Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-12-18

when THE YANKS
STRUCK ON MEUSE
American Doughboys Faced
Three Fortified Defense
Systems.
NOTHING COULD STOP THEM
Interesting Description Of One Of the
Last Big Fights In Which
Pershing's Troops Were
Engaged.

With the First American Army
Three fortified defensive systems
guarded the German positions be-
tween the Argonne and the Mouse
when the Americans burst through
them.
The advanced line, the enemy's old
line, called the Hagen stellung; his
intermediate line ran kilometer or
two behind it, according to the config-
uration of the terrain, hills, streams
and woods, and was called the Volker
stellung. Behind that ran his main
reserve line of defense, the Kremhilde
stellung, continuation of the Brun-
hide stellung. which runs through
Champagne.
AT their first bound the attacking
waves Of doughboys swept over the
first two fortified zones with their
barbed-wire entanglements cut to
pieces by the preliminary lombard
ment, and In several points they PEN
etrated the Kremhilde stellung, which
pivoted in the Aire-Meuse sector on
Montfaucon.
The three-hour artillery preparation
between 2 80 and 5 80 o'clock in the
morning had driven the enemy to his
deepest dugouts and the advanced as
sault troops were in the trenches
throwing gas bombs and grenades.
down the stairways into the under
ground bombproof shelters before the
Boches could get upstairs.
Reducing stronshoIds.
Between the three different lines Of
intrenched positions the Boches had
installed series of strong points, ma.
chine gun nests, sometimes emplaced
In concrete and steel pillboxes, or else
merely set in strong, natural, COM
manding positions. The system for re-
ducing these strongholds was Identical
with that already practiced by the
enemy in his various offensive opera
tons.
The advanced waves Of stormfng
troops going forward in open order,
worked their way between the strong
points, often by worming along for con-
siderable distances on their stomachs,
or by crawling on hands and knees
through woods or along ravineS. Ar
irving in the rear of these positions,
they established contact with one an
other and proceeded forward, leaving
snipers to work their way back In the
rear of the strong points and pick off
the Boche machine gunners in many
cases.
1t was the job of the succeeding
waves of assault, with their light ma
chine guns and their little trench NOR
tars mounted on light, two-wheeled
carts hauled by man power to reduce
these strong points with or without the
aid of artillery, tanks, or airplanes.
The most advanced waves were en-
tirely safe from the machine gun po-
sitions once they passed them, as the
Boches usually could not work their
guns toward their own rear, the en-
placement having been organized with
a view to firing ahead or on the TANKS
only. Furthermore. If the Germans
fred toward the rear, they would re-
veal their presence to the succeeding
attacking waves which would put
them out of action before they could
swing around again.
Why Casualties Are Light.
1t is because the attacking waves
went forward deployed In extended
formation and behind curtain of fire
| of bursting shells, a creeping barrage,
that casualties among attacking
troops were so much lighter than any
one unfamiliar with these tactics
might imagine.
The doughboys passed Montfaucon
which was hive Of machine gun
nests In their advance toward Nan
tillois and Cierges, and 1t was not I'm
| til the day after the town had been
practically surrounded that the las
enemy resistance was crushed there
After penetrating well beyond Mont
faTc06 on either side, American pa
trolls of twos and threes began tt
reconnoitre the town and the chatear
which stands on d tent-like ridge com
handing the plain in all directions
Those patrols which entered from the
north, from behind, worked their way
through the ruins of shell-shattereo
houses right up to the front OF the
town, where they sniped the German
machine gunners In the backs, as they
were firing on American patrols ad
yancing from Cuisy. Prisoners were
taken from the deep dugouts so and
60 feet below the ruined town two
days after the Americans had estab
ushed themselves In the town.