Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-06
a AMERICANS MEET WITH
DETERMINED RESISTANCE;
iIsv Associated Press.l

BT Associated Press.l
so M!nT SIZE OF AN SERBnS F AM
October in the attack made yester.
day east of the Argonne forest. the
corps holding the middle OF the Ameri-
sistance during the. day. The Ameri-
cans ADVANCED behind a terrific bar
rage fire This bombardment of the
twenty-five shells falling each minute
along the German lines. This was
sradually Increased to fifty per minute
The American fire had hardly begun
10 siacken when the German batteries
began to speak and the enemy machine
vance of the Americans. Nevertheless.
the troops on the center moved steadily
cierses. which they had shared for
several. days with the enemy, and be-
fore noon had driven the Germans out
OF Gesnes.
In front OF Romagne lies the strong
est German line In this sector. 1t is
iong: intricate trench system. which
is built on curving line: so that each
end OF 1t eniilades any force that at
tacks another portion.
:, The rsrf american naI trooPs on the left kep,
rapidly cleaned up Exernont and Che.
hery and captured Fleville. BY noon
they had mopped up ,LaViergette and
rhev had aS a Ms t as ene b tS
This advance had been just as rapid
as that of the troops far to the east
wen orer t6a the fast that they
out any artillery preparation and hand
ed the Germans big surprise.
AMERICAN TANKS STOP
CoUNTERATTAcks
advance was slowed UP by German
counterattack. and American tanks had
TO be sent for to drive the enemy
The Germans have deliberately Sc,
fire TO the villages OF Romagne, Ges-
SS es' I Gornay Ba1n,theville. Chevieries.
American guns fell thick along The
front. and ammunition dumps every
where were exploded when the shells
Visibility was very poor all day.
and American avia,ors were not able
TO render much help TO the artillery
the American advance at all points
during the morning. American and
German machines consequently few UNI
usually low and suffered from anti
%, On the center of the line fell the
nuik CT the work. 1t was here that
been planned On the right the troops
operating northward along the Meuse
met with hardly any resistance a FIRST
and easily pushed up to the outskirts
OF Brieulles. German artillery on the
east side of the river. however soon
opened UP an enfiladins fire. which not
ohis aiGCleu the extreme right or the
American line, but carried far over to-
ward the center. Then the enemy ar
tiliery fire west along TIE line opened
up. with barrage. through which one
infantry regiment had to storm before
inc American guns could silence the
German batteries.
FIGHTING WAS nIrTER
ALL ALONG LINE
All of the areas back of the .Ameri-
can line we're subjected to an intense
bombardment before the attack had
been SoinS on very lonE. After cross
ing mo mans land" and getting into
the enemy defenses. the American in
fantry was met with much gunfire,
which was intense all along the line
The hShting was SO bitter everywhere
that the number of prisoners taken fell
far below the total TOR the first days
OF the last two drives. Among those
brought in were some belonging to sew
eral units. showing that rc-enforce-
ments had hurriedly been thrown I'm
against the American, attack.
Tanks played prominent part in
the battle. especially on the left of the
line near the Argonne forest, where
the advance was quite rapid. These
machines were able to get over the
ground easily, because the mud had
dried out considerably. During the
past days the cooperation OF the tanks
with the infantry has been perfect.
AS LINE is SHORTENED
RESISTANCE IS STIFFENED