Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-16
PERSHING'S BOYS
ADVANCING ALONG
33-MILE FRONT
Continued from Page One.)

Continued from Page One,)
guns and trench mortars. This was
disclosed by General Pershing's
communique for yesterday and to-
day, received tonight at the War
department.
The enemy was pressed so hard,
General Pershing said, that he was
forced to abandon great quantities
of ammunition, telegraph and rail-
road materials, rolling stock, cloth
ing and equipment. In addition, he
burned large stores.
That the Americans still are
pressing on at least in part of the
sector was shown by the COM
munique for today, which said that
on the left bank of the Moselle the
American lines had been extended
to from one to two miles, during
which operation u guns were
brought in.
The enemy reacted near St. Hi
laire, but his counter attack easily
was repulsed and prisoners taken,
the American commander reported,
General Pershing's announce
ment that the Americans advancing
on the two sides of the St. Mihiel
salient had been able to form
iuncture in q hours after they went
over the top occasioned no surprise
among army officers here. Despite
reference in press dispatches to two
days of fighting, these officers felt
confident that the Americans had
attained the immediate detectives of
their first independent offensive in
about "a hours.
The American line on the left
bank of the Moselle river, in the St.
Mihiel sector, has been advanced
from one to two miles and now in
clude the towns of Vilcey and Nor
roy. An enemy counter attack,
launched near St. Hilaire at day
break today, was easily repulsed
and a number of prisoners taken.
Huns Construct Dugouts.
Airplane observers report that the
Airplane observers report that the
Germans have constructed new dug
outs and have wired areas along
their Hindenburg line in front of the
Americans, indicating plans for de-
termined resistance there. Both pho
tographs taken and the personal OBJ
servations of the fiers show that the
Germans have brought the defenses
up-to-date and are prepared to con-
test the American advance.
The Germans gave further evil
dence today that they intended to re-
sist on that part of the Hindenburg
line running through this sector. A
detachment was digging in today
about Dommartin, about four and
half miles north of Thiaucourt,
while between Lachaussee, two and
half miles northwest of Dommar-
tin, and Dommartin squad trenches
had been established. German de-
tachments were also in the woods
above Wool, four miles north of
Nationwide.
German airplanes were unusually
active last night but the defensive
batteries drove them off before they
had done great damage. Allied air
planes flew over German positions,
dropping tons of bombs in the back
areas.
Notable Strategic Achievements.
The performances of the Ameri-
cans stationed on the western side
of the St. Mihiel salient, with the
assistance of the French, consti-
tutes one of the most brilliant pages
OF the American history thus far in
the great struggle.
1t was this unit which accom-
plished two of the most notable
strategic moves Of the offensive.
The first was the taking of Les
Eparges hill, which had cost the
French many casualties in the last
tour years. The second was the
daring march of an American regi-
ment at night through woods in
tested with Germans to Vigneulles.
there to effect a laison with troops
working from the eastward.
In carrying out these two moves
the allies encountered the stiffest op-
position of the offensive. They
fought desperately and counter-at-
tackled repeatedly.
1t has been discovered that there
were six German divisions operating
IN the St. Mihiel salient. That would
give a total strength of 10000 men,
or a rifle strength of 10000. The
Germans had broken up for them
two more divisions in this section,
thus reducing their strength in the
west to 1911 divisions, plus four
Austrian divisions and some dis
mounted cavalry.
Dies in Flight.