Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-09
Gen. Billiards. Men Aim Blow
at BuIWark of Enemy Front,
Supported by Powerful Tank
Fleet and Take Prisoners.
GO NORTH OF EXERM0NT,
STORM KEY TO DEFENSE
All indications Point to Foe
Making a Desperate and
Possibly Final Stand South
Of Meuse in Present Fight,
(By Lincoln ESrC.)
Copyright 1918, by the Press Publish
ing Co)

ing Co.)
(The New York Worldly
| Especial Gable to the World and AL
buquerque JournaL)
With the American Forces on the
! Argonne Front, Oct. S.--The second
stage of the Meuse -Argonne battle was
initiated at $40 this morning when
the infantry of First army, supported
BY a powerful fleet of tanks and pre-
coded by devastating barrage from
thousands of guns assailed the out
post redoubts OF the Kriemhild line.
One of the strongholds of the enc
mN'S defensive system between the
Meuse and Hin No. 240, due north of
launched against it by a veteran di-
vision
The foe fought savagcly, bringing
hosts of machine guns into play, with
out, however. checking our advance for
more than brief intervals. In Forot-
wood on the left bank of the Meuse.
General Tullards troops reached the
S&sn ral defonsgs Of the Kriemhtld line,
1T 1SEffs II M igd pislng - hasa NJ
in which Americans hitherto have
boen engaged It is still at its height.
Prisoners taken by the Americans
are beginning to come in.
CWashington advices said last night
that the troops engaged under Gen
eral Bullard were evidently composed
of the Eightieth and Eighty-sixth ma
tional army divisions. The former Is
made up of men from western Penn
syvania, Virginia and West Virginia
and the latter of men from Illinois
and Wisconsin.
Germans to Make 'EaSt stand
There is no longer any doubt that
the Germers intend TO concentrate
their resistance on the Kriemhild line.
the last series ol strong points left to
them south of the Meuse where. IL
bends to the northwest Of Mezieres.
The situation today between Binarville
and Brieuues-sur- Meuse is a replica
of that existing in the Woevre district
after the pinching out of the st. Mi
hiel salient.
The enemy savagely contended
against our advance there with strong
machine gun rear guards and trouble
some counter-attacks until he had es-
tablished himself in the positions he
desired TO hold. General Pershing has
not yet attacked this Woevre line. the
First army's st, Mihiel operation hav-
has been rigidlv limited objective.
Barhed wire had been fixed and
cOncreate redoubts completed iny aud
about such KEY points as Romagne
ana the heights south Of Dun-sur-
Meuse. Their trench system. mapped
out year ago is by no means finished,
Geographically, however, the Krem-
hld line Is formidable ground TO con-
quer. Its natural defenses are even
stronger than the heavily fortified
earthworlSs of the VOlkerstellung, that
most powerful section of the linden
burg line which our boys so splendid
ly stormed week ago.
No Mans Land is even broader now
than it was in the last stages of the
st Mihie battle 1t is studded with
outposts on both sides, however, and
in the last twenty-four hours there
has been uninterrupted fighting be-
tween comparatively small infantry
groups.
Early this morning the Germans
staged the only large scale counter
thrust they have attempted for some
hours. Following an intensive shell
fire, including sneezing gas projectiles,
several companies, in mass forma-
ton. struck at our troops south of
Gesnes. which the foe had evacuated
previously. This attack was repulsed,
but only after our advanced elements
had fallen back on our main line of
resistance.
Our Men in Fne Fcttlc.
Spasmodically, the German batter
les have bombarded our right and
central divisions using considera-
lie amount of gas, but on the whole,
conditions were more tranquil yester-
day and last night than since the start
of the drive.
The movement of men and trans
port in the enemy's back areas con-
tinues to he fer above the normal. in
djcatng that they had not yet COM
p!ctcd the disposition of their forces
in the KrenIhild line. The Americans
are in fine fettle
Tho weather is slightly warmer and
is less rainy. The roads are less
crowded with traffice 80 that ratlons
are coming up in greater abundancei
and everybody has managed to grab
some sleep. our planes have dropped
bunchcs ot american and English pa
pers--publshea in Paris--over our
front line ard our fighting men are 4
eagerly catching up with the news.
To the hest of my belief, Bulgaria 8 |
capitulaton. while hailed wthnglee by
our boys has not lessened their con- |
vleton that they still have long way !
to go to beat the Germans. The Bal
kans are far away and Bulgaria's
status In the struggle Is only vaguely
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