Evening star., 1918-07-07
GERMANS AT VAUX, IN DISORDER,
FLED AS AMERICANS CHARGED
Gen. Pershing Reports Brilliant Infantry
Fighting Was Accompanied by Eff
fective Artillery Fire.

The Germans fled in disorder from
the Bois de la Roche to the Bois des
ROCKETS before the charging Ameri-
can infantry during the operations in
the vicinity of Vaux last Monday and
Tuesday, Gen. Pershing reported in
his communique for Friday. received
yesterday at the War Department
The hand-to-hand fighting. the gen.
eral said, was of short duration.
Artillery fire In support of the
American infantry was so effective
the statement said. that communica-
tion between German battalion and
regimental headquarters could be
maintained only by a single messen-
ger dog.
This description of the fighting
around NauN was given in the course
of a narrative of events in the Vaux
sector. along the Marine, in Picardy, in
Lorraine and in the Colmar sector
during the early part of this week
Artillery, machine gun and aerial ac-
tivity was noted in nearly all of the
sectors, with an unusual movement
behind the enemy lines along the
Marine. There also was heavy artil-
lery fighting there and near Vaux. and
In the Marine sector enemy ammuni
tion dumps were destroyed by Amer
lean artillery.
Capture of Germans.
The statement on operations Friday
told of the capture of Germans by
American patrols in the Chateau
Thierry region and the repulse of a
hostile raiding party and two enemy
patrols in the Vosges.
The statement follows:
Section A-Our patrols again took
prisoners in the Chateau Thierry re-
gion. In Picardy. Chateau Thierry re-
gion and in the Vosges there was
brisk artillery fighting. In the Vosges
a hostile raiding party and two pa
trols, attempting to reach our lines.
were driven off.
Section B-Concerning the opera
tions of our troops in the vicinity of
Naux July to July it is stated that
the enemy fed in disorder from the
Bois de la Roche to the Bois des
ROCKETS before our infantry. Hand
to-hand fighting was of short dura-
tion. SO effective was our artillery
fire that communication between Ger
man battalion and regimental head
quarters could be maintained only by
a single messenger dog. Intense ma
chine gun fire and a heavy lombard
ment of the Clerembaut wood and
adjacent points preceded the German
counter attack. Some gas was used.
Hostile airplanes. which made fire.
quent flights, dropped bombs on some
of our advanced positions in the early
morning and in one case fired on our
lines. One of them was brought down
near Torcy. In the German rear areas
long columns of men and wagons
moved from point to point. while. dur
ing the night red and green rockets
gave signals, while searchlights kept
watch for our airplanes.
Take German Outpost.
''In this sector between the evening
of July and July 4 activity on both
sides greatly decreased. The enemy,
however, shelled the region of the
Marette wood with gas during the
morning hours and put down some
harassing and interdiction fire in our
rear areas. Our own batteries main
tanned a continuous harassing fire. ap-
parently destroying an ammunition
dump in Etrepilly and setting on fire
buildings in the enemy's rear areas.
1t was again notable that the activity
of the enemy's air forces decreased,
while our own became more agrees
sive. American snipers seemed to be
successful in killing and wounding a
number of the enemy during the day.
One of our reconnaissance patrols,
consisting of a corporal and two men.
crawled from our front lines north
of Vaux to a house inside the German
lines at Bois des ROCKETS al o'clock
in the afternoon. They captured
German outpost of two men and
brought them back to our lines at 4
o'clock in the afternoon in spite of
the continuous fire of German snipers.
"Our troops located along the Marine
at O'Clock pm. on July L to pm. on
July experienced comparatively
quiet day. There was. however. an in
crease in the enemv's rife and ma
chine gun fire. the result of our activ-
ities in patrol1ing. The enemy's light