Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-20
u. s. DriUes Wedge
Into Foes Lines
Continued from Pare Ono

no case have the Americans Jagged
behind, The only difficulties have
come through their not stopping upon
reaching their obiectives.
There was a busy scene yesterday
back of the battleline. started out
to a certain place to find one of our
headquarters. When got there I
found lone doughboy, who said that
headquarters had moved ahead.
went there, and they had been moved
again. Finally | found Headquarters
at place which before the attack
started had been in German hands,
AS has been told. the attack started
without artillery preparation. AS the
boys started the artillery laid down
a barrage of short duration. and then
lifted 1t to the limit of the range. our
men reached that limit and we had to
stop firing until the horses could he
hltched to the guns. which were car.
ried further TO the front.
The American attack schedule
worked like this--a hundred Yards In
three minutes, rest of five minutes
another hundred yards and a rest of
forty minutes. Because the boche was
completely surprised and the going was
found to be easy. many of our men
disregarded the schedule and went on
further. The waves which were sup.
posed to overflow one another finally
got going all together. ana this proved
to be not half bad when the Germans
launched their counter.attacks.
The most formidable German coun.
ter.attack against the Americans was
aimed at our troops near Soissons.
but just as 1t started at noon the
Americans started a fresh attack fur.
ther south. which smashed tho Ger.
man Counter-attack and netted us A
gain of three kilometers and several
hundred prisoners. In this attack the
Americans got fifty-'wo field guns.
Tanks 10 Great Work
A fleet OF tanks did ycoman work,
smashing their way through The German
defenses. In several instances the Amer
leans got ahead of the tanks and cut
the wire with pliers.
The front on which our tanks were
used was the only spot where the Ger
mans were found to be the least bit ey.
peqting our attack They had heard
the tanks coming. and had got ready
However. the resistance was overcome
in twenty minutes of fighting
Many of our troops rushed from, dis
tdht BoihtS W idNt part III the attack
I know of one unit which got to the de.
training point, twelve kllometers from
the fight. where It was to be met by
trucks. The trucks weren't there. and
so the boys said I'VE will walk" and
they ,did. into the battle
The artillery against the French ant
Americans was very light. because o
so many German guns being captured o,
forced hurredly back. Because OF tn,
absence of artillery fire. an extraordl
| narily large proportion o. our casualties
! were only slightly wounded. Back o
the lines for every stretcher case saw
there seemed to be twenty slight.
| wounded.
In one truck filled with such young
sters was dignified chaplain comfort
! ing them. When he saw a carload o
correspondents. he landed from tn
truck and shouted:
The boys are giving Heinie hell vi
ahead--Beaucoup hell -
| There was a wonderful sight in man.
big woods back of the Allied line. TIL
| French and Americans were makin
camp in the shade of mighty tree
! standing in the straight rows of an arti
fetal forest. II looked like big picnic
far removed from the trench warfare o
which the armies have seen SO much i
| TdHtt III iIIe ldSl loul s'"iS' ''''' s'''
j were, camped out in the open. ready I
| pack up and move backward this morn
ing, If the call came.
1t was certainly more comfortable 10
the Americans than being cooped up |
the dirty little billets where they nav
been living for the last few months.
This is regular war was the wa
one Of our lads put It.
think that the happiest American
seen in long time were half hundre
who were stretching barbed wire u
trees, making a big corral, Inside
were $500 German prisoners. "They'i
all ours, too" explained a corporal, VIII
was hammering stakes. speaking wit
the same sort of pride with which j
would have described big string
fish.
Evidence is abundant that Genera
Foch's little surprise party played have
with the Crown Princes drive for Epei
nay and Chalons. The shock troor
known to have been rushing east {
Dormans Wednesday were not hear
from yesteday and the whole Gema
effort east of Chateau-Thierry slowe
down. Events will show what change
have been made in the enemy's plan
but he must realize now that his who
Chateau-Thierry. salient is in peril
glance at the map shows what man
days advances like those Of yeste
day will mean to the whole Germa
salient dipping toward the Marne. Pei
haps General Foch has not played HI
whole hand yet Perhaps the Allie
drive may have wider effects than tn
slowing up of the German drive fc
Chalons and Epernay. The next tw
weeks may tell.
The Allied drive has put new heal
into this part of France. People WI
yesterday were packing up their belong
ings preparatory to evacuating towr
south of the Marne are today unpackir
their wagons and moving back into the
houses, only stopping long enough
cheer the passing American soldier
Somehow or other they seem to thin
that things have changed. seem TO thir
that now the French people will do l
more eyacuating