Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-22
Contents Of Captured Order.

The desperation with which the en-
envy resisted may be guessed from the
following captured order. signed by
one Of the best German division COM
manders:
THE division is about to be engaged
in very hard. but very important
sector. If the heights east of Laffaux
remain in our power it will prevent
sides Of the Aisne to the Disc canal.
II 1t falls into the enemy's hands it
will become a base for subsequent at
tacks. This division has often per-
formed the most difficult tasks. both
on the offensive and defensive. with
honor. 1 want it to maintain its old
reputation here and hold every bit of
the position confided to it against all
attacks"
In other words, these crack German
unto death. Nevertheless, Gen. Man
gins troops drove irresistibly for
ward, taking not only Mennejean
farm on the central ridge. but the tre-
mendously wooded spur called Mon
key mountain ain, against which in April
were spent in vain. The ground in
this operation is already we'll known
to the public from last years descrip-
tons. 1t is chaotic, steeply sloping
among which the old trenches have
been reorganized by the Germans and
strengthened by maze of barbed
wire. AS Gen. Mangin said to me. at
is a great natural fortress perfected
by every art Of military engineering"
Use Of Tanks Impossible.
Up the GREATNESS slopes of this
natural fortress the assaulting French
had to climb. Tanks here were impos-
sible. The infantry. though assisted
by artillery, had to rely principally
on it's own resources. The German
trenches were further strengthened
by the existence of the celebrated
"creutes" or cavelike limestone quar-
ground labyrinth branching fantastical
ly in every direction to a distance Of
several kilometers. Some of the pass
ages in these electrically lighted
caves have been SO improved that
automobiles can be driven through
them.
The German regiments, each con-
sisting of three battalions, were dis
posed as follows: One battalion on
the first line armed principally with
machine guns: a second battalion in
the creutes of deep dugouts, one q
mile and a half to the rear and q
third in reserve three or four kilo-
meters Q.S or "a miles) farther back.
German aviation here is somewhat
weak. several squadrohs having been
sent perhaps hastily to the Woeyre.
but the artillery is very strong. The
French made their first dash following
so close behind the rolling barrage
that they were through the first line
and upon the creutes and dugouts be-
fore the astonished Germans could
emerge with their machine guns. But
opposite the German third line our
stanch allies were obliged to pause
and there ensued an old-time epic
guns. It was such a long bloody
shell hole fight as had not been seen he.
fore since the beginning of this years
campaign when open warfare was inau-
gurated.
Crawl Yard or Two at a Time.
Time and time again the. French
were only able to advance after pain
fully crawling yard or 80 at a time
to Q point where it was possible to
attack. the machine gun nests with
grenades from the flank. It was lire
fighting the terrible battles OF Jniv
1917. all over again with the same
names recurring now as then-Menne-
jean farm, Monkey mountain, historic
spots on the ever memorable ridge
Of Chemin des Danes.
Tho LaRaux cavefns dominating all
accents from the west were taken nv
the brilliant initiative Of a young
French lieutenant who, with sixty
men. succeeded in climbing the blur
through the shrubbery. reaching the
plateau and suddenly falling upon
the German positions from the rear.
These caverns. like several others.
were mined with fuses ready to be
lighted in case evacuation became
necessary. but the Germans here lack
ed even the time to touch a match to
q fuse. Hundreds of prisoners were
taken at this point alone