The sun., 1918-07-20
AMERICAN ADVANCE
IDEALLY ORGANIZED
Attack Moves Perfectly All
Along Thicrry-Soissons
Battle Line.
ENEMY IS REINFORCED
Troops From North Trying to
Save German Com
municatiOns.
BY the Associated Press,

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY BETWEEN
THE AIsNE AND THE MARINE. July IL
The Franco american troops made an
advance late this afternoon on Tho
Scissors Chateau Thierry front, aveiag-
ing about two kilometers tabout mile
and a quarter). Vicious German ma
chine gun fire southwest of Scissors
hampered the advance for only a short
period.
In the same section the Germans AZ.
tempted to use tanks against the Amers
leans. but hot fire soon compelled the
tanks to retreat.
The advance began with a barrage
opening at $50 o'clock. Tanks we're
sent In by the Allies to assist the in.
fantry and machine gunners. and the
Germans endeavored to stem the tide
with heavy shell fire.
Attack Well Organized.
The advance WAS one of the best or
ganized the Allies ever attempted. the
system working wonderfully well from
one end OF the line to the other The
machine gun defence OF the Germans
was feeble and was quickly silenced, the
Germans falling back upon their rear
defences.
Southwest Of Scissors the Germans
repeatedly attempted to reach the Allies
big guns The German firing continued
until long after dark, but the French
and American guns responded in kind
and gave fall protection to the allied
forces as they advanced along the line
Several towns were captured
Heavy reerforcements were rushed up
from the north by the German COM
mand in desperate effort to head on
the hard fighting Allies, whose rapid
4, IL "a
German lines of communication.
Germans SIN South of Mnrne.
There are still strong German forces
south Of the, Marine.
In the course of the night the Amer.
cans took several villages and carry this
morning they made further progress
The Americans continue to hold the
plateau southwest Of scissors, where tho
Germans made their first organized
counter attack yesterday. This attack
soon broke down, however. as soon as
the American artillery got into action.
This was one or the fiercest struggles
in connection with the Franco American
offensive. The battle ragged southwest
of Scissors for some time. II resulted
in the Germans falling back finally un-
der the rain OF the heavy gunfire Of the
Americans.
Germans Fled Before Attack.
One OF the villages taken by the
Americans last night was Very. six
miles south of Scissors Villages to the
north and south Of this also We're taken
in the carrying out OF this plan 10
straighten the entire line on the
Scissors Chateau Th!erry front.
No resistance was encountered at
Very or in the neghborng villages
taken.
At two villages on the southern por-
ton OF the fine the hands OF the clocks
had been stopped by shell fire at 4ib
o'clock. indicating the time tho Allies
had started their bombardment or
Thursday morning.
one OF the greatest surprises for the
Americans in the opening OF the often
slve was the flight OF the Germans be
fore the attack The Americans. many
Of whom were going into action for the
first time, We're prepared fully for stiff
fight. and as the hours went on with
out German counter blow they began
to wonder when the enemy would re-
taliate
Among the slightly wounded men In
the American dressing station was one
lad who left IA Chicago school TO Join the
army. This youth had been wounded IN
the leg soon after the start OF the at
tack, and his chief worry seemed 20 he
that his comrades who had gone on
would fear he had been killed.