Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-07-26
AMERICANS And
French VICT0RS
Germans Taken Completely by
Surprise in Scissors Salient IN
Greatest Attack Since 1917.
ENEMYS REAR IN PERIL.
Americans Go Over the Top With a
Cheer-PIay Leapfrog With Foe.
One Unit Advancing Undersar-
rage and Digging In.
ENEMY'S REAR IN PERIL.

On the French Front in FRANCE
The French-American attack along the
broad front north of the Marine was an
absolute surprise. Many German OH
GERS were captured while asleep, ana
numbers of the men were taken Wlllie
harvesting rye. The greatest stupc'
faction was created among all the enc
my troops holding the lines at the SUD-
dcnness of the attack. Some OF ne
prisoners declare they had been tolu
it was impossible for the allies TO car
~ out an operation in the way OF an
offensive for some time.
Many tanks participated In the at
lack, having been able to take up their
positions during the terrific STORM
which prevailed The American troops
co-operatfng with their French COM
rades in the assault, did brilliant WORK.
Around Courchamp, northwest OF
Chateal-Thierry, the German resist
ance was more obstinate than on any
other part Of the Paris line.
In this region the allies captured 10
cannon, numerous machine guns ana
large numbers Of prisoners who nave
rot yet been counted.
The allied troops showed wonderful
spirits and advanced singing. A pat
talon OF infantry crossed the river
Savieres breast high In water
The barrage fire preceded the waves
of infantry, but one of the heaviest
storms Of this year drowned the noise
of the shells. Most Of the Germans
lad taken shelter in their dugouts
from the deluge, and the entente al
lied troops were among them with
grenades and bayonets before they had
time to turn around.
The entente allied troops are dis
playing the utmost fervor in the at
tack, their desire being to strike
strong blow in return for the recent
German assault.
Thousands of prisoners have been
captured, including at least 1000 by
the Americans. Twenty villages have
been taken, and in we'll Informed mill
tary circles il Is believed that unless
the German higher command can sum-
mon quickly men and guns to stop the
Franco-American advance the German
armies now operating in the salient
from Rheims to scissors will be cut
off. In some quarters the confident
prediction was made that these big
German armies would be captured.
All reports from the front say that
the French and American troops
crashed into the enemy's position with
the most unparalleled fury and that
the Germans were carried off their
feet by the dash of the attack. The
German batteries and machine gun
positions were cut to shreds by the in
tensity of the allied fire, and the de-
tenders came swarnIng out in thou
sands with their hands in the air and
the old German cry Of "Kamerad" on
their lips.
The French for the first time used
their new mosquito" tanks, and these
did terrible execution among the Ger
mans. Driving ahead OF the infantry,
turning, twisting, climbing over
trenches and shell holes, they poured
steady streams Of lead into the gray
clad ranks.
The plan of the attack is seen by
military critics here to have been mag
nifcent in it's conception and Of bold
ness characteristic of General Foch.
His design, observers believe, is the
segregation Of that entire group of
German armies operating in the salient
extending from scissors to Rheims,
which includes all the Germans now
operating under the. direction Of the
Crown Prince from Rheims to Cha
teau Thierry, including the thousands
along the Marine.