Licking Valley courier., 1918-09-19
NEWS review or
The Great WAR
American First Army Makes At
tack on Both Sides of St.
MihieI Salient.
HUN ARMY MAY Be TRAPPED
Many Towns and Prisoners Taken
Foch May Be Aiming at Metz
Germans in Picardy Trying TO
Halt Retreat Approximately
on Hindenburg Line.
BY EDWARD w. PlcKARp.

BY EDWARD w.. PlCKARD. !
The American First army General
Pershing commanding, started the first !
great wholly American }oaiensive
attacking on both sides of
~ 4isl saittfir tfireas rst s
verdun. The Inch assisted by at
lacking on the point Of the salient. hut
the operation was planned by the
American staff and executed by Amer
team officers and troops.
After terrific artillery preparation
which for four hours smOthered the
entire region within the German lines
with shells, the Yanks went over the
top exactly at five o'clock, following
Il rolling barrage timed for an ad-
vance Of 100 meters every 40 minutes.
Great numbers of tanks supported
them and cleared the way by crushing
numerous concrete machine gun shell
ters and breaking down the elaborate
wire dcfenses. American avlators In
flocis quickly drove away the few Hun
airmen In sight and thereafter del
uged the enemy supply centers, mu-
milton dumps and hangers with
bombs. while the observation planes
directed the work Of the artillery.
Everything moved like clockwork and
the troops speedily gained their OBJ
iectlves and went on to the next ones.
Village after village was taken and
by Friday. tie cavalry had advanced
far into the center Of the salient and
occupied strong positions. At the
time of writing the drive was progress.
'ng steadily and the Germans were In
danger Of finding their retreat from
he big wedge entirely cut OF. Hun
dreds Of prisoners were taken. The
| st. Mlhel salient had been held by
the Huns ever since 1914 and was
very strongly fortified It's base is to-
ward the German stronghold Of Metz
and II may be that the drive Is direct
cd against that city. However, Mar
shall Foch's strategy had not been re-
vealeG when this waS written.
Id
Having given I'M all the ground thel
won In their great spring drive, on'
finding themselves back on the ole
Hindenbdrg line, and In some place
well behind it, the Germans decided t
stop their retreat for while. Marsha
Foch did not fully assent to this dec'
sion, but powerful concentrations q
Hun artillery and reserves in stron
positions, coupled with torrentiG
rains throughout PlCarGy, brought til
allied offensive almost q tcmporar
stnndstlll. Not that the fighting b
any means ceased. for the French nm
British kept pressing forward, thoug
more slowly, and the Germans deli'
cred desperate counter-attackS whic
in almost every instance resulted onl
: in severe losses for them.
II is the opinion of expert observer
that the halt of the Huns approXimNt
: ly on the Hlndenburg line will be on
+ temporary, Indeed, Il is believed III,
/ cannot stay there long II til,
= would For many weeks they hn'
= been hastily building new lines of d
s fense farther enst, and Marcel Hut
d in the Echo de Paris says they are no
It constructing n supreme line from Al
werp to Metz and are putting the Al
wcrp forts In defensive condltlo
r Their present line depends on Dou'
rs Cnmbral, ST. Quentin and Laon, N
Il farther to the southeast, on the Chem
le des Danes. Douai already was |
~ Ing evacuated last week and the Il
". drome moles east OF II We're being Il
r. mantled. The British, fighting fer,
ne ly and repuls'ng heavy counter-attac'
r. were advancing steadily through II,
rlncourt, Pezleres and Gou2eaucor
and forced a crossing of the Canal
It Nord, thus taking the main defense
re Camhral on the southwest ST. hQpt