The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-09-19
YANKEES WIPE
OUT ST. mIHIEl
MANY TOWNS AND PLACES OF
Z MUCH STRATEGIC IMPORT
ANcE CAPTURED.
10000 BOCAES BAGGED
SECRETARY OF WAR BAKER WIT
MESSED BEGINNING OF OF
FENSIvE BY YANks.
western Newspaper Union New.servlc..

western Newspaper Union New. Service.
With the American Army in Lor-
raine. Sept. T14.-The St Mihiel sal
lent has been wiped out. The line
now extends past Norroy. Jaulny.
Xammes. ST Benoit. Hattonville. Han
nonville and Herbeville.
With the American Army in Lor-
raine.-The allied offensive on the
western front for the first time is
dominatingly American. the French
cooperating, and in a military sense it
is regarded as continuing phase of
the battle which began last summer.
Newton ID. Baker, the American sec
retary OF war, with several other no.
tables, witnessed the beginning OF the
battle from French fort close be-
hind the middle OF the line.
Paris-The Americans were pro-
crossing steadily throughout Friday
afternoon in the st. Mihiel sector. The
field of operation could not have
heen better chosen from the French
point of view. for the northern part of
the Woevre is extraordinarily rich in
iron. II is the celebrated basin of
Briey, on which the Germans put their
hand in the first days of the war,
which is one of the essential resources
OF her munition factories.
The American First army has car
rried out the initial task assigned to it
the leveling OF the famous st. Mihiel
salient In Lorraine. In q little more
than twenty-four hours not only had
the task been accomplished. but Gem
eral Pershing's men had all the i'm
portant towns. villages and strategic
positions in the sector within their
hands, and were standing on the
banks OF the Moselle river at Pagny.
looking across the stream into German
territory. And the southern outer for
tifications OF Metz. the great German
stronghold in Lorraine. were only four
miles distant
Large numbers of Germans had
lbeen taken prisoner-more than r.
900 had been counted and others still
on their way back othe prisoners
cages. and many guns and machine
guns and great quantities of ammuni-
tion and other war stores were in
American hands.
In addition. along the eastern side
of the heights north of Hattonville.
the Americans have debouched from
the hill region and are astride the rail-
road running from Commercy to Yer
dun. Likewise the Thiacourt Metz
and Nancy-Metz railroads are in,
American hands.
Beginning in the northwest and
crossing the salient eastward. Fres-
mes. Les Eparees. Hattouville. Preny
and Paguy and all the ground lying
between them are in American hands.
Already allied airmen are heavily
bombing the Moselle region around
Metz and its outlying Notifications.
Meanwhile the maneuverings on the
west front around Cambria and st.
Quentin are not lost sight of by reason
Of the present American offensive.
Italian troops have penetrated the
Austro- Hungarian positions at Pra-
maggiore, the Italian war office an
nounced. An enemy assaulting party
on Monte Asolone was put to flight
|
London, Sept 12.-The Hindenburg
line, save where It is already in pos
| session of the British. is under the fire
of French or British guns along the
whole OF it's length. The Germans
have been forced back until they have
reached the ground which is scanned
with old trenches and their retirement
has naturally slackened They are COM
PEELED to find temporary relief in
partial reversion to the old style OF
fighting.
The Wotan section has gone. and it
remains to be seen whether the Sieg-
fried section, which lies between the
! Sensee and La Fere and the Almerich,
which runs farther south, will prove
more lasting.
At present the British are across the
hinge of the Hindenburg line. south OF
st. Quentin. and from Marquion they
threaten Cambria from the northwest.
The French are also close to La Fere
and are keeping the Germans upon the
Aisne very busily occupied.
The British in local operations have
further advanced their line north of
Epehy and in the neighborhood of
vermand. west OF ST. Quentin, accord
ing to Field Marshal Haig's commun-
ique.