Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-13
.PERSH|NG CRUSHING
ST. M|H|EL SALIENT
NEAR ITS ENTRANCE
Troops Fighting Under Him
Gain Ground East and .
North of Town.
ADVANCE -FOUR MILES
ON SOUTHERN SECTOR
Capture Thiaucourt, Pannes,
and Several Other e,.fF:
Places. -s,
FRONT TWENTY MILES LONG
Germans Will Have Great Difficulty
in Extricating Armies -
From Pocket.
RoNT TWENTY MILES LoSG
Germans Will Have Great Difficulty
in Extricating Armies
From Pocket. sIss
IRx Associated Press. j

The American first army. under corr
mand of General Fershing is in action
against the Germans on twenty-mile
front on the famous ST Mihiel salient
in Lorraine. which had stood sharp
wedge in the French line southeast Of
Vcrdun since the commencement of the
war.
Tn-thc preliminary thrust ground was
gained on both sides of the triangle.
and also at its apex at st. Mihiel. and
at last accounts the Americans. with
whom some French troops are brigaded,
were fast sweeping across the salie5H
in an effort TO close the mouth OF the
big pocket before the Germans can
extricate themselves from the perilous
suddennesS OF the blow and the element
of surprise 1t carried with 1t.
Although the advance of the Amer
leans was swift and sure and gains In
excess of four miles on the southern
side OF the battle area were made, the
cavalry far outstrippcd the tanks and
ing along tho railroad near Vigneulles.
almost In the center of the salient! and
some ten miles northeast. of ST: Mthiel
and also northwest of Pont-a- -Mousson.
through the forests and along the rails
way limo running northward to Metz.
the great German fortress. the south.
ern outer fortifcations OF which arc
less than ten miles distant. 49,.
Thiaucourt, Bouillouville. Pannes and
several other towns in the south were
"a pturcd in the initial dash, while on
the west at the northern edge ottthe
pocket, the village OF Combres MAS cap
tured and the cnvirons OF pemmartin
sonth everywhere the Americans pene-
trated into the heights of the Meuse,
and the French fought their way into
ports arc to the effect that the town
has been rccaptured by the French,
rRECEDED ATTACK
The lighting front at the commend
miIes--cight miles on the western side
and twelve miles on the southern side.
The lighting was preceded by an ex-
tremely heavy artillery bomba rdm ent.
and the troops and tanks advanced
under barragc which was carried out
with mathematical precision.
almost impossible for the Germans to
cvacuate the salient. as they apparent
~ arc trying TO do. without huge losses
in men and material. The first reports
oncrs in the first stages OF the battle
and had suffered remarkably small cas-
ualtics. eSs-
The strategy of Marshal Foch in.tke
present mancurer cannot be foreseen.
except that IT has as the first objecti&e
;he leveling Of the st. Mihiel sector
from the region OF Verdun easte.aFd.
The obliteratton of the salient would
he necessary before u direct thrust to-
Gion would he possible. Whether Mar
shat Foch has in view campaign, ap
he MeuSc Valley or Metz and ssthe
seen.
IN the north. Field Marshal Hais is
stiii hard after the Germans in the
region OF Cambrai. Here. he again has
advanced his front toward the mich
desired German base, penetrated into
the old British defense line; crossed
court; taken Havrincoiirt and another
section Of the HindenburE line and
sent 1000 Germans into the British
prisoners cages in'the rear The Ger
mans fought hard at Havrincourtfto
stay the British, but all their coun.
tcrattacks were beaten off. Furthst.
advances for the British also are re-
ported in the region south of La Rasse
Canal and northwest OF ArmentierSs.