The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-09-27
American First Army Makes A.
tack on Both Sides OF st.
MihieI Salient.
hun ARMY MAY Be TRAPPED
Many Towns and Prisoners Taken
Foeh May BE Aiming At Metz
Germans in picardy Trying to
Halt Retreat Approximately
on Hindenburo Line.
BY EDWARD w. pickARp.

oy GOWANO w. PlCNANO.
The American First army, General
Pershing commanding. started the first
great wholly American offensive
Thursday, attacking on both sides of
the St Mihiel salient southeast of
Verdun. The French assisted by at
lacking on the'polnt of the salient. but
the operation was planned by the
American staff and executed by Amer
can officers and troops.
After a terrific artillery preparation
which for four hours smothered the
entire region within the German lines
top exactly at Ave o'clock, following
a rolling barrage timed for an adj
vance of 100 meters every 10 minutes
Great numbers of tanks supported
them and cleared the way by crushing
numerous concrete machine gun shel-
ters and breaking down the elaborate
wire defenses. American aviators In
fiocks quickly drove away the few Hun
airmen In sight and thereafter del
uged the enemy supply centers, mu-
milton dumps and hangers with
bombs. while the observation planes
directed the work OF the artillery.
Everything moved like cloekwork and
the troops speedily gained their OBJ
iectives and went. on 10 the next ones.
Village after village WIS taken and
by Friday tie cayalrys had advanced
far into the center of the salient aud
occupied strong positions. At the
time Of wrltin; the drive was progress
ng. steadily and the Germans were IN
danger of finding their retreat from
| the big wedge entirely cut Off Hun
| dreds Of prisoners were taken The
| St Mlhiel salient had been held by
| the Huns ever since 1914 and was
! very strongly fortified. It's base Is to-
ward the German stronghold OF Metz
and II may be that the drive Is direct
ed against TINT city. However. Mar.
hal Foeh's strategy had NOT been re
Vealed when this was written
Having given up all the ground they
won in their great spring drive. and
/ finding themselves back on the old
| Hindenburg line. and In some places
well behind II. The Germans decided 30
| stop their retreat for while Marshal
! Foch did not fully assent 20 this deci-
sion. but powerful concentrations Of
/ Hun artillery and RESERVES IN strong
/ positions, coupled with tarrential
rains throughout Pieardy. brought the
| allied offensive almost 20 q temporary
standstil Not that the fighting By
! any means ceased. for the French and
British kept pressing forward though
| more Slowly. and the Germans deiiy-
cred desperate counter-attaeks. which
! in almost every instance resulted only
/ in severe losses for them
/ II Is the opinion of expert observers
/ that the halt Of the Huns approximate
i " on the Hindenhurg line viii be 0nly
temporary. Indeed, il Is believed they
/ cannot stay there long IL they
would For mony weeks they have
zen hastily haiIdiug new lines % de-
iense farther east. and Marcel Hu1in
/ In the Echo ae Paris says they are now
/ constructing a supreme iine from Ant
werp to Metz and are putting the Ant
worp forts in defensive condition
Their present line depends on Do0si
Cambria, 81. Quentin and Laon, and
farther to the sauiheast -. on the Chemiu
des Danes. Douai already was be
ing evacuated last week and the air
irome moles east Of II were being dis
mantled. The British, fighting fierce
" and repulsing heavy counier-attacks
were advancing steadily through HAY
hnc0urt, PeZieres and GouZeaucogri
and forced crossing Of the Canal d.
yord. thus taking the main defense Of
taAbrsl On the southwest st. Quen