Show r j YANKS JANK RIP HUN Peppery Troops Rush Foe at Dawn After Artillery Artillery Artillery Ar Ar- tillery Fire Has PrePared Prepared Pre Pre- I pared Way Going o ng Yet By Associated Press Pre v 7 I THE AMERICAN A WITH ARMY ARMYON ON CHAMp CHAM p A NE FRONT S pt 26 6 S g 30 P p. p m. m Secretary of VV Wai a Newton D. D Baker witnessed th beginning ginning beginning of the the American drive the along alo the front n northwest o of Verdun this morning At 6 5 o'clock at after r the thee T positions positions positions po po- had been bombarded high explosives and gas he American AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican army advanced TANKS LEAD CHARGE Squadrons of tanks formed again an effective part of the attacking force especially in the region P. P pl of These lard land battleships moved move d up with the die infantry smashing entanglements en- en en entanglements I en-I and arid routing th the enemy from gun nest nests The work of the American airplanes was one of ot the features of ot the combat An Art aerial barrier was was was' maintained over the lines preventing the enemy from observing the movements of ot the troops In spite of ot the fog the airmen swooped low over over the enemy's trenches and nd materially assisted the the advancing ad advancing infantry WITHOUT A HITCH Without a hitch hitch and and absolutely ac according according ac- ac cording to schedule the tenUre line moved into positions paralleling theline the thEline theline line of attack The American n at o'clock this morning ona twentymile twenty twenty- mile mUe front between the Argonne and the Meuse The artillery preparation artillery preparation on commenced on the flanks at 1130 o'clock Wednesday night and fand on the whole front front at o'clock this mornIng morn morn- ing 1 It was of ot an extremely S' S severe Sere severe ere ch character char character char char- r- r acter and was carried to to considerable depth The German artillery which was not in position to bring a a. powerful power power- ful ul cross fire on the front of ot attack was subjected to a gas bombardment during the entire time SUCCESSFUL EVERYWHERE The night was fine tine pt a dense mist formed toward morning morning- greatly increasing In Increasing increasing in- in creasing the difficulties of the young troops unac unaccustomed d to bight work Notwithstanding this the American AmerIc n assault was successful everywhere The enemy's front line was occupied d dIn In advance of ot schedule and the grog grog- ress rem continues although the enemy's resistance is s stiffening at certain places where an attack apparently was expected expect expected ex ex- d beforehand IMPREGNABLE HARDLY HA YI The Germans were forced to give up up ip positions of great strength which for years had proved almost Impregnable I Consequently a feeling of much sat- sat Is permissible but it is too early to announce to announce definitely the results re results results re- re finally to b be attainable The co counter b battery work of the Germans to restrain our advance and his machine gunfire caused trouble His air work was very Imperfect early In the day but improved later and was directed particularly against the American American American Amer Amer- ican balloons The American tanks did well when they assisted In the adv advance nce Last Last nights night's bombardment of the German lines German lines lines' preparatory to J the at attack attack attack at- at tack begun this morning was a magnificent magnificent mag mag- spectacle It was w was s a clo cloudless night and thousands thousands thou thou- sands of guns all firing furiously wreathed the hills in a ceaseless sparkle sparkle spar spar- kle of ot mirages of ot fireflies For six hours the roar of at the cannon cannon cannoni can- can non noni like the roll of ot a giant drum was unbroken The enemy is reported to have nave been suspicious of an attack somewhere In n the Champagne se sector tor or toward Brley Briey and for the past ten days was watchIng watchIng watching watch- watch Ing this front closely During the forty- forty eight hours preceding the attack he had increased his reserves In fn this re region region re- re gion glon from four to twenty-three twenty divi divi- Prussian guards defending Vauquois there being three divisions in the line and one In reserve strongly resisted the advance of ot the American troops early carry today STUBBORNLY LY RETIRING By a g general genera review of the fight after atter man many hours it is evident that the enemy is to prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared lines to to which all of his heavy heavy- artillery has been withdrawn This was the reason that his artillery artillery artil artil- lery reaction was Inadequate during the early phases of the battle battIe The staff work of ot the American army was excellent Continuous touch was maintained between divisions and reports were received without d delay lay The transport of supplies is working without a hitch |