The sun., 1918-09-02
Take Strong Positions in
Flanders-Gain 2 Miles
on the Aisne Front.
BLAST PATH WITH TANKS
Fresh Foe Divisions Beaten
With New Barrage and 600
Prisoners Taken.
BY TIE Associated Press.


mexeele and were engaged In the Op-
erations elsewhere in the same local.
ity.
LONDON, Sept. 1.-Reuter's corre-
spOndent at British headquarters says
he hears that the Americans. besides
taking voormexeele, have captured
several strong positions between VOOr-
mexeele and Ypres.
BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE.
Sept. 1.-Again the German defences
north OF Scissors have been cracked
by the Americans, who tonight have
made secure their new positions near
Tcrny-Sorny and on a line along the
Bethune- Scissors road.
The Americans are still at the apex
Of the allied forces in that part OF the
general front. and the commanding
officer, the French General Mangin,
to-day supplemented his messages OF
congratulations, expressing to the Amer
ican commander admiration for his
units work and frankly admitting his
surprise that troops comparatively new
such dash and br!liancy.
Guns and Prisoners Taken.
The American troops in their drive be-
yond Juvigny last night and to-day ad-
vanced about two miles and captured
nearly 600 prisoners. together with con-
siderable war supplies.
The advance from Juv,gHy began at
4 O'Clock Saturday and the Ameri-
cans had gained their objective by
| o'clock at night. Ragged points in the
new line were smoothed out to-day
In addition to the 600 prisoners two
pieces of artillery were captured and
great number OF machine guns and
trench mortars. Trenches. shell holes
| and the open field were strewn with
| German dead.
The drive forward from the positions
north and south Of Juvigny proved a
field day for the Americans and their
allies. the French. The artillery liter
| ally blasted way through the enemy
; ranks, tearing down defences and lever
| ling the ground, while allied planes
/ maintained complete and uninterrupted
! connection by radio with battery COM
manders throughout the engagement.
Thrilling Pursuit of Foe.
The infantry. when called upon for its
mart in the dramatic venture. responded
: like veteran troops after a long period
! of rest. and with enthusiastic shouts be-
gan the pursuit Of the Germans VINO
were not caught in the terrific barrase
With the infantry went the tanks, and
! it was different story from that when
they first advanced against Jurigny. TWO
companies, thirty tanks, had been de-
tailed for. the work. They were light
two men French tanks capable OF a
speed over rough ground OF ten or nj
teen miles an hour and almost as easily
| handled as an automobile. Their work
was performed admirably. and full ad-
vantage was taken by the advancing
troops
When the order for the advance was
given the Americans leaped out OF Their
positions, plunging forward toward the
! points that had been indicated. From
| out OF concealed positions moved the
tanks along paths leading to machine
gun nests North of Juvigny there was
| n hill on which the Germans had con-
centrated a strong machine gun force
but there was little 10 DO there Wnen the
| infantry arrived. The positions had
actually been obliterated In some cases
Little organised Opposition.
There was no organized resistance on
a big scale. 1t was a case of mopping
I'D rather an extended district. The
Germans who were still left in the area
we're detached forces. many of them in
| caves some in sections OF the ancien,
network OF trenches and some behind
fallen masonry of the ruined farm
houses and villages. But many OF those
fought perhaps because they failed tC
understand they were so completely de.
tached,
Terny- -Sorny was reached by the Amer
leans without a struggle, but practically
every other position between the Amer
lean line OF departure and the objective
was yielded only because the German,
were unable to retain II.
From prisoners II was learned thai
within the last few days there had beer
placed in the sector in front OF III,
Americans two new German divisions
the 2sSth and the 227th, the first o.
which marched from Rheims and the
other from Metz. Both were eXcellen
organizations. but. like other division,
encountered In the last few weeks were
afflicted with that mysterious something
which caused them to crack wheI
pounded by the rejuvenated Allies.
Something new in the way OF a bar
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