Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-27
OUTCUESSED
DY GEN. GCURAUD
German Adoption of His
Tactics Fails to Give
Them Advantage
FRENCH TAKE VILLAGES
Defense in Depth Proves
Futile When Artillery
Shells Main Positions
By WALTER DURANTY
Special Cable to Epening Public Ledge,

Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918. bp Nctc York Times Co.
with General Gouraud's Army, Sept. 81.
'Our first Impressions are excellent"
was the summary of available news OF
the operations of General Gouraud's
army in the gigantic battle given to me
BY the general himself at his headquar-
tere. That means that not only have
the opening movements Of the infantry
been successful, but that the conditions
81 the preliminary bombardment COM
pare more than favorably with the Ger
man artillery preparation for the often
sive In the same region on July Is.
whereas then the French knew the
exact hour of the attack and were able
70 begin counter-preparation with disas-
trous effect upon the German infantry
inassed in waiting a full hour before the
German shell storm broke. the reply
made by the enemy yesterday was ex-
ceedingly feeble and grew weaker as the
engagement progressed.
On the main sector of the attack be-
tween the Suippes valley and the west
ern side Of the Argonne the enemy vas
evidently expecting an offensive move
ment, as General Gouraud learned
wednesday that the Germans were at
tempting to apply his own tactics of
depth defense that proved so effective
in July. by withdrawing from the frontal
urea which constituted the outpost
zone"
The general Immediately sent forward
skirmishers who corroborated the news.
with the double result that, milk the
enemy in July. the French gunner did
not waste projectiles upon empty targets,
and. secondly. that the infantry were
able to move forward to make the first
bound from a point considerably nearer
the main line Of defense a had been
expected. The foes strategy had re-
acted against himself.
German Fire Useless
The enemy made another costly mis-
calculation, as he seems TO have ex-
pected the weight of the French drive
to come against the strong massif Of
Moronvillers, where. in fact, Gouraud
only Tented. Here were concentrated
large numbers of German batteries. the
fire of which was as violent as it was
useless.
I spent Wednesday night on a high
plateau behind the center of the front
Of attack. on the spot where Gouraud
had watched the bombardment start at
IL p. m. As far as the eve could see
the northern sky was lit up with flashes
winked out continuously along the
whole line. Nearly all were the sud-
den, broad glare of French departures"
But now and then a tiny triangle of
light marked the explosion of a German
ARRIVAL"
Right ahead a crimson glow. now ris-
ing high above the horizon, now scarce
II distinguishable. told of n huge Ger
man munition dump that blazed for three
long hours. Others of less extent broke
out in many directions.
At brief intervals a white star shell
or coiored rocket would soar up from a
German position. One could we'll imagine
the desperate plight of some German
commander, as he called in vain for
his own artillery to protect him against
the inferno Of destruction.
As the bombardment swelled in vol
urns toward the dawn, the words drum
IRE" exactly expressed the sound. All
night the air had been filed with an
enormous irregular tumult. in which
the deep drone of the Allied aircraft
passing, as it seemed. in unbroken
stream, to add their part to the work
of destruction. seemed the motif OF
the lannon's thunder-song.
But when the climax came 1t was
like nothing so much as the roll OF
= titanic drum, explosion so close upon
explosion that no separate sound could
BE- distinguished.
The success developed as the day ad-