of Ger
mar artillery on the flanks east Of the
Meuse and in wooded areas toward the
Champagne sector. where the attack
had been expected, were especially
flooded with gas, so much so that when
the American infantry advanced at
$3.50 the twenty-mile front artillery
reaction was exceedingly light
An hour after the advance began our
reserve troops flooded forth from
camouhaged positions in the immediate
rear and went northward over the con-
quered territory, SO each hour there
after the roads, paths and fields were
filled with an ever increasing number
Of men, until toward noon it was prob
ably the most inspiring war picture
one could see.
Batches Of prisoners came trickling
back, and they seemed to be the only
humans moving south. They looked at
the scene before them, Americas army
was moving in one single direction.
saw this from Dead Mans Hill. from
which a heavy ground fog prevented
a view Of the actual battle until the
sun drove the fog away.
But the army moving forward was
even a more inspiring spectacle The
valley south Of Dead Mans Hill became
q beehive Of humanity, though an or
derly beehive. The roads running from
the hills south Of the valley were aiive
with the entire transport Of war. Huge
tractors snorted along. drawing heavy
guns. Sometimes, sandwiched between,
were mule drawn field kitchens and
horse-drawn columns Of field guns. Re-
serve machine gun companies. with
small mule carts, lodged in and out.
On one side of the road a sausage bal
Don was moving forward at an incon-
yruously low altitude. attached to its
vindlass truck. .. 4