Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-01-09
WHEN The YANkS
STRUCK ON MEUSE
American Doughboys Faced
Three Fortified Defense
Systems.
NOTHING COULD STOP Them
Interesting Description Of One Of the
Last Big Fights In Which
Pershing's Troops Were
Engaged.

With the First American Army
Three fortified defensive systems
guarded the German positions be.
tween the Argonne and the Mouse
when the Americans burst through
them.
The advanced line, the enemy's old
line, called the Hagen stellung; his
intermediate line ran kilOmeter or
two behind it, according to the conf1g.
urution of the terrain, hills, streams
and woods, aud was called the VOlker
stellung. Behind that ran his main
reserve line of defense, the Kremhilde
- stellung, continuation Of the Brun-
hide stellung, which runs through
Champagne.
At their first bound the attacking
waves of doughb0ys swept over the
first two fortified zones with their
barbed-wire entanglements cut to
pieces by the preliminary lombard.
ment, and in several points they pen.
etrated the Kremhilde stellung, which
pivotcd in the Aire-Meuse sector on
MOntfaucon.
The three-hour artillery preparation
between 2 80 and 5 80 o'clock in the
morning had driven the enemy to his
deepest dugouts and the advanced as
sault troops were In the trenches
throwing gas bombs and grenades
down the starways into the under.
oh hnfnrn a
Boches could get upstairs.
Reducing StronghoIds.
Between the three different lines Of
intrenched positions the Boches had
installed series Of strong points, ma
chine gun nests, sometimes empaced
in concrete and steel pillbOXes, or else
merely set in strong, natural, com.
manding positions. The system for re.
duclng these s>rongholds was identical
with that already practiced by the
enemy in his various offensive opera.
tons.
The advanced waves Of stOrming
troops going forward in open order,
worked their way between the strong
points, often by worming along for con.
siderable distances ON their stOmachs,
or by crawling on hands and knees
through woods or along ravines. Ar
IlVing Ia the rear of these positions
they established contact with one an.
other and proceeded forward, leaving
snipers to work their way back In the
rear of the strong points and pick or
the Boche machine gunners In many
cases.
1t was the job of the succeeding
waves of assault. with their light ma
chine guns and their little trench NOR.
tars mounted on light, tWo-wheeled
carts hauled by man power to reduce
these strong points with or without the
Mid of artillery, tanks, or airplanes.
The most advanced waves were enc
tirely safe from the machine gun pc.
gitions once they passed them, as the
Boches usually could not work their
guns toward their own rear, the EN-
placement having been organized with
4 view to firing ahead or on the TANKS
only. Furthermore, If the Germans
fred toward the rear, they would re-
zeal their presence to the succeeding
attacking waves which would put
them out Of action before they could
swing around again.
Why Casualties Are Light.
1t is because the attacking waves
vent forward deployed in extended
formation and behind curtain of fire
Of bursting shells, a creeping barrage,
hat casualties among attacking
.roops were so much lighter than any
one unfamiliar with these tactics
might imagine.
The doughboys passed Montfaucon,
which was n hive of machine gun
nests in their advance toward Nam
tillois and Cierges, and it was not UNI
til the day after the town had been
practically surrounded that the last
enemy resistance was crushed there.
After penetrating well beyond Mont.
faucon on either side, American pa
trolls of twos and threes began to
reconnOitre the town and the chateau
which stands on tent.ike ridge com
handing the plain in all directions.
Those patrols which entered from the
north, from behind, worked their way
through the ruins of shell-shattered
houses right up to the front of the
town, where they snlped the German
machine gunners in the backs, as they
were firing on American patrols adj
yDncing from Cusy. Prisoners were
taken from the deep dugouts 80 and
60 feet below the ruined town two
days after the Americans had estab'
lished themselves in the town.