The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-08-17
ATTACK YANKS
WITH Gas, GUNS,
AND EXPLOSIVES
American Airmen Raid Bridges
Over Aisne.
KILL MACHINE GUNNERS
French and Canadians Fight Their
Way on Smile Front to Door
of Royce.
KILL MACHINE GUNNERS

With the American Army on the
Vesle Front, Aug l6-The Germans
launched a combined gas, artillery
and air bombing attack upon the
French and Americans along the
Vale early Friday morning This
was in retaliation for a bombing raid
by American airmen upon bridges
over the Risne late Thursday.
The German artillery continued
shelling the cross roads south of the
Vesle for hours, on the assumption
that the French and Americans were
bringing up troops German aviators
bombed the woods and villages south
of the Vesle, apparently working in
relays.
A group Of twelve America avia-
tors participated in the raid on the
Aisne bridges. Early Friday other
American fiers went up and took pho.
tographs for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the effects of the bombs drop.
ped A great deal of traffic had been
reported passing over the Aisne
bridges and the French and Ameri,
cans increased the fire of their heavy
guns in an attempt to destroy as many
bridges as possible.
AS a result OF the reports OF obser-
vers, the French and Americans laid
down a box barrase during Thursday
night on machine gun nests along the
hills TO the northwest OF Fismes. Oh
servers and patrols reported Friday
morning that twelve machine guns
had been destroyed and every German
gunner killed.
French and Canadian troops Friday
night between Goyencourt and Lau
court, on front of about three miles
had fought their way west of Roye
until they were virtually knocking at
the door Of the town. which is one OF
the Keystone positions OF the Ger
man defense in Picary, while to the
immediate north British troops fight
ing alone were still In possession OF
Damery and Paryillers following
heavy counter attacks made by the
Germans to dislodge them The al
lied line is now only a scant mile and
q quarter west of Roye
Evidently it is not in the plans OF
the entente allies to leave the Ger
mans secure in their possession OF
the line they now are holding in the
region between the Somme and the
Disc. Although the front from the
south Of the Somme past Chaulnes
and running through Roye to Noyor
has been studded with fresh rein
forcements and innumerable guns il
order to keep back the allied troops
the Germans again have been forced
to give ground and at points where
seemingly their defense soon mus
crumple and the retreat eastward be
resumed
Adding materially to the danger o
Roye by direct assault on the part o
the French and Canadians at its ives
tern gates and from a nanking maneu
yer by the British on the northwest
the French have carried out an ad
vance five miles to the south which
seemingly lays the town open TO Z
turning movemnt from the Loge,
Wood which has been penetrated
deeply Not alone however is Roy,
menaced by this latter advance. bu
debauching from the woods southeast
ward the French are in a position {,
outfiank Lassigny and with the
French troops in the Ose valley neal
Ribecourt also strategically placed tt
begin rolling up process, which 4
successful would oblitrate the hill
and wooded country now standing az
a barried to the capture of 0opon.