The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-28
FRENCH ATTACKING
IN DIFFICULT AREA
Germans Strongly Intrenched
in Territory West OF the
ArgOnne.
GOURAUD'S TACTICS WIN
French General Repeats July
Method-Artillery Prepare
ton Is Thorough.
~ GERALD CAMPBELL.
Special Cable Despatch TO TIE suS from the
London Times Serrics.

special CubI6 Dssputch 10 lhh cuS ''o" NV |
London Times serrics.
Copyright. 1918; oil riohn reserred.
wrrH THE FRENCH ARMY, Sept. 81
The preliminary bombardment with
which Gen. Gouraud began his attack
between the Suippe River and the Ar
come, though not as impressive as
some others, was wonderfully fine
spectacle. 1t lasted all night and at b go
o'clock in the morning 1t merged into
a rolling drum fire barrage, preceding
the infantry advance. .,
From the chalk bank from which !
watched the spectacle the darkness was
broken constantly by the brilliant red
and white flashes from the guns. Away I
to the left, toward Rheims, and on the |
other side, in the direction OF Nerdun !
there hickercd and darted a bewildering
succession Of splashes and streaks OF
flame.
have Just seen Gen. Gouraud end
learned, as / expected, that the present
plan is a copy Of the one he initiated
when he made his attack July 10. AT
that time. however. he learned the ex-
act hour the Germans expected to strike
and he was In position to start his own
artillery preparation before the Ger
mans began their bombardment.
Enemy's Reply Was Feeble.
Last night the Germans were in
doubt as to when they were to be at
tackled. and in their nervousness they
apparently had withdrawn number OF
their guns Consequently they not only
did not anticipate the French artillery
preparation, but their reply. when 1t
did come, was feeble.
II is hardly necessary to say that the
positions Gen Gouraud is attacking IN
| the Champagne are OF exceptlonai
strength. They are crossed in every
| direction by a network Of trenches. many
OF which have been in existence since
! 1914. Newer and stronger points have
been continually strengthened during the
| prolonged German occupation.
| At the right one French division took
| Servon, on the Aisne, where manruvring
was extremely difficult because OF the
marshy nature of ehe ground. This vii
| lage had been in enemy possession since
1914 Another division occupied Butte
| de Mesnil, and the infantry in the centre
got within shouting distance Of the en-
emy's general defence lines.
Resistance West of Suippe.
A corps west of the Suippe met more
| determined resistance than the troops In
the rest of the line probably because the
enemy expected the principal assault
would be made on the massif OF Moro
vlllers. which has great value on &C
count OF its numerous observation posts
commanding wide view OF the whole
Champagne plain. Here. however, the
French made only secondary attack.
While there is nothing particularly
electrifying in the first stages OF the
advance the battle has gone Very salts
factorily. During the early hours the
work of the signal men in the observa-
ton balloons apd OF the pilots who were
assigned to direct artillery fire was much
hampered by heavy fog. As the day
cleared, however, and airplanes did val
liant service. and I saw several NJ them
working ceaselessly among bursting
shells from the enemy's anti-aircraf;
guns.