The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-10-28
YANkS IN MONTH
WIN 159 HILLS
Clear 43O RaYines Of HunS''
Lick SO BOChe Divisions
CUT FOUR TRENCH SYSTEMS

Captured More Than 20UDU prisoners;
Freed 1865 Square Miles of Terri
tory; Downed $50 Aeroplanes and
Twenty-three Balloons.
With the American Army North
west of Nerdun, Oct. 2S.-ln its hcst
major operation against fhe Germans,
considering the clearing out of the
St. Mihiel salient as local affair, the
American army in Il few days less
than Il month has liberated more than
fOrty-five villages and advanced to an
average depth of ten miles, freeing
165 square miles of territory.
In the offensive the Americans have
captured more than 10000 prisoners.
The Americans attacked on Il front
of twenty miles from the Argonne to
the Meusc and the advance has been
made in the face of almost inSur-
mountable difficulties, due particularly
to the nature of the ground. which IS
covered with hills, deep ravlneS ana
woods. In addition, the Americans
had fronting them four organized sys-
tens of trenches-the Hindenburs
line, the Hagan position. the Nolker
position and the Kreimhild position.
They have forced their way through
all these lines. Ahead of them lies
the Freya position, which has been
reached at one point in the region OF
the BanthevilIe wood.
The advance has been particularly
difficult because the Germans have
stubbornly resisted every foot OF the
Way and have used more than thirty
three divisions on the twenty-mile
front. The enemy continues to make
q formidable effort to hold this front
In order 10 protect his great lateral
line of communication running through
Hirson, MeZiereS, Sedan, Montmedy
and Longuyon. This line already is
threatened, and should the Germans
lose it, they will lose their main line
of communication from Germany into
occupied France.
In addition TO the prisoners, Gen
eral Pershing'S men have taken more
than l31 guns of large calibre. Nu-
merous machine guns and antl-tanK
euns. n great store of ammunition and
much war material, including locomo-
.tives and railway cars.
Since September 20 the Americans
have fired 100000 shells, the number
at times reaching as high as 100000
daily. The guns used included great
number of heavy ones, and also some
captured frfom the enemy.
American aviatOrS and anti-aircr0ft
guns in the period since September -,
have brought down 23O enemy ma
chimes and twenty-three balloons, deS-
pite adverse flying conditions ana bad
weather at times. Bombing airplaneS
dropped more than 10000 Kilograms OF
explosives on railroad centerS, troop
concentrations and other points be-
hind the enemy lines.
From the view of the engineer, the
most difficult task faced has been the
repairing of roads ana the movement
of supplies, men, ammunition ana tood
IN the front More than 10000 en-
eineer troops are employed day and
night in rebuilding shell-Shattered
roads, using. where possible. crushed
rock from villages destroyed by the
German shells.
In the Argonne hundreds of yards
of German barbed wire entan@IementS
fastened from tree TO tree ut Narl0nS
-, Ibid y Il -
impossible to but them. In addition
many roads in the Argonne were or
black doam. which became morass in
rainy weather. The engineers were
PEELED to virtually build bridges over
many miles of these roads.
The crossing of Forges brook was
accomplished in the first day of the
advance under heavy fire. Ihe
brook runs through marshy lands and
in order to bridge it the engineers had
TO lay bundles of faggots on both sides
of the stream. The crossing was made
in record time and then began the bat
tie of Argonne, which lasted for more
than two weeks.
Compilations made by army officers
show that of the more than 16J square
miles taken from the enemy since
September 26 almost one-half were
heavily wooded and machine gun in
tested. The Americans had to take
by storm 159 hills and high crests.
most of which We're heavily wooded
and defended by strong machine gun
detachmentS. OF the hills, 141 were
west of the MeuSe and eighteen east
of the river The Germans also had
to be driven from 43O ravines, all de
Tended by machine guns and nearly
as hard to take as the hills.
General Pershing's men have had 70
advance against the pick of the Ger
man army fighting desperately to hold
this important front. Their difficulties
are understood more easily when the
number of hills. woods and ravines
L. have had to take IS considered.