The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-09-19
The Country Over Which Americans Are Fighting Very
Dif6cut-Hgh Ridges and Thick Woods Offer Every
Concealmen for Enemy Machine Guns
MOUTH OF SALIENT CUT MORE
THAN HALF BY PINCER THRUST
LAUNCHED BY GEN. PERSHING
Americans Are Pressing Forward in Fine Style and Slowly
Closing in the Extreme Ends of the St Mihie Salient
prisoners Taken From 10th Landwehr Division.

London.-The Daily Mail correspon-
dent at the American front sends the
following description of the battle
along the st. Mihiel sector:
The first American army under
personal command of General Perish
ing for the first time went into action
in the ST. Mihiel salient. Never be-
fore has there been such a large con-
centration of American troops for one
operation and never have Americans
been in such complete control of their
operations.
1.-The event had long been antici-
pated. Some persons assigned to X
grandiose detectives but in reality the
attack is for limited detectives only.
1.-The concentration of a great part
Of the most experienced United States
troops had taken place during the last
two weeks and everything was plan
ned infinitely and with exactitude for
a great event in American history.
1.-The country over which Americans
are fighting is very difficult. The
high ridges and thick woods offer ev-
cry concealment for enemy machine
guns and in addition Germans have a
fortified line of resistance, which has
everything in it's favor.
1.-THE artillery preparation began
with roar that could be heard many
miles away and 1t rose and fell with
peculiar fluctuations. From all the
roads that ran parallel flashes of in
Vulnerable guns told Of the impend-
ing assault, Toward the hour Of the
attack the firing became even more
rapid and it's spllen tone mingled
strongly with the sound of the rain.
whole fleets of tanks, manned by
strong young Americans and French,
were TO be seen moving out of their
shelters to lead the attack. They
numbered on, but Germans offered lit
tie opposition. The American infantry
followed in open order, blowing
through the mud, but they were little
troubled by the feeble artillery re-
sistance.
: SAT one point, near Seicheprey,
where Americans previously had
fought desperately with the Germans,
machine gun and automatic fire swept
down upon the Yankees right flank,
but the tanks and artillery quickly
moved in that direction and the Amer.
leans went steadily forward.
Germans have offered very little
resistance to advancing Americans.
Occasionally a stray machine gun or
automatic rifle has been discovered,
but it is apparent the enemy has with
drawn his main forces to a second
line. which possibly he will defend
with a certain degree of tenaeity.
"His artillery has been firing from
behind a ridge which runs in front Of
the American line, but he is being pur-
sued by tanks, which at one point lost
only one out of forty-fve and that one
stuck in the mud.
prisoners of the tenth landwehr
division have been taken. The Amer
leans are pressing forward in fine
style and slowly closing in the ex.
treme ends of the ST. Mihiel salient.
"At the time of telegraphing news
of what has happened is very meager
but the correspondent has just visited
the battle front and heard of the pro
gress of the American units in the re
gion of Montsec and Seicheprey and OF
the capture of several villages.
From Beaumont l could see lying
just below me trenches from which
Americans started and the valley
through which they were fighting. The
sun was streaming across the valley
casting shadows from the melancholy
wrecks of villages all round. On the
left was the black, forbidding high OF
Montsec, with the tiny village of that
name nesting on its black side
Spurts of earth sprang from its capac
men battered at it,
"In the valley the tops of what once
had been houses in the village Of
Rhichecourt were discernible wher
the smoke disappeared.
Away to the right, bathed in the
sunlight, was the village of st. Baus
SAINT, resting on the side of a majestic
promontory. Khaki figures were NOV
ing along the valley. The smoke &C
casionally blotted them from view
but they would reappear soon after
ward. walking with easy stride.
Meanwhile the air was rent will
the torrent OF shells passing overhead
American gunners, manning every pos
sible type OF gun, were working will
mechanical rhym as they loaded an,
sent the shells to their destination
The light railways continually brough
up supplies"