The New York Times/1918/11/11/Our Men Attack on 71-Mile Front
OUR MEN ATTACK ON 71-MILE FRONT
Second Army's First Offensive West of the Moselle Nets Extensive Gains.
STENAY STRONGHOLD TAKEN
Americans Hailed by Residents as Deliverers—Find Town in Good Condition.
STUBBORN RESISTANCE MET
Fee Used Many Machine Guns, but His Artillery Fire Was Weak.
By EDWIN L. JAMES.
Copyright, 1918, by The New York Times Company.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Nov. 10.—The fact that this might be the last day of the war had no recognizable effect on military operations along the American front. The truth of the matter is that the United States fighting men were busy today on the greatest front they ever worked on, for we were fighting over a 115-kilometer line from Sedan east to the Moselle River near Pont-a-Mousson.
Although there seemed to be a fair chance that the armistice would be accepted by the Germans tomorrow at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, General Pershing proceeded to show the enemy the real situation by launching an attack by the American Second Army over a fifty-kilometer front. This attack was made with limited objectives for the partial purpose of feeling out the German strength.
We found stubborn resistance at most points, but nothing that stopped us. The objectives reached today included the Bois Cheminot, the Bois Voivrotte, the Bois Warville, the Heights of Etines, St. Hilaire, and Marchéville. We advanced over the whole front according to schedule, gaining at some places five kilometers. The Germans had many machine guns, but weak artillery fire.
The result of the attack by the Second Army shows that they have a considerable number of divisions in front of the Metz region.
Success for Second Army.
The terrific effort of the American First Army in the Meuse sector, while using up some forty-three German divisions, of course taxed us heavily. But now the Second Army has its outfit and it works well, as was shown by the success of its first operation today.
The advance of the Second Army was made from a front approximately the same as that reached following the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient by the First Army in the middle of September. General Bullard's Second Army took over this front when the First Army was shipped north of Verdun for our great drive starting on Sept 26.
The First Army continued to distinguish itself today by capturing the important town of Stenay, lying on the eastern bank of the Meuse, which the Germans had endeavored to hold by hundreds of machine-gun nests and by terrific artillery and machine-gun barrages from the hills beyond Stenay.
Stenay was a town of some three thousand inhabitants before the war. We found 850 civilians there who came out from their cellars and warmly welcomed their Yankee deliverers.
The town was in excellent condition. We reached Laneuville six days ago. Since then the Germans have dropped a considerable number of shells into Stenay, but its condition cannot be called bad.
Advances by Americans.
Further east a division of the First Army occupied Grimaucourt. At various points on the line we pushed the Germans back for good gains. The boche gunners took out some spite on our bridge at Mouzon this morning and knocked it out at two places.
The Germans put up strong resistance today in the vicinity of Grand Chena, Dieppe, and Les Cognons, while at other places they offered very little resistance.
Very heavy traffic was reported by aviators on the roads leading into Montmedy and the north. We kept up a harassing fire all day on these lines of communication. Our day bombers reported that very few German machines attempted to interfere with their work.
Operations of both the First and the Second Army continue and they will keep the boche busy on their long front until called off.
Every one in the American Army is looking forward to tomorrow at 11 o'clock. The army is ready for any turn the war may take.
Attack by Two Armies.
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES ON THE MEUSE FRONT, Nov. 10, (Associated Press.)—The First and Second American Armies, in their attacks today extending along the Moselle and the Meuse, advanced on a front of approximately 115 kilometers, (71 1/8 miles.) French troops operating under the American command also advanced at various points.
The captured territory included the German stronghold of Stenay, Grimaucourt, east of Verdun, and numerous villages and fortified positions in Lorraine.
The Second American Army in the morning launched its first attack in Lorraine. Its objectives were limited. The villages of St. Hilaire and Macheville were captured, as also were a number of woods.
Advance West of Moselle.
The territory west of the Moselle taken by the Americans includes the Heights Etines, the Bois de Wavrille, the Bois Voivrotte, and the Bois Cheminotte.
The Germans offered stiff opposition with machine guns and artillery. More than 100 prisoners were taken by Pershing's men.
Aroused by repeated German raids and local attacks during the last few nights west of the Moselle, the Second American Army in its initial attack crashed down on the Germans early this morning with artillery preparation lasting several hours. Then the infantry forged ahead, advancing at places more than three miles. The Germsn fought desperately, using their machine guns, but were forced to give ground almost everywhere along the entire front.
General Pershing's troops in the afternoon captured Stenay, on the east bank of the Meuse, notwithstanding terrific opposition.
Capture of Stenay.
Stenay, which was strongly fortified, was taken in an attack from the south. The Americans swept forward against streams of machine-gun bullets and artillery fire from the hills northeast of the town.
The entire district in the region of Stenay was flooded by the Germans, who dammed the canals and rivers. The Americans, crossing the River Mause from below, took Stenar in a great northward push.
The armistice situation had no apparent effect on the activities on the Americans' Sedan front Sunday morning. Parts of the front were marked by artillery exchanges, with the Germans shelling the Verdun road in the regions of Cesse, Beaumont, Mouzon, and Balaan. The Mouzon bridge was broken in two places.
Along the Mause from the region of Sedan to Stenay the German machine gunners, clinging to the hills overlooking the river, kept flares burning during all Saturday night, preventing the Americans from crossing. Throughout the night the American artillery boomed along the entire front as a signal to the American infantrymen that the war was still on, despite rumors of peace.
All Objectives Reached.
In the drive east of the Mause which resulted in the capture of Stenay the Americans extended their lines north-east of Mouzay, reaching the Bois du Chesnois. The Germans defended every foot of the ground over which the advance was made. All the objectives were reached in the day's fighting, and wherever the enemy attempted to make a stand he was beaten back.
Before the war Stenay was a town of about 4,000 inhabitants. It is believed that several thousand of these people remain there. Because of this belief the American artillery did not fire upon the town.