The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-14
THE BOOBIES FLED
Yanks Smashed Thru Pocket
on Both Sides.
Reached Detectives Far Ahead
of Schedule.
GERMANS PUT UP POOR FIGHT
Dominating Peak Fell Without
Attempt To Hold.
Rain and Rough Ground Didn't
Delay Yanks.

Delay Yanks.
= With the Americans on the Metz
Front, Sept. 14.-Having defeated and
routed the Germans at all points in
what once was the famous st. Mihiel
salient, Americas victorious first army
today faced the enemy along new
line in some places twelve miles north
of their old one.
Americans driving across the heights
of the Mouse from the west cut thru
the pocket seven miles to Vigneulles,
where they met other American forces
smashing in from the south. thus COM
pleting the closing of the sack.
Our front now runs thru Norroy.
Jaulny, Xammes, st. Benoit. Hatton-
vile. Hannonville and 'Herbeuviile.
under control of the Americans.
The number of prisoners and guns
taken as Pershing's troops swept on
increased with great rapidity. All our
detectives were attained, according TO
schedule.
Were going strong" was the re-
port from a certain already famous
division regarding the progress OF its
attack shortly after the offensive
opened. From the start OF the drive
it was evident the prisoners Wouio
number thousands. When 5,oeo TO
~
ports came into headquarters from all
directions telling Of groups OF zoo.
800 and 500 more on their way to the
rear.
CPershing's latest official report
gave the number Of prisoners counted
as $4,000
Eighteen hundred prisoners. includ-
ing eight officers, were taken when
Thiaucourt fell. Eighteen officers
were included in another bag. Numer-
Gus machine guns have been seizeo;
One infantry detachment charged ana
guns which were firing on them.
Two six-inch cannons were also TAX
en-. indicating that the gun haul ls
undoubtedly heavy.
Rode Tank in Battle.
One tank captured battery OF iieIo
pieces, five machine guns and 70 men.
Sergeant Graham sat on top OF the
tank during this operation. Some Ger
man batteries, when they fell into the
hands of the Americans. were still in
their camouflaged positions. The Ger
mans had not had enough time TO at
tempt to remove them.
Refugees are being sent back from
several towns after remaining in them
during the four year German occu-
patton.
Baker. Pershing, Petain In st. Mihiei.
Secretary Baker. General Pershing
and General Petain entered st. Minlel
shortly after the enemy had fled from
it. The inhabitants greeted them with
enthusiasm They said the Germans
had carried off a large number of
men and boys aged 16 to As. The two
banks in the city were looted by the
enemy. Practically all the houses were
plundered: Inhabitants said the Ger
mans had squeezed them for . con-
tribution of a million francs.
70
when they hit the German line that
all detectives designated for the first
day were reached early In the after
noon, In that short time the salient
was pushed in four or five miles along
it's whole front.
Lifts Menace to Nancy.
The effect of Pershings victory is
to free Nancy, the little Paris of
France, from the menace of German
guns for the first time since 1914. 1t
also opens the important Nancy-Ver-
dun railroad, greatly Strengthening al
lied communications
Prisoners reported they had been
ordered to permanently hold a line
north of Pannes, if possible. otherwise
to withdraw to the Hindenburg line
positions. Shortly after they received
this command the Americans captured
Pannes,
Despite the mud, the American tank
their first appearance. They pre-
coded the infantry attacks at several
different points. They went smashing
thru heavy belts of barbed wire and
crawled over German trenches that
had stood for four years. Afterward
they aided in hopping up the numer-
Gus captured towns. The colonel of
the tank fleet was so anxious to fight
aboard one of his land battleships that
hix superior detailed two other officers
to keep him from doing so.
Dominated the Air.
Allied supremacy in the air was
ouickIy won and remained ours. A
heavy rain poured but in spite of this
the French and American airplanes
dominated the sky. When the boches
attempted to send up two observation
balloons, they were quickly shot down.
AS the German lines began giving way,
explosions were heard in the rear.
They continued all during the first
day. Most of them were due to the
accurate firing of our artillery.
All night our batteries kept up their
ineessant Smelling of the ehemy'S back
areas.
On the western side Of the salient,
where a sharp wedge was driven in to
meet the main assault coming up from
the south and east, steady progress
was made thru the most difficult
fighting country and against strons
resistance.
The effect of the German defeat was
felt even on the eastern side of the
Meselie river. where enemy troops
were forced to evaeuate the bend in
the stream. American patrols oc-
cupied the abandoned trenches
Took High Peak without Fight.
BY the strategy of the American at
| tack the Germans were obliged to
evacuate Mentsec without a. fight tc
keep from being cut off. Montsec IL
| q huge peak dominating the entire
! territory French patrols climbed tt
| rs summit after the enemy fled. II