Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-25
AMERICANS HEW WAY AHEAD
BOTH EAST AND WEST OF MEUSE

/ when the Americans occupied Hill I'll
and east of the Mouse fourteen Ger
mans surrendered and O number of
others were captured in the woods.
Twelve prisoners were taken In the
Grande Care farm and twenty-three
southeast of Aincrevilie.
Germans Make Stand.
From Clery-le-Grand the Germans
machine gun nests. The Americans
from the series Of hills command the
,, valley and the creek. from part Of
which the Germans have withdrawn
Late Thursday the German artillery
stinened its lighter caliber Smelling Of
the American positions on Grande
farm and it's vicinity. During the
afternoon the Germans threw on the
average eighty shells a minute into
Aincreville, thinking the Americans
were there. But the place was no
mans land.
In the region of Grand Pre- the ex-
change OF, machine gun and artillery
fire was vigorous, but the Americans
set their task of consolidating posi-
tons despite the attempts Of the Ger
mans to Dust them. The Germans re-
peatediy threw gas shells in the re-
gion of Grand Pre- and heavily shelled
Marcq, St Juvin and other points.
One prisoner was taken Thursday,
who came from a German division
which previously had not been iden-
titled as operating on this front.
Four Lost FIJI rs Located.
Four OF the American aviators Of
the six reported to be missing as a
result Of Wednesdays operations have
been located within the American
linss. two OF them having been COM
PEELED to land owing to motor trou-
BILE. The other two lost their way
back home and reported today.
Just before dark Wednesday Lieut.
Eddie Rickenbacker went out alone,
as Is usual, and encountered two Ger
man machines. He doWned one of them
after a short fight Lieut.. Jacque s
Swaab OF New York city is credited
with having downed a Fokker ma
chine In flames and to have sent down
a oiplane out of control. Both yicto-
rtes were achieved Wednesday, Lieut..
David Backus of St Paul Is credited
T1h,,t two Fokkers and one biplane in
Lieut. RAYMOND Sewers Of Minneapo-
lis downed a Fokker in flames
Lieut.. p. H. Kelton of Boston, We'd
nesday night. northwest Of st. Mihiel,
had a fight with five German night
ground searchlights. fired several
rounds of machine gun cartridges at
the enemy. but they lodged the
searchlights. and, 1t is believed, all of
them escaped. In an exchange Of
shots with three Of the German ma
chimes kelton was not wounded and
returned after two hours to his patrol.
Seize Armored Battle Plane.
Americans captured an immense
German armored battle plane wednes-
day north Of Brieulles. The machine
was virtually intact, but the piIot and
gunners made their escape,
1t Is presumed that the battle plane
was downed day or two ago bv
American aviators. Just when the
machine landed is unknown. Infantry
forces found the monster.
From east OF the Meuse German ar
tiilery endeavored to protect the
plane. but the American guns let
down counter fire upon the enemy
gun emplacements. When a lull came
American troops hauled the plane to
safety.
A number of valuable Instruments
and two machine guns were captured,
The battle plane was equipped with q
bomb-dropping device and had q KUN
and sighting arrangement so fixed
that the gunner can see to shoot df-
rectly beneath him. This guh was
for firing on roads. So far as known
this is the first plane Of this type can
tured by Americans. Half the fusil-
age was covered with quarter-inch
armOr,