Americans in Action

Taihape Daily Times, 20 July 1918, Page 6

Americans in Action

SUCCESS AT CANTIGNY.

NEAT WORK PERFORMED.

Describing the recapture by the Americans of Cantigny .at the end of May. Mr. Raymond G. Carool, correspondent of the New York Times, says:— In an enterprise of minor importance compared with the grand scale operations which the French and British, have carried forward since the war "began, the Americans west of Montdidier, early on Tuesday morning gave proof of their mettle as cool, steady, and productive fighters. They modestly offer as the result of their undertaking the recapture of the French town of Cantigny held by the enemy, besides taking about 200 prisoners, including five German officers possessing valuable information for the intelligence section of the whereabouts of various German divisions. It is needless to outline the details of the method of attack, as the way of precedure is the product of French and British instruction. The operation "began with, neutralisation fire upon the enemy's batteries from our heavies. This lasted one hour, and was followed by the combined heavies and sight guns in another hour of preparation, diversion and destruction fire. Then at 6.45 the Americans upon a front of one mile and a-half hopped fromt their trenches and, under the protection of a well-directed Tolling barrage, from the light guns, with the leavies concentrating upon distant areas, they advanced in two steady -waves. They crossed the intervening zone to their objectives,, a depth of nearly a mile, in exactly 40 minutes, preceded by 12 tanks, All the latter safely returned. There were sharp individual fights in the town of Cantigny. Two bundred and fifty German dead were counted. The enemy in pairs and fours and in larger groups came up from their underground retreats and surrenderegd, being chiefly young Silesians and Brandenburgers. Photographs of the American adTance taken from aeroplanes were placed in the hands of the commander of the attacking units in the forward positions four hours after his arrival there with his men. The liason work was perfect. The French High Com< mand, who oversaw the operations, were highly complimentary about the neatness and despatch with which the Americans toent back the Germans aire straightened out their first lines. The enterprise is an excellent example of -what the Americans can do upon a larger scale, and a quick and convincing ansv-er to the unsuccessful raids made against the same group of Americans by the Germans only a day before.