Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-31
Flags In The Air


fire of our guns whose shells raked the
ground until it was like the open gate
of hell.
Across the valley the outlines of Can.
tigny's ruins were occasionally visspie
through the smoke. To the rear an OBJ.
servation hill, once wooded, had been
almost stripped, the bare skeletons of
the remaining trees standing like skele-
tons in the early sunlight.
Then a straight line of fluffy white
smoke appeared at the base of the hin
and moved slowly upward enveloping
everything as it advanced. 1t was the
barrage behind which the Americans
could be seen through field glasses like
mere dots, creeping slowly and steadily
forward behind the curtain Of their own
fire. In the valley French tanks erept
and slid and slipped like caterpfllars
towards the enemy. Their sides spat fire
at the Germans as they advanced and
cleaned up the enemy machine gun nests
with the doughboys trailing behind
them.
Artillery Fire Fierce
Meanwhile the artillery fire continued
in terrific volume. Bursting shells from
the big guns could be seen far to the
rear of the German lines. All the Ger
man batteries were bathed in deluge
of gas and the roads behind over which
the enemy might send reinforcemeuts
were kept under constant rain of high
explosive Shells German sausage bal
looms attempting observation work
drifted and swung in mid-air but the
French planes maintained supreme con-
troll of the air throughout the fight.
The weather was ideal for an attack.
After night spent in dugout, | start
ed to walk further toward the front.
AT daybreak a mist hung low over the
valleys, coneealing everything. Slanting
rays of sunlight gradually broke
through the mist soon revealed the Am
erican batteries already in action. New
guns appeared suddenly in the most
unexpected places, having been brought
up during the night. A little further on
| came to the ruins of a church. The
tombstones in the graveyard had been
uprooted by the high explosives, the
altar was demolished and only few
broken, vacant pews seemed silent wit
nesses to Americas first offensive
thrust in France.
Once past the heavy artillery, the
bark of the light guns could be heard
These guns stood in the open, then
short, sharp reports breaking into the
constant ripping sound that filled the
air as heavy shells, passed overhead and
the low rumble of explosions beyond
The fire of the heavya artillery was SC
violent that separate explosions behind
the enemy's line could scarcely be dis
tinguished. The roar was more like that
of a gigantic blast furnace.
German Prisoners Grinned
Occasionally during the shelling a
Thick column of black smoke could be
Distinguished behind the boche front
line, signalling the destruction of some
German ammunition dump. When !
reached the beet pile observation post,
the battle was at its height. Returning
across the field German prisoners slip
Led along between lines Of Americans
covered with the dust and CRIME Of bat
tie but grinning broadly.
When the American infantrymen en-
tered Cantigny they opened a grenade
attack on the enemy and quickly clear
ed the village. Within Cantigny is a
natural cave capable Of holding 400 per-
sons. Forty Americans carrying flame
throwers were detailed to take care of
that spot and places like it. American
machine gunners followed the infantry
closely and the newly won lines wcro
quickly consolidated.
After the capture Of the village, car
rier pigeons carried by men in the first
companies which went over the top,
were released and carried back to head
quarters reports Of the battle s progress.
Men of the signal corps rapidly strung
wires to all points of the occupied ter
ritory and soon all Of it was in touch
with the commander.
When l returned to the rear, l pass
ed the batteries still standing in tho
open and pumping shells into the Ger
mans.
The French Cheered.
Smiling French artillerymen cried
out: "Bon Americans; baltu les
bOchesO
Passing into village behind the Am
erican lines, which for days had been
u der shell fire, J fourd q full blown
hall game progressing, while the artil.
Iery not far away was still firing.
Drawn up in rather battered field,
wiCh shell hole as first base, two teams
Of doughboys who had not been involv-
sd in the Cantigny battle were staging
baseball fight Of their own, paying
no heed to the German shells whistling
overhead.
In the headquarters dugout telephones
were jingling and officers were receiv.
ing detailed reports Of every movement
"a the front. There learned that the
enemy was making relief when the
american attack was launched. Two
German regiments were thus caught, un
prepared.
BY s O'Clock all the tanks had re
tnrned and all the objective positions
ihad been consolidated. The extension Of
| tn, American lines stakes an observa
ti0n post from the b0ehes and puts th'