The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-12-23
when The YAukS
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 Meuse
when the Americans burst through
them.
The advanced line, the enemy's old
line, called the Hagen stellung; his
intermediate line ran a kilometer OF
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, a 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
Montfaucen.
The three-hour artillery preparation
between 2 80 and 5 80 o'clock in the
morning had driven the enemy to his
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 stronehoIds.
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
handing positions. The system for re-
ducing these strongholds was identical
with that already practiced by the
enemy in his various offensive opera
lions.
The advanced waves of storming
troops going forward in open order,
worked their way between the strong
points, often by worming along for con-
siderable distances on their stolnachs,
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
ear of the strong points and pick off |
Eases.
1t was the job of the succeeding |
waves of assault, with their light ma
hlne guns and their little trench NOR
ars mounted on light, twO-wheeled
arts hauled by man power to reduce
hese strong points with or without the
ID Of artillery, tanks, or airplaneS.
he most advanced waves were en-
lrely safe from the machine gun pO-
itfons once they passed them, as the
'Oches usually could not work their
uns toward their own rear, the en-
lacement having been organized with
view to firing ahead or on the tanks
My. Furthermore, if the Germans
red toward the rear, they would re-
cal their presence to the succeeding
waves which would put
lem out of action before they could :
wing around again. f
Why Casualties Are Light.
1t is because the attacking waves
ent forward deployed in extended 7
and behind a curtain of fire
bursting shells, a creeping barrage,
lat casualties among attacking ;
oops were so much lighter than any :
lie unfamiliar with these tactics f
light imagine.
The doughboys passed Montfaucon, {
hich was hive of machine gun
.sts in their advance toward Nam
lois and Cierges, and it was not I'M
the day after the town had been :
'actically surrounded that the last :
emy resistance was crushed there. G
ter penetrating well beyond Mont
ucon on either side. American pa
DIS of twos and threes began to =
the town and the chateau s.
itch stands on tent-like ridge COM
lndng the plain in all directions. -
lose patrols which entered from the
nth, from behind, worked their way
rough the ruins of shell-shattered y
uses right up to the front of the
wn, where they sniped the German =
lchine gunners in the backs, as they D
re firing on American patrols adj
ncing from Cuisy. Prisoners were -
zen from the deep dusouts SO and
feet below the ruined town two =
- after the Americans had estab- q
ned themselves in the town. -