Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-06
REPORT FROM AMERICAN
 ARMY ON AISNE FRONT

With the American Army on the A1sne Front. Sept. 5.-CBy, The ASso- ciated Press). With the exception of few machine attachments, left to sacrifice themselves in an effort to cover the retreat. the Germans were
 cn the north side of the Aisne tonight, The American and French troops,
 who have followed closely on the heels | Of the enemy since the evacuation of the Vesle valley began, were still in
 contact, harassing the rear guard and hastening the movement of the whole force.
 Long before nightfall the Ameri-
 cans had worked their way down into | the lowlands towards the Aisne off
 the plateau from which they had been
 able to look over the next valley at
 the cathedral towers in Laon. not if
 teen miles away
 It is at that point where is located the heart of the present German op-
 erations. Laon is a great communi- cation center and must naturally be defended with the utmost determina- tion if the allied forces are to be pre- vented from driving back to it the | German lines from west and south. The retirement of the Germans to positions north of the Aisne is re-
 garded as only preliminary to their re- occupation of their old lines of de-
 fence along, the Chemin des Danes. With, their re-crossing of the Aisne
 the second phase of the retreat from
 the Marne is ended.
 In the first they were driven back mile by mile and desperate fighting
 marked almost every bit of the terri
 tory yielded. It was entirely differ ent. in this case. It was. in face q strategic retreat and has cost com , paratively little in men and muni- . ltions.
 So steady and rapid was the with ) l di awdl, of the Germans carried out , that French cavalry was employed to- day to maintain contact at one or two Elaces, the cavalry also contributing 7 to the location of machine gun nests. : The Americans were subjected at ltimes to rather heavy artillery fire, f especially while going over the pla- ) teau. For about two miles it was r necessary for them to advance in the I open over high ground plainly visible
 to the German observers. There was V little cover and both heavy and light T artillery swept the zone, but with n slight effect and without checking to }. any degree the forward movement. n The French and American artillery, n meanwhile, delivered a punitive fire
 directed against the villages and
 iIOddS DGy lliS a1SuG cIQ SQ0lI6U
 the points where machine gun nests ? were located. The clearing out oi
 these nests was accomplished more by :. the artillery in this engagement than u in previous battles. These machine . guns had been left by the Germans = along the line admirably constructed Il The usual overwhelming number o1 y altomatics were substituted for men t and these were so placed that never d were they so far apart that from some e angle crossfre could not be effec.
 lively used.
 l. Some sharp engagements did occur r. These were brief however, the Ger. st mans who were not killed or seriousl! Ie wounded withdrawing along little com ie niunication trenches into largt oI trenches leading to ravines, througl l. which they escaped Fewer than 2 le prisoners were taken today u The movement of the American II over the plateau was effected withou
 material loss. because instead of ad
 vancing in regular formations, the.
 were filtered into and through tn o zone, never presenting a satisfactor. Iy target. The progress down into tn ye lowlands was similarly carried out. It would be no surprise if the Ger l. mans extended their evacuation to tn d region south of the Aisne which the l. hold in the direction Of Rheims. 1t l. considered possible that had pus as been made there. that part too woul " have been included Jn the gains of tn
 past few days, but it is regarded a p, inevitable that the Germans will fin ,h that the newly made salient is unten l. able. If they do not withdraw the " will be in a serious position. as at an ty tune pressure may be eXerted bot of from the south and northwest