Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-06
Cutting Up of German Forces
More Important Than Gains
Foch,s Mastery BloWs, in Six Great Battles
NowRaging, Are Wearing Out Hindenburg's
Arnies---Week,s Hardest Fighting. :,

beyond Ardeuil and Mont Fauxelles
toward Challerange. Bouconville and
poilus. Thence the line traversed
after Apremont wood, communicating
with the Americans.
Assailants' Losses Small.
The main characteristic Of the COM
bats has been the smal1ness of the
losses sustained by the assailants and
the calmness and method with which
the battle was waged, the poi.us go
ing ahead regardless of the violence
of the struggle.
Since October 1 the Germans have
counter attacked ceaselessly, endeav-
oring by every means possible to
their possession. Many fresh batter
les have been brought up and the
cannonadine has been intense. the
Germans exhibiting every unwilling
ness to leave the sector, they being
fearful that the French advance will
cut their lines of communication,
thus causing frightful disaster.
The French are now from eight to
eleven kilometers CAS- to &c miles)
past the old German lines, having
defensive positions which the Ger
mans deemed impregnablc.
The fighting is now going on i'll u
zone where. there are not many reg
ular trenches, b';t quantities of
barbed wire acknowledgements, cement
Germans are also utilizing to the best
advantage natural obstacles dam
ming brooks and flooding the terrain.
Challerange Carried.
On October 9 the French carried
the important railway center of Chal-
lerange and on the following day en-
larged their gains toward Arnes
brook, northwest of Medeah, and the
nearing Orefoeuil. an important OBJ
servation station, whence may be
seen all of the Aisne valley, including
Vouziers. Attigny and also the region
of the Arne and other streams. The
French are rounding out the positions
as they advanced, not allowing danger
Gus pockets to remain. The poilus
are overcoming tenacious enemy re-
sistance, thereby meNting great
praises.
No Germans South of Aisne.
Meanwhile the 9Th French Army
pursued the operation that resulted
in the enemy being speedily forced 20
give up the ST. Thierry massif and re-
Actually the Germans have no element
remaining on the south bank of the
Aisre, and the French are charging
the bridgeheads preparatory to driv-
iEg the foe farther away from the
contested stream. From the Laon-
north of Rheims now follows the
Aisne canal to Neuvillette. joining
there the old line The Cathedral city
is gradually being freed from the
menace of hostile shells. and one may
row begin looking forward To the
day when the hated invaders will be
entirely cut of France.
Battle Still RACES.
The battle continued to rage vio-
lently yesterday, especially along the
fronts where the armies of Gen.
G:uraud and Debeney are engaged.
Gen. Gouraud's poilus yesterday by
turned and captured the position after
a thrilling combat in which many Ger
mans were slain.
Taking advantage of the enenly's
confusion, the r.,ilus carried st. Sou
plet and advanced toward tn. north
and west, reaching Grand Belluis and
penetrating the wood north of ST.
Souplet. Other forces under Gen
Gouraud overcame desperate enemy
resistance and captured the vastly i'm
portant Orefeu.l village and observa-
ton station. Meanwhile the Ameri-
cans under Gen. Couraud's orders car
ried st. Etienne-a-Arnes. Gen. Gou-
raud's east wing assaulted wi-h gre
nades the enemy works throughout
the wooded district about Autry and
commanded all the forest paths with
we'll directed machine gun fife, MAX
ing the enemy'S position more and
more Untenahlc. Autry station was
taken and lost and finally retaken.
Yesterday the poilus with fresh vi;,or
pushed the enemy farther back.
Germans Resist theoretically.
Gen. Debeney's men were fighting
day and night through Thursday and
Friday with great vivacity. German
infantry resisted energetiEAlly and
brought up reinforcements. At GER
tain points menaced by the French
cure, counter attacked vigorously,
while artillery fired heavily upon the
French first lines. roads and assembly
stations. German airplanes, flying
low, attempted to observe all the al
lied movements and to interfere with
the land batteries by dropping bombs
One is impressed with the feeling
that the Germans are extremely
nervous because of the rapid advance
of the French into the Hindenbure
line and that the German staff wishes
to retard his menacing progress.
Among the prisoners made are signal
men and pioneers belonging to the
army formation who were thrown
into the fray while the infantry re-
Inducements were awaited. The
poilus are progressing constantly and
theoretically. taking advantage of
every occasion to make a fresh ad-
vance through the mass of obstacles
the Germans are opposing to them.
Many combats hand to hand and with
grenades and bayonets have occurred.