The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-11-08
SEDAN ENTERED
BY AMERICAN
Rail Lines From Metz to North
Sea Severed.
THE GERMAN ARMY FLEES
Hun Defenses Ripped to Shreds by
Dash of Yankees For Historic
stronghold on Meuse.

With the American Army On the
Sedan Front, Nov. S.-The American
troops entered that part of Sedan that
lies on the west bank of the Meuse
Earlier dispatches said French
troops are driving rapidly for the
historic stronghold, and it seemed
possible they might reach the city
where Germany humbled them in 1870,
ahead of the Americans.)
The bridge over the Meuse at Sedan,
over which the retreating enemy lied
has been destroyed and the river val
ley flooded.
The principal German lateral lines
of communication between the fort
ress of Metz and northern France and
Belgium. now are either cut or un-
available for the enemy's use.
Since November l the Americans
have taken 6O00 prisoners. They have
freed all French territory within the
zone of the army action west or the
Meuse to a total of 700 square kilo-
metres (about 500 miles,, and have
liberated 2OOO civilians
American army officers in charge
of the offensive operations on the
Mezieres- Sedan Montmedy line. pushed
on, notwithstanding reports that hos
tilities might soon be ended through
the signing of an armistice.
The distance between the advancing
Americans and the German positions
before Sedan grew much less Wednes-
day and Thursday the Americans were
only four miles south of Sedan.
During the night the American po-
sitions east of the Meuse were con-
solidated. while progress was made
on both sides of the river, the Ger
mans giving way slowly.
The railway junction at Sedan al
ready is useless to the enemy. The
French on the American left are NOV
ing forward rapidly in the direction
of Sedan, making it doubtful whether
the honor of first reaching the city
will 90 to them or to the Americans.
The Americans at one place in
Thursdays fighting advanced over
louI anu llstIl IIIt NiddSCS
taken include Bulson, Haracourt and
Raucourt Great quantities of COM
;missary stores, many railroad cars,
and equipment and enormous aifsesas.ts
of war material have been captured.
In the face of strong resistance east
Of the Meuse, the Americans gained
enarly two and half miles. captur
ing Murvaux Fontaines and Hill 2S4,
which the Germans gave up only after
a severe struggle
Machine guns continue the chief
weapon of fighting in the German eff
forts TO hold the heights west of the
Meuse, which have been in their pos
session since 1914.
The division fighting in the center
captured twenty-three IT'S, two hun
dred machine guns, fifteen trench NOR
tars, two hundred thousand rounds of
ammunition and much other material.
The crossing Of the river Meuse
and the capture OF the town of Dun
by the Americans will rank as one of
the most gallant feats Of the entire
operations northwest of Verdun.
The troops who accomplished it will
be entitled to rank as heroes, for their!
work in militarily crossing the stream
was a strategic move of unusual dar
ing. The crossing involved the fore
ing of way over the 160 foot river,
half mile wide stretch of mud and
a sixty-food canal in the face of
frightful enemy fire.
1t also involved swimming by those
who knew how and the pulling of
others over on ropes. Graphing irons
were used to scale the sheeer walls
Of the canal, a long which machine
gunners had been posted, under the
fire of scores of batteries from the
hills adjoining.