The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-09-10
ONE DIVISION Of
FRENCH WHIPS 5
B0CHE DIVISIONS
ENEMY'S MASSED MACHINE
GUN FIRE GREATEST
DURING WAR.
BATTLE IN GOBA|N FOREST
Latins Face More Flying Bullets
Than Ever Before, But Beat En-
emy Back and Occupy Their Old
Trenches Of 1917.

With the French Army in France,
Sunday, Sept. S.-(By The Associa.
ed Press. D-The troops OF General
Mangin between the Aisne and the
OiSe rivers, now are virtually behind
their old wire entanglcmentS and
in their old trenches OF 1917. Al
along the edge OF the forest o!
Coucy and through the western
horn OF the s.. Gobain forest the
Germans are only two hundred yards
away and in some places they are IN
positions in the old llindenburg line
that are plainly visible from the
heights west OF Chateau Coucy.
The Oisc-Aisne canal and the
River Ailette that runs between the
heights and the chauteau and which
forms a sort OF advanced post OF
their main line six miles further
back at lrcSnos were not abandoned
voluntarily, but wrestcd from the
enemy after struggle OF five day.,
during which, five different German
divisions tried to hold off a single
French division.
"Thc enemy divisions that tried
to prevent the crossing OF the canal
and river The Associated Press
correspondent wa, informed by a
French officer, who has participated
i'll most OF the campaigns OF the
War. accompanied the greatest con
centration OF machine gun fire that
has been witnessed in this war
Face Terrific Close Fire.
These troops were obliged to face
that lire at a range oil twenty yards
in order to cross the Oise-Aisne ca
nal and the River Ailcttc. Prison
ers throwing bridges over the canal
seventeen yards wide. suffered not
only from the quick firers, but were
in good range OF German grenades.
1t required two days to advance to
the Nilette from the village Pom:
Saint Mard and four days to gain
500 yards OF ground. The machine
guns were massed thickly all along
the canal in front OF Quincy and in
the woods, thickets and marshes.
The French engineers finally sue
ceded in bridging the canal, and
over the first bridge an enraged
French sergeant charged the Ger
mans around machine gun posi-
ton and singlehanded captured
twelve of them.
Twenty-iour quick iircrs were
found in small thicket They
were almost as thick in Vance wood
and in the more extensive timbered
land fronting Coucy-le-Chateau and
Coucy-la-N Vile. Where the French
could get AT them they charged and
| killed the German gunners OH their
pieces, but many emplacements were
too we'll hidden or protected for u
| direct attack, and it was necessary
to shell them.
Foe Flees From Wood.
During several hours French pro-
ectiles sent splnters flying all
/ ill puSu lilC lililbtl anu WIlNl' NHN
infantry charged they had 10 go
on to Coucy-la-Nille to catch the
enemy. who had fled, leaving his
guns and an enormous amount ot
materials and supplies behind.
Coucy-le- Chateau and the height
on, which it stands were thus turned
from the north and flanked at the
same time from the south, while
thousands OF shells filled the ruins
of the surrounding position.
Chateau Nogent, to the southeast,
was taken about the same time and
with it the Germans lost positions
on which they had spent tremond-
Gus effort They retired behind
their three lines OF b,rbed wire oil
the line to Fresnes. The booty they
/ left behind in two immense eng-
neering dumps included locomo-
tiveS. railroad material of all sorts
and a great number OF quickfirers
and emplacement guns. and one iii
teen-inch gun with which they had
! bombarded French towns far behind
/ the lines east OF the Ailette.