The Washington times., 1920-09-17

AiNhD VII
Under a terrific artilleryfire and in
the face OF splitting machine guns,
squirming up the shell-swept hill
sides through mass OF tangled
barbed wire, the khakl-clad troops OF
the United States stOrmed and cap
tured "Montfaucon"--that stronghold
OF German defenses-and carried TO
victory the prelude of the great
Meuse-Argonne drive.
This terrific battle was only sham
warfare. but IL was 80 carefully and
accurately reproduced by the War
Department that II afforded the near
est approach to modern warfare ever
seen In the United States. The re-
production was arranged In honor OF
the men OF the seventy. ninth divi-
sion who stormed Montfaucon. many
OF whom were Marylanders. and also
as a feature OF the convention OF the
Veterans OF Foreign Wars now In
session in Washington.
Every conceivable weapon OF mod
ern warfare was employed in the bat
tie today, from the aeroplanes which
Unanswered in the clouds to the
whippet tanks which scurried through
trenches and shellholes. Troops sta
toned at Camp Meade. Camp Humph-
rey and the Edgewater arsenal were
used, and an exact reproduction was
built OF the French village OF Mont
faucon and the chateau where the
crown prince had his marvelously
well fortified concrete lookout.
START TERRIFIC BARRAGE.
Distant booming OF big guns, de-
sultory but constant, gave first indi-
cation that the battle was on. Grad
ually the rumbling of the guns in
creased in its intensity until IL be-
came a steady drumfire and a terrific
barrage was laid down while specta-
tors saw the defenses on the hillside
crumble away in a cloud of dust. For
considerable time the laundering
Of the guns continued as the prelim-
mary bombardment progressed in
true reproduction-310.0OO rounds
were fired by the artillery in the at
tack on Montfaucon on the Meuse-
Argonne sector nearly two years ago.
The artillery fire lifted. and out Of
the trenches before the hillside viii
lage there rose a wave OF khaki-clad
men. Wave followed wave from the
trenches as the troops steadily forced
their way on through deserted
trenches and terrain pitted with
shell holes, under the cover OF a
heavy barrage. From the village de-
lenses there was but light firing of
artillery and only occasional cracking
of snipers' rifles and machine guns,
as the troops moved slowly on.
Overhead aeroplanes droned, dash
ing back and forth over the village
of Montfaucon. surrounded by little
white puffs of smoke which indicates
the proximity Of the enemys FIRE upon
the air fighters.
1t hardly seemed a battle as the
troops progressed. for the nre all
seemed to come from the American n
side. as grimy men. bending low,
pushed onward through a jungle Of
deserted trenches. Then there was a
burst of flame to the rear of the ad-
vancing infantry waves. A machine
gun nest had been passed over and
platoons were moved down.
TANKS IN ACTION.
fleet of whippet tanks came sour
ring from the rear and swept across
the trenches on up the hillside, cut
ting barbed wire and paving the way
for an advance. Heavy tanks fol-
lowed.
Another wave Of infantry came
from the rear-it was the courageous
Three Hundred and Thirteenth-and
1t seemed the signal for the loosing
OF a Verltaole hell of activity from
the defenses of the enemy in Mont
faucon. With only two tanks to aid
them the men of the Three Hundred
and Thirteenth infantry charged the
trenches at the very gates of Mont
faucon, which were now flaming with
rifle fire, and swept toward the en-
placements Of the mighty citadel,
fghting and struggling bitterly in
hand to hand encounters through en-
tanglements and destruction. A down
pour Of artillery and machine gun
fire mingled with bursting grenades,
struck them in the face, the valiant
efforts Of the Three Hundred and
Thirteenth were in vain, and with
heavy losses the regiment fell back.
Firing from both sides again be-
came Intermittent and spectators
believed the battle was over, when
the rumbling from the American lines