Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-09
GERMANS FLEE IN
DISORDER BEFORE
PERSHING TROOPS
Enemy Ammunition Dumps
Destroyed by Heavy Fire of
American Artillery Along
Wide Front

Wld6 front
WASHINGTON, July 6.-The Ger
mans fled in disorder from the Bots de
La Roche to the Bots des Rockets be-
fore the charging American infantry
during the operations in the vicinity
of Vaux last Monday and Tuesday, Gen
eral Pershing reported in his COM
munique for yesterday, received today
at the war department. The hand-to-
hand fighting, the general said, was OF
short duration.
Artillery fire in support of the Amer
statement said, that communication be-
tween German battalions and regl-
mental headquarters could be maintain
ed only by single messenger dog.
This description of the fighting
around Vaux was given in the course
of a narrative of events in the Vaux
sector, along the Marine, in Picardy,
in Lorraine and in the Colmar sector
during the early part of this week
Artillery, machine gun and aerial ac-
tivity was noted in nearly all of the
sectors, with an unusual movement be-
hind the enemy lines along the Marine.
There also was heavy artillery fight
ing there and near VauX and in the
Marne sector enemy ammunition dumps
were destroyed by American artillery.
The statement on operations yester-
day told of the capture of Germans by
American patrols in the Chateau Thierry
region and the repulse Of hostile raid
ing party and two enemy patrols in the
Vosges.
PsrShtngs Statement.
General Pershing's communique for
Picardy says:
took
prisoners in the Chateau Thierry re-
gion. In Picardy. Chateau Thierry re-
gion and in the Vosges there was brisk
artillery fighting. In the Vosges hos
tile raiding party and two patrols, at
tempting to reach our lines, were driven
off"
Section 3: Concerning the operations
of our troops in the vicinity of VauX
July / to July 2, it is stated the enemy
fled in disorder from the Bots de la
Roche to the Bots des ROCKETS before
our infantry. Hand-to-hand fighting was
of short duration. So effective was our
artillery fire that communication be-
tween German battalion and regimental
headquarters could be maintained only
by a single messenger dog. Intense
machine gun fire and a heavy lombard
ment of the Clerembauts wood and ad-
jacent points preceded the German coun-
ter attack Some gas was used. Hos
tile airplanes, which made frequent
flights. dropped bombs on some of our
advanced positions in the early morning
and in one case fired on our lines. One
of them was brought down near Torcy.
In the German rear long column OF
men and wagons moved from point to
point, while during the night red and
green rockets gave signals, while search
lights kept watch for our airplanes.
"In this sector between the evening
of July 3 and July activity on both
sides greatly decreased. The enemy,
however, shelled the region of the Ma
rette wood with gas during the morning
hours and put down some harassing and
introduction fire in our rear areas. Our
own batteries maintained a continuous
harassing fire, apparently destroying an
ammunition dump in Etrepilly and set
ting on fire buildings in the enemy's
rear areas. 1t was again notable that
the activity of the enemy's air forces
decreased, while our own became more
aggressive American snipers seemed
to be successful in killing and wound
ing a number of the enemy during the
day. One of our reconnaissance patrols.
consisting of a corporal and two men.
crawled from our front lines north OF
Vaux to a house inside the German
lines at Bots des ROCKETS at o'clock
in the afternoon. They captured Ger
man outpost of two men and brought
them back to our lines at 4 o'clock in
the afternoon in spite of the continuous
fire of German snipers.
Spent Quiet Day
"Our troops located along the Marine
at p. m. on July 1 to p. m. on July
,, experienced a comparatively quiet
day. There was, however, an Increase
in the enemys rifle and machine gun
fire. the result of our activities in pa
trolling. The enemy's light artillery
fire consisted of shells of small cali
her A decrease was also noted in the
enemys airplane activity, which was
concentrated on observation and recon-
naissance work. These planes made
flights along our lines singly and in
usual patrol formations. Several hos
tile observation balloons were also seen.
There was an unusual amount OIL
movement in the enemy's rear areas,
but no large groups were observed.
"a large number of wagons were seen
in the vicinity of Charteves. The en-
emy's signalling continues excessive.
There were several indications of hits
being made by our artillery on the am
munition dumps in the enemy's rear
areas. One of these occurred late In
the evening when large blaze was seen
in the sky and a heavy explosion heard
from a point which had just been SMELL
ed by our artillery. Later in the same
vicinity an occasional glow was seen
and reports were heard. Our guns had
been firing very heavily in that direc-
ton prior to the explosion. Another
explosion probably of an ammunition
dump, occurred at about the same time
in another locality where bright light
was at first observed, followed direct
" by a loud explosion. In the early
morning of July there was still an
other report of an explosion. Our guns
were playing on this particular spot at
,he time and the -enort. tho smoke
which Immediately arose, he high shoot
ing flames and the bursting of car
tridges are evidence that this was still