The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-28
ENEMY SURPRISED
BY ARGONNE BLOW
Knew Pershing Would Attack,
but Looked for Drive
Against Metz.
SHIFT CAME TOO LATE
Americans Had Taken Chief
Positions Before Reserves
Were on the Scene.
~ HERBERT BAILEY.
Special Gable Despatch 10 The spS from the
I-sndon Times Service.

he
Special Gable Despatch TO THIS stN from the
I-sndon Times Service.
Copyright. 1915: all rights reserped.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE,
Sept 27.-The new American offensive
In the Argonne region is the largest
operation yet undertaken by the Amert-
cxns exclusively. and in It more men are
involved than In any action yet started
in France.
The German concentrations during the
last few days have been around Meta
indicating they expected an attack there.
They probably reasoned the Briey iron
fields would be tho logical objective Of
the Americana. and they were prepared
to offer stiff opposition there.
With the opening of our artillery
bombardment the Germans suddenly
found a sector which has been relatively
quiet transformed into nightmare.
Giant American guns, howitzers and
long range naval cannon searched pitt
lessly and with exactitude every point
on the eneniy's front, rear roads, rail-
ways. dumps and distant villages, all OF
which was transformed into an Inferno.
Artillery Soon siIenced.
Frantcally the Germans were shifted
to meet the new attack. Their barrage,
fitful at first. gradually gained in In
tensity as the Americans rose out OF
the mists and swept upon them. The
enemys artillery was soon silenced by
our big guns, and then began tho task
of rounding up the machine guns and
snipers in the outposts. Some OF these
were silenced with rife fire and IN other
instances bayonets were used.
/ l talked to an engineer sergeant who
helped build the bridges that spanned
a stream that had to be crossed by our
infantry and light artillery.
I'VE went forward in advance OF the
infantry" he said. I'VE had to carry
our material from a wood three mile.
away. and in the mist We had great diff
ncury. We finally found our way
however, and soon had our bridge made
Then We went UP the opposite slope after
one Of Fritx's machine guns. One of my
best friends was killed in this attack
and nine Of my men were wounded. Blu
We cleaned out the Germans"
Prisoners Boys or Old Men.
After the battle had been under way
few hours the roads in the rear wer'
| filled with prisoners. Some Of thes
| were mere boys and others were oil
enough to be grandfathera Many, how
ever, were strong and husky.
When 8: 80. the hour for, our intantr,
to advance. arrived there was a tantalz
! ing fog which rose and fell with tn,
thunder OF the guns Sometimes II woult
clear for a few minutes and then for {
/ spell one could not see two feet ahead
! The men went on In spite of the fog M
soon were searching for the German
| they had seen there In Quleter days
None was to be found, however.
l stood on Dead Mans Hill early II
the morning after our troops had passed
This hill has been dyed with blood, 81
many and so vicious have the battle
| been that were fought there. All aroun,
was dismal brown mass OF shell holes
with scarcely an inch OF level ground
In the distance the Germans had gjddel
many machine guns. and the American
could be seen working their way aroun,
these. creeping on their stomachs, f1rin
at the first sign OF a German head, an
gradually silencing the trea cherous quic
firers
After the main body OF Germans ha
been pre~,ed back the Americans los
no time In going after them. Khaki ella
men seemed literally to swarm throug
the ravines and along the roads In he
pursuit or the enemy. The first America
| army was striking with it's full fore.
and one could tell at a glance that ever
man was fired with the determinatio
to make the blow count
Air Is Quickly Mastered.
Overhead our observation and kit
balloons soon appeared. always movin
forward. German airmen darted throus
the sky, trying TO shoot down the signa
men but for every German that Shove
In the sky there was a small swarm G
American filters. 1t wasn't long unit
our men were complete masters of tn
air, with not German In sight.
The heaviest fighting was aroun
Montfaucon. where the Germans held
commanding position and one they wer
determined not to surrender without tn
hardest kind OF a fight Montfauco
looks down on the neighboring vale
and is also heavily fortified. The tow
there is the junction point of six raj
roads.
When the Americans. sweeping on at
fine pace, had driven well into the Gel
man lines and had taken the villages {
Bethincourt. Malancourt and Septarge
they found themselves confronted b
fierce machine gun hrS from the regio
Of Montfaucon. Hete their onwar
sweep was delayed Temporarily unit
they could clean up the machine gu
nests. A few hours later. after OF
artillery had carried out instructions I
reduce the place. came the news thu
the Americans had thanked II from bot
sides. and that the stronghold was
our hands.