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Show AMERICAriS lOHGHI! BP Great 16-Inch Cannon, Largest in World, I Used by Yankees to - Reduce Hun Defenses WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE, Oct. 29. While the Mezierr-s- Longuyon railway in under fire of the American lone range j guns, the (rtrmani mr putting up their bitterest atrufcle tMat of the Meus. The Belleu wood positions In that region are now the keystone of the entire weet front. If the jfmerl- heve a cl,n sweep acruM the valley to the Mesleres-Hedan-LonfUyon railroad rail-road and the enemy will be forced to retire behind that line. Hmaehlnff of these heights positions and an advance acroee the valley, the comparatively short distance to Mont -Medy (twenty-five miles directly north of Verdun) would be equal in importance to tha longer advance to Vfeslerea (twenty -eight ml lea north weet of Mont medy . He) leu wood, south of Wavrllle (three-quarters of a mile southwest of Damvillersr, which has been the scene f violent fighting for days. Is now held by the Americans, though they must at,lll taka the heights on either side. TAKEN AND RETAKEN. The wood waa first taken by storm then loat as the result of a hoc he counter attack with heavy reinforcements. reinforce-ments. The fighting swayed back and forth until the wood was restored. This Is an example of the resistance the Germans are putting up all along the Important ridges which are bounded on the weet by the big bend In the Meuse. In the region of Brie u Ilea. In addition to giving the Americans command of the valley stretching to Mont medy, capture of theae heights will result In flanking the Brley Iron fields and bringing the roads from that region under our artillery firs. SEDAN MAY SEE BATTLE. Should the enemy be forced back of Montmedy and Longuyon the entire line to the westward On the Alsne region, would necessarily be compelled to recede, bringing historic Hedsn (scene of the decisive battle of the Franco-Prussian war. ten miles south east of Mesteres) again Into ths battle area, PIQHT BY INCHES. While the Americana are gnawing away east of the Meuse they are ex ertlng equal pressure along ths heights of ths Aire valley, beyond Orandpre. Here, the French, on the left, are playing play-ing a most Important role, pushing on beyond V ousters snd starting formation forma-tion of a aallent with ths American left ss s peak. The Germans, however, are protected In this movement by a continuation con-tinuation of the heights over which the Americans must--fight r inches, GREAT WE AT HI AIDS. Ths weather is greatly Improved and there Is Increasing activity everywhere. Heavy Oerman artillery fire on the front of the American ftecond army feast of Verdun) is revealing the enemy's ene-my's uneaslneea, regarding the safety of ths Hriey Iron fields. Just as it Is their dee Deration to hold the Meuse line. Efficiency of the Briey district will also be affected by the big gun bombardment of the Longuyoa railway, rail-way, this being the direct line over which the product Is hauled back. GUNS SHOOT 2$ MILES. The guna which mra firing on the Montmedy-Longuyon railway are shooting twenty-five miles. (This shows the guns are emplaced from five to ten mi lee behind the American line, as ths battle front la about fifteen to twenty miles from this line They are much bigger caliber than the boche guns which fired on Parla. (The tier-man tier-man guns were nine-Inch. The American Ameri-can guns. It has been announced, are alxteen-lnch.) The big guns made a great hit with the French, who first served them In the 8t. Quentln and Laon regions. The latter point was completely smashed by them, aa were all the enemy railways loading from that town. tluns of almost similar caliber next appeared at the ttt. Mlhiel aallent, where they fired on the Mets region. CANT DESCRIBE GUNS. Description of these guns Is prohibited prohibit-ed for military reasona. aside from the fact that they are transported by railway. rail-way. Ths guns are of such sise that the French despaired of the Americana ever getting them to ths front. All the accompanying equipment la entirely American. The monsters were brought ever lashed to the decka vt ships. The bombardment of the Mealeres-Bedan-Longuyoa railway Is ths most serious development the boche haa yet faced, aa this Una serves for switching purposes foA troops from east to west, and Is also ths main line for supplies. It is ths stem of the bottle neck which tha boche must keep open. Breaking of the line means breaking of the connection con-nection between the Oerman armies to the eaat and west, except by an almost Impossible circuitous routs. SPOKESMAN OP PEACE. The commander Of the big guns Is ths biggest peace spokesman the weet front. He is a monarch when It comes to consideration of his pets. In one Instance when he waa notified that the French Intendea f.o move his monsters mon-sters st a certain hour, he drove hts American engines and cars out on the lino regard lees of other traffic, which waa Immediately cleared to permit him to pass. AH questions of whether the guns could peas through certain tun-nela tun-nela and whose jurisdiction they would come under, were swept aside by the commander with the statement that hevhad to go through the tunnela and waa not looking for proper jurisdiction, but targets. Ths ears of ths gun carry complete equipment, down to food and clothing as wail aa the giant ahella which are hurled ever the hills at the bocbea. |