The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-18
HEROISM SHOWN BY TANKS WHO
 TOOK CRANDPRE
Waded River Without Ar tillery Barrage and Sur
 prised Foe.

With the American Army Northwest of Verdun, Oct 1S.---When it was seen Wednesday night that the Germans had effected a concentration in Ban theville Wood for a counter attack on the Cote de Chatillon, which the Americans had captured, the Ameri can artillery opened up heavily. The pounding resulted in keeping the Ger mans in their trenches.
 Rainy weather continues to inter- fere with the operations on this front.
 The capture of Grandpre by Gen. Pershing's forces was accomplished under terrific harGships and with a heroism not hinted at in the brief of ficial announcement of the taking of this stronghold of the Germans north of the Argonne forest.
 The Americans took the town pri- marily by outwitting the enemy---by attacking without artillery prepara- ton, which the Germans had expect ed, by wading the .River Aire at four points instead of building bridges, by struggling through almost impossible mud step by step until suddenly on | top of the amazed Germans and by driving them into retreat after hand to hand fighting.
 1 The Americans had moved to a point within short distance of Grandp-e and the Germans had de- stroyed the bridges over the shallow Aire as they retreated. The enemy obviously expected an artillery fire u preface any further attack, for his surprise was unfeigned when the Americans smashed into his positions. The American attack began at six o'clock in the morning. The men moved forward in the shelter of the forest, reaching the Aire at four points agreed upon where the stream could be forded.
 Without attracting the attention of the Germans the Americans then waded into the cold water, which reached to their waists and higher
 and pushed across the stream.
 On the northern bank they found
 broad mud flats, into which they sank
 half way to their knees. The Ger
 mans by this time had discovere:
 their approach and opened a bitter
 machine gun fire, but the Americans
 PuSllOA olCdulIN Oils IOCy Cllu lIlO IIlul
 banks, which they crossed slowly ant
 with the greatest difficulty, the Amer
 jeans found the Germans and closed
 with them in a desperate bayone
 hand to hand fight. Rifles often were
 used as clubs and each man struggled
 with individual opponents.
 At Il o'clock the Americans hat completely overcome the enemy, haC
 driven him into the woods north O Grandpre and were in possession O the important railhead
 In complete control of the Cote Cha
 tilon. the Americans now hold the ke!
 to the great stretches to the nTtl and northeast
 In It's successful advance north O
 the Argonne forest Wednesday tn, American First Army reached Cham pignnelle. one mile noth of St. Juvin A little farther east toward the Meus, , they gained possession of the Cote-de ChatIllon.
 East of the Mouse the American moved forward in the Bois de li Grande Montague. the summit o which they now hold. After havin! captured Grand Pre-, the American
 advanced their lines to the eastwar and occupied Moulin-les-Pas The, surged forward until they had take . control of Loges Wood, one and ) half miles north of Checieres The American advance everywher i was desperately contested, especiall s during the crossing of the Aire river 9 but they pressed on.
 A part of yesterdays work consiste
 In the consolidation of positions O
 Hill 1S2, just north of St. Juvin. Tn 3 American artillery was active all da
 and the German guns responded free 1t ly. Infantry fighting, however wa l. limited to the left flank of this sector u Additional evidence has been re j. ceived from prisoners that the Ge, n mans are putting In the best division l. they have ir the effort to check tn n American advance