New-York tribune., 1918-11-04
Roads Choked as
Huns Flee Before
Yanks Aboue Verdur,

II a1J1S Flee Before
Yanks Above Verdur,
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN, Nov (By
The Associated Press) (7:SO p. M. -
American aviators late to-day reported
that the Germans to the east of the
Meuse appeared to be in full retreat.
The aviators' messages said that all
roads running northward were packed
with troops, artillery and trucks.
The American aviators went az far
as Remoiville (ten miles behind the
German lines). They reported that the
roads southwest of Remoiville are
choked with traffic
Only disorganized resistance was Of
fered by the Germans to-day to the
French and American troops from
points east Of the River Meuse to that
part of the line extending to Rethel
The Americans carried the apex OF
their advance west of the river to the
little lake in Belval Woods, to the
north of Barricourt
Bourgogne Woods Cleared
Further to the west American and
French troops completed the clearing
of the enemy out Of the Bourgognc
Woods by their junction at Norval.
They then pushed forward northeast
nd M
Chatillon-surB and the Bois
Duchesne, where the northern edge of
the wood was reached.
The action at this point was pre-
dominantly French, but with the
Americans assisting with patrols, who
first pushed westward to effect a
liaison and then turned northeastward
with the French until they met other
Americans near Chatillon and pinched
out another slice of terrain.
Stenay, an important railway centre
less than four miles from the Ameri-
can front east Of the Meuse, has al
ready been so harassed that it has
been rendered almost useless to the
enemy.
The Germans continue to retreat all
along the front.
The aviators' report regarding the
retreat of the enemy east of the Meuse
is as follows:
"At Remoiville troop train of nine
teen cars was leaving, northward
bound. We saw great crowds of enemy
troops along the railway siding. We
fired upon them, and they fired back
with incendiary bullets. All north
bound roads out of Remoivile were
filed with troops"
According to previous reports, at
least four Austro- Hungarian divisions
were opposing the French and Ameri-
cans east of the Meuse in this sector.
German artillery east of the Meuse,
protected by hills and woods beyond
Liny ydevantDun, had been source of
constant annoyance to the Americans
since they reached the great elbow in
the river north of Dannevoux. The
advance of the Americans Saturday
made possible the bringing up of ar.
tillery, and the American guns this
afternoon began counter battery work.
Soon afterward the German artillery
desisted. Numerous enemy batteries
in the region of F'ontaines were under
American fire most of the afternoon.
Obiectfyea Are Reached
Virtually every American division
not only had reached it's objectives this
morning but was far ahead of them
Prisoners, guns and material were re-
ported to be increasing in number and
quantity.
The enemy opposition took the form
Of intermittent artillery fire and at
a few points with the use of gas and
infantry. This resistance, however,
generally vanished when the Ameri.
cans exerted themselves.
The general character of the enemys
defence was almost exclusively that Of
rear-guard actions and generally it
was overcome without difficulty.
A battery of four six-inch howi.-
zers, with three officers and seventeen
gunners, was taken north of Landre-
vile yesterday by three French tanks
manned by Americans.
The tanks fanked the battery By
going around the edge Of hill in the
face of machine guns protecting the
cannon. The gunners threw up their
hands when the tanks appeared and
the men on the land battleships turned
their prisoners over to infantrymen.
The tank squadron was commanded
by Lieutenant Lloyd Callahan Of Cas-
selton, North Dakato, who himself
onsxated = machine gun on one Of the