The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-31
ORDERLY RETREAT
OF THE GERMANS
STILL CONTINUING
Americans in Bitter Hand to
Hand Conflicts Yesterday.
Battle Toward Fismes Is Con-
stantly Growing Fiercer.
HUNS LAY TRAPS FOR YANKS
Mine Roads and Bridges That
They Must Advance Over.
Desperate Struggle Going On
for Mastery OF Air.
BY FRED S. FERGUSON.

With the American Army in France,
July 31.-Stiff resistance the Germans
are now putting up indicates that
strong line has been established and
bitter efforts are being made TO keep
the allies from breaking thru it but
prisoners insist the enemy will make
his most determined stand between
Rheims and Scissors
The orderly German retreat toward
Fismes is still in progress, screened by
heavy rear guard action along the line
from Vile Montoire thru Parcy- Et-
Tigny, Grand Rozoy and Fere-Er-
Tardenois eastward beyond Seringes
and Sergy and on to RoncEeres
Americans hold Sergy and Hill 212
nearby. They also have stormed and
hold Meurcy farm.
Battle Grows Fiercer.
The battle is constantly becoming
fiercer- In bitter hand to hand con-
flicts the American infantry was at
grips with the enemy all day ysster-
day German artillery is working
with the infantry for the first time
since the retreat started. American
artillery is superb1y backing up our
infantrymen.
Remnants of the Fourth Prussian
guard continue to oppose the A,neri-
can advance in the region of Sergy-
In the fighting there, our troops
charged up one side of a hill and
over the crest into strong German
forces massed on the opposite slope.
American batteries sent a barra ge
ahead of the columns. which swept
on and pushed thru the enemy despite
vigorous resistance cleaning out Ger
man machine gun nests as they ad-
vahced-
Leave Traps for Yanks.
In their retreat the boches left
many traps for the Americans On one
section OF our line bridges over the
Oureq and roads leading to the river
were mined in the expectation that
United States troops would be blown
up when they tried to cross the stream.
One of the roads was heavily mined,
but the explosion failed to materiaIize.
The boche also established machine
gun pftS==tw0 men in each nest-fn
fields and along ridges north of the
Ourcq-~ Working under cover of dark
ness the enemy organized strong po-
sitiOns into which the Americans were
expected to blunder in their advance.
In one section considerable barbed
wire was found stretched in front of
the machine gun pits. Our artillery did
excellent work in destroying these
barbados and sheIter-then the
Americans rushed in and routed the
enemy in hand to hand encounters.
AmbuIances Clear to Front
Ambulances are being driven
straight to the front line so the wound
ed may be cared for with more speed.
The signal corps. working under shell
fire has maintained uninterrupted tel
ephone connections since the start OF
the battle. stretching new wires as fast
as the enemy's bombardment destroy
ed them.
In fact every unit of the army is
Distinguishing itself
Prisoners were brought in during
the night from the Fifth Bavarian re-
serves. the Fifth and Sixth Chasseurs
and the Fifth foot guards.
They reported that one boche COM
pany of 100 men before it crossed
the Ma rne at the start of the Ger
man Offensive has only seven men left
Two men taken today said they were
the only survivors of their unit,
Struggle for Mastery of Air.
There is a constant struggle for
mastery of the air. German and al
lied planes are constantly diving in
and out of the clouds. Some airmen
exhibit great daring. swooping low to
turn their machine guns upon bat
teries and roads packed with trucks
from which great clouds of dust roll
up. betraying the place where traffic
is most dense Aviators> always select
such highways for their special attSn-
ton
I passed thru miles of American
trucks, wagons and marching men. all
moving forward. The men hardly
looked human, they were so caked
with dust.
Military policemen at cross roads
direct traffic so, despite the conges-
ton. there is no confusion