The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-09-13
YANKS CAPTURE
5000 HUNS IN
FIRST BIC DRIVE
Twelve Towns Also Taken in
Great Offensive in St.
MihieI Sector.
GEN. PERSHING IN COMMAND
All-Amerlcan Army Crushes Salient
Which Protruded Into Allies Lines
Between Verdun and Nancy
y. S. Men Fight Magnifi-
Gently.

Washington, Sept. 49, American
troops operating in the St. Mihlel SEQ
tor made considerable gains during tho
day, General Pershing reported In his
communique to the war department.
Already 5000 prisoners have been
counted, and the movement still Is In
progress. Assisted by the French
units they broke the enemys resist
ance and advanced at some points five
miles.
With tho First American Army in
France, Sept. 13.-The Americans
have captured 5000 prisoners. The
total taken by them and the French
Is believed to be 10000. Unofficial ad-
vloes were that French troops, operat-
Ing In conjunction with tho AmerI-
ca-s, had captured st. MIhleI itself,
which has been held by the enemy
since the first few weeks Of the war,
and formed tho apex of the great SAIL
ert which menaced Verdun.
Paris, Sept. 18.-Gen. John ]. Per-
shing's American army-an all-Amer-
ican army-struck it's first blow
Thursday in the st. Mihiel sector, and
today the great triangular salient
which projected into the allies lines
between Verdun and Nancy is crushed
on both sides.
The attack. which started early In
the morning, extended on the south
ern side for a distance of II miles,
from st. Mihiel to Pont a Mousson,
and northward from st. Mihiel for
distance Of eight miles. French
troops, cooperating with the Ameri-
cans, struck at the southern point of
the salient at st. Mihiel.
Three to Five-MIIe Advance.
According to battle front dispatches,
the Americans have advanced on both
fronts from three to five miles, have
captured upwards Of 12 villages, and
are still driving forward. American
cavalry operating to the rear appear
to have cut off some Of the German
troops fighting at the southern end
Of the pocket.
The offensive, the first struck on
pretentiOus scale by the Americans,
Is under the immediate direction Of
General Pershing, was planned by the
American staff and is being executed
by American officers and troops
Tanks, artillery, airplanes, even down
to the narrOw-gange roads rushing for
ward ammunitton-all are American.
Only Big Villages Named.
To the east Of st. Mihiel the
Americans have captured Thiacourt,
Pannes and Nonsard. North of st.
Mihiel. General Pershing's men have
taken Combres and have reached the
western outskirts Of Donmartin La
Montague, about six or seven miles
up toward Verdun, as we'll as Les
Eparges. Other smaller places have
been taken in the advance, which has
been so rapid that apparently only the
larger villages have been named.
Yankee cavalry today is reported
to be operating In the vicinity of Wig
neuDles, ten miles northeast of St,
Mihiel, and apparently to the rear Of
the Germans fighting at the southern
point Of the salient. 1t is not believed
possible that these German troops can
escape capture or annihilation.
The tanks did splendid service.
Heavy concrete pill boxes" shelter
Ing machine guns, were encountered at
frequent intervals, as we'll as other
naturally strong machine gun emplace-
<hn \
tanks put out Of action, either by direct
fire or by charging over them, killing
the crews and wrecking the pieces.
Heavy belts Of barbed wire also were
torn apart for the advance of the in
fantry.
U. 8. Flyers Rout Huns.
After the first hour there was never
a question of who held supremacy in
the air. At the outset Of the assault
there were a few BOche flyers aIOft,
but within a few minutes they had been
crushed by the American pilots. or
were speedily winging their way
toward the rear lines.
This left the American observation
planes free to check and direct the ar
til1ery fire without mOlestation. while
the heavy bOmbers worked without in
reference save for antt-aircraft guns.
many Of which were soon located and
put out OF action by the American light
artillery.
Enemy Artillery Weak.
The enemy artillery fire fuctuated
in intensity and accuracy. At some
points the BQche heaYies responded