The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-09-14
American Runners Leap Body of
German and Brave Shells
With Messages.
Defy STORM or BULLETS
Sergeant Croshaw of Grand Rapids
(Mich.) Spent Four Days and
Nights in an Observation Post
Directing U. S. Army oper.
ations.

the Aisne in spite Of strong enemy re-
sistance are reported by General Per-
shing in his communique announcing
the capture Of Terny-Sorny. The COM
munique follows: North of the Aisne
our troops have continued to advance
in spite of the strong resistance Of the
enemy, and have taken the village Of
Terny-Sorny In the operations Mon
day in this region they captured 572
prisoners, two 105-caliber guns and IS
machine guns. North Of the Vesle
two local hostile attacks west of
Fismes were repulsed with loss.
With the French Army in France,
Sept. 4.-The French and Americans
met around Juvigny the elite Of the
German army, Prussian grenadiers,
storming battalion and hardy mounted
infantrymen. They defeated them de-
cisively, taking an enormous death toll
from their ranks and sending a goodly
number of captives to the rear. The
correspondent saw a column of these
prisoners filing back over the plateau
to the west where white wood crosses
over fresh graves marked the scene of
other recent defeats. Some were young
but all were sturdy, and humiliation
and depression showed in their faces,
rather than the satisfaction exhibited
sby other prisoners over their final re-
treat from the inferno Of war.
The Americans co-operated in the at
tack on Juvigny with the type Of tanks
which the French have named "chars
d'assaut," or shock cars. These en-
gInes of war have been called "armored
infantry" They have all the supple
ness of troops afoot and they advance
readily into the enemy's positions,
dealing death with grewsome profusion
from their quick firers and cannon.
One of these cars, manned by French
lieutenant, killed 200 Germans before
Juvigny. He had just abandoned a
damaged tank to take the place Of a
wounded man in another. His pilot,
whose orders were to stay by the dis
abled car, was unable to resist the
enthusiasm Of the troops charging past
his abandoned post, and fell in with a
platoon of Americans short Of officers.
The pilot showed them the route and
fought with them all afternoon.
"It's good to see how those Ameri-
cans fight" this boy said to the corre-
spondent. "We are glad to fight with
them. Together we will get the Ger
mans"
Runners Brave Hun Fire.
With the American Army In France,
Sept. 4.-After four days and nights
passed in an observation post in the
region Of Juvigny Sergt. Ira Croshaw
of Grand Rapids, Mich, has returned
to division headquarters after having
witnessed virtually all Of the Ameri-
can daylight action since the attack
on the plateau began last Wednesday
morning.
The hill where the observation post
is located commands view Of the
country for miles around, the Germans
having erected shell-proof tower of
concrete and steel rails with room
6 feet thick and the sides feet. In
addition to a telephone Sergeant Gro
shaw had seven runners. The tower
exit faced the German lines and the
enemy machine gunners opened fire
every time an individual was sighted,
but none of the runners was lost.
Dead German in Doorway.
When Sergeant Croshaw reached the
tower he found a dead German at the
entrance, but before he could bury the
body the shelling started. The first
day the American runners crawled back
and forth into the tower entrance over
the body of the dead German, the
Americans finally burying 1t beneath
the entrance.
Sergeant Croshaw witnessed the
Americans cross the veritable sea of
barbed wire net work ON Sunday after
noon, while the Americans were east
ward bound. He saw his countrymen
cross trench after trench by bounds
until he wondered how infantrymen
stood the rain of shells and machine
gun fire pouring upon the plateau.
Time and again advancing infantry
men were compelled to halt and cut or
break down wire entanglements to get
through. Men ahead were supplied
with wire cutters to complete the job
started by the artillerx. Manx trench