The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-28
French Sh0,u
Great VnlOy-
During Fight
Fighting Against Immense
Odds They Nov Down
Huns by Hundreds During
First Days of Battle.

W 4
With the French Army in France,
Tuesday. March 20. Evening by the
Associated Press The German effort
BY terrific rush TO get between the
French and British forces. with the oh
ject of defeating each separately. has
failed up to the present. and IN likiey
to continue to fail. The fighting quali-
ties of the allied soldiers iiave served
to stay the impulsive advance. ana TO-
day the Anglo French line is on 81 ,rong
positions.
The next few days may change the
situation entirely. AS the allies have
had time to get their "maneuvreing
reserve" to take the Initiative. Noyon
was evacuated late last night in good
order. and the French took mp IA posi-
tion near by.
The correspondent passed today
among troops who have borne a great
share in the fighting of the last five
days. Everywhere cheerfulness was 10
be found and perfect confidence In the
future. Nowhere has the correspond
ent seen such splendid morale among
troops after long. hard fighting, more
especially when those troops had to full
back. Both officers and men, whether
French or British. tell narratives Of
wonderful heroism on the part Of In
diViduals and units.
The gunncrs OF "a battery Of French
75's In the neighborh0od Of chauny
were surrounded for three days with
out food. but fought until the last
round was fired; then taking advan- !
tage of some confusion among the Ger ;
mans in the course OF the third night,
they somehow made their way through
their encircling foes and esca ped,
carrying their wounded comrades with
them. This is merely one instance
among many similar daring deeds.
Men belonging to dismounted
French cavalry corps. acting AZ infnn ;
try. fought n rear guard action day
after day against immense odds. The
troops declare that the enemy came
forward in such deep waves that It was
only necessary to fire point blank 10
hit with certainty. These cnvalrymen
fired into the enemy so rapidly that the
Germans fell In swathes: yet still 9th. !.
ers came on. until the French defend !
ers were compelled to cease. because
both rifles and machine guns were red
hot.
Huns Advance IN Waves.
The advance OF the Germans was
similar In character everywhere, wave
succeeding wave In closest succession,
! only to be shot down. II was some ;
thing Ike n relay race~-whsn the first
German division was exhausted, nnoth :
er Immediately took itS place. In some
| cases single division OF the allies.
| while retiring. was attacked success. .
lively by six German divisions.
| The allies stood the test most cour-
ageously. but such a continued series
OF shocks from fresh troops was bound
to tell on tired men ana eventually the
allies were forced to give way. Hut
they did no still fighting. II II known
that one Bavarian division lost so pc,
cent Of It's strength.
| II was clearly apparent that the Ger
man high command relied Oh this meth
cd OF sacrifice TO break through. The
French staff derives considerable sat
isfaction from the fact that many Ger
mana divisions were thus put out OF
the battle line. at least for the period
Required for their reconstitution and II
this way q great part OF the German
lreserye was used ap. while the allie.
lmerely called upon their immediate re.
serves.
| Further powerful attacks are ex
the moment where these will TAX,
Iplace. Ii may be said. however. tina
THE situation IL fully In hand, and tn,
heaviest kind of fighting may he iooke'
flor.