Show 11 mm l I g countries by the I North American I Newspaper Alliance II World rights re reserved cc- cc c. c 0 St- St Story 01 Ii b. b r e A A. E F F served Including the ory 1 production Scandinavian Ond In whole Re Reproduction or In part prohibited Service By Gen J Ie z I AMERICAN DIVISIONS IN THE REDUCTION OF THE MARNE e SALIENT SALIENT t t. t 1 A t o cr a UI It l f tI-r. tI r e 7 tr t I p J v vre re its 4 nt fW u pw-u u m e I Y cr 7 a ei py 4 Th tJ t p Q S.- S. I fri I ir q ts e i uI r a s 8 I ouI too R t-p t P i kt Ii ENAY o J. CHAPTER LI Lu LII I Continued Marshal gave bUe his views I ws and plans which agreed with the general general gen gen- enera en- en era eral I outline suggested as os did General General Gen Gen- eral erat Retain who wanted further to consider the possibilities As far faras faras faras as these preliminary operations applied ap tip- plied pId to the tile Americans they w were re simply a n restatement of ot the plans plana we v.-e had bad been leading up to ever since our entry Into the tile war I 1 I. I therefore advised that details of or organization and supply were receiving receiving re re- re- re Ing ceh-Ing every ery consideration In the preparation of ot the American army to do Its part While at General Fochs Foch's headquarters headquarters head head- quarters I arranged with General for tor the tile expansion of ot the First corps then operating In the Marne sector by which four tour AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican lean divisions were to be placed d dIn In the line with two In reserve It was my hope bope that this would be bethe bethe bethe the basis for the tile preliminary formation formation for for- mation of an American army on this front En route rout to Chaumont I stopped to call cull on Liggett and apprise him of the possibility of additional American divisions dl for tor his corps Expedition t to Russia The supreme war council was prone to listen to suggestions for forthe forthe forthe the use of ot allied troops at various other than titan the western front One of ot these on which the British seemed to be especially Insistent In In- i was to send troops to help belp I the so-called so white army In Russia to keep open the communication through In the Arch Arch- angel I was opposed to any such Idea as It would simply mean scattering our resources all of ot which were needed neede on the western front But President Wilson was prevailed pre I upon to help and I was directed to end lend a regiment reg provided General Foch bad had no objections As apparently ap ap- ap- ap patently he had already considered j the question he gave his approval ol and a regiment was accordingly 1 ly sent The Three Hundred and Thir Thir- t ninth ty-ninth Infantry Col George E. E Stewart commanding together with one battalion of ot engineers and andone andone one field hospital were designated II for this service In w of ot the tite prospect for tor the earl earis embly of ot corps and divisions divi I to form orm our army It became urgent that the organization be fastened with all possible speed The he outlines had hud been determined and members of ot the First array army staff were at work vork on the details My formal order creating the First field army was Issued July 24 24 to take effect August 10 with headquarters at La sous Ferte-sous- Joun Jouarre Immediate consideration was given ginn the Improvement of or the general gen gen- eral supply system Although the recent reorganization had had helped It had been my purpose for some sometime I time to make muke changes In personnel i In the S. S O. O S. S particularly In the position of chief which demanded great administrative ability After Atter much thought the choice fell to Gen General rul Harbord CHAPTER Early In August 1018 WIS I 1 made an inspection tour of I t he Ibe service of supply to note the progress and acquaint m myself self the chief of at staff arid and General Harbord by actual observations with conditions I The tour was made also with a aview aview view to such changes In personnel and Improvements In methods as would Insure the complete fulfill meat ment of the Increased obligations Imposed upon the service Ice of supply supply supply sup sup- ply by the tremendous task tusk of ot receiving receiving re re- re celvIn storing and transporting the he enlarged troop and supply ship shIp- ments Our first stop was Tours which being the location of the headquarters tera of ot the S. S O. O S S. S with a huge American military garrison of 2400 and men had become a beehive of at activity We visited cv every ry activity at nt Tours beginning with the central records allies a branch of the tue adJutant adjutant adjutant ad ad- generals general's office of large proportions proportions proportions pro pro- portions where the personal records records records rec rec- of ot every man In Ia the A. A E. E F. F were kept We Ve found that the operators numbering thousands thousands thou thou- sands comfortably In portable barracks at Camp de Gra Grasse e. e were putting every energy Into the service Certain engineer troops were kept at ot this central centra point for tor railway work ready to respond to calls from any tion The well managed camp of ot German prisoners under Colonel Colone Groome of the military police contaIned contained con con- tamed several hundred men used as laborers A number of ot British women known as the Women's Auxiliary Aid corps were lent to us by their government to assist In clerical work The women located at nt Tours occupied neat and comfortable comfortable comfort comfort- able temporary barracks and presented presented pre pro n a nery very ery military appearance on parade Some fifty of them were lii III In quarters at nt the time and 1 I gave Instructions that they should be transferred to our hos hos- pital Besides officially these fine women under the proper restrictions restrictions restrictions that prevailed became a valued valued val vol addition to the social side of life lite where they were stationed This force Coree with us eventually numbered num num- about Speaks to Men In Hospital The base hospital at Tours was vas then filled with men wounded In Inthe Inthe inthe the recent engagements They were receiving the best of ot care under under un un- un der Col A. A M. M I. I Smith and his efficient effi em- cleat clent group of medical officers and nurses Passing through the various wards of this hospital I spoke to a 11 looking tine young soldier who was sitting up In bed and asked him where he was ras wounded meaning to Inquire the nature of ot his wound In reply he ho said Do you remember remember remember ber sir Just lust where the road skirts a small grove grO and turns to the left across a n wheat field and then lends leads up over oyer the brow ow of the hill Well Vell right there sir He was clearly describing the advance ad south of ot Soissons which pierced the tite Thierry Chateau sali salt ent eat Of course I was not there thereat at the time but It touched me that he should feel that I must have been very close to him At the base hospital In lu Bordeaux then under the efficient supervision of Col Cot H H. H A. A Shaw chief surgeon of ot the base section we found about of our wounded most most of them soon slon to be sent home No matter how severely wounded they were I never ne heard hear a word of ot complaint from any of ot our OUI men There could not have ha been found In the tile bo hospitals hos bos- of ot any array army a more cheerful lot It was a n lesson In fortitude an nn Inspiration to see their fine courage We arrived at Brest August 2 and found the commanding general getter gener al iii G. G H. H Hurries and staff at the station to meet us Base section No 5 G was built hullt around Brest our p r I i 4 1 Serving a Ficia Gun Jun leading port of at debarkation The section included four tour French territorIal territorial ter ter- departments Another landIng land land- lag Ing port pori for tor troops was Cherbourg A large locomotive terminal and repair shop were located locate at Hennes and a a coal port at fit Granville Major ONeIla O'Neil's Secret After an nn Inspection of the storehouses storehouses storehouses store store- houses and the new construction for tor additional storage on the piers liers iera I asked for tor the tue chief stevedore ste Major ONell ONeIl who c came me up apparently apparently ap up- quite embarrassed To put him at ease case I took him him by the arm and wt Wv walked together to In where some lighters were being unloaded As As' the port bad had made the record of handling arriving arriving ar nr- ar- ar riving troops and their baggage In one day May 24 entirely with lighters I 1 asked him to tell me about it By this time he had bad overcome his fright and pointing to two officers each down n In the bottom of a n lighter directing the work he said Sir do you OU see those two captains captains captains cap cap- down there In their shirt shirtsleeves shirtsleeves sleeves Well that's the secret I say to them Dont stand off somewhere and puff yourselves up In your uniforms but take off Sam Brownes and your coats and get down close to your OUr men mern Of Ot course those captains have now become experts I did the same thing when I started but since the they are trained I manage things generally and they carry carryout carryout carryout I out my ray orders I can cnn wear my uniform uniform uniform uni uni- form now that I have won the right to wear It Well I said ONeil ONell youre you're Just the man I have been looking for tor and I a am going to send you to every port every Tort ort we use to show them your our secret CHAPTER LIV The French government had expressed expressed ex ox- pressed a a desire to bestow their decorations on American officers and men and on-d asked If I would accept accept accept ac ac- ac- ac an appointment In the Legion of Honor with the grade of ot grand officer A As j congress had recently granted grant grant- ed permission for tor members ot of our forces to receive foreign decorations decorations decora decora- the French government was advised Ise accordingly and It was to confer this honor upon me that President Poin are paid his first brief brIer visit to Chaumont August G 0 G. G 1018 1913 8 I met him at the station with a military escort and conducted him to my headquarters where the senior officers of ot the staff starr were presented After that formality we repaired to the small area of ot barracks where the headquarters troop and band were drawn up In Inline Inline line Une for tor the ceremony Meanwhile the entire headquarters personnel several hundred men and women had turned out to witness the proceedings Both national national na na- na airs air were played and the troops were presented to the PresIdent President Pres Pres- ident blent after which he lie addressed me briefly In perfect English and pinned on the decoration I 1 am specially pleased he said at this opportunity to thank General Pershing and the brave e army army under his orders for tor the very gallant work they did during the thelast thelast thelast last weeks on the field of battle I replied thanking him for the I II honor and saying I II I I value this decoration as ns a aI amark amark I mark lUark of recognition by hy France of the services of ot the American army and of friendship for tor the American peo people le I KIssIng Causes Embarrassment I Then according to the French FrenchI I custom President PoIncare kissed me on both cheeks checks but not without without without with with- out some difficulty as he was not so Sc tall tail as I It and It was ne necessary essary for Cor him to rise on tiptoe and forme forme for forme me to lean lenn somewhat forward I was not Insensible to the high personal honor but hut re regarded It mainly as an nn appreciation on the part of ot the tile French rench government go nt of ot the assistance America had bad already already al al- al ready given ghen to the cause Without Implying Ing the slightest criticism of ot the form of ot salutation used In the ceremony I cannot refrain refrain retrain re re- re- re frain train from confessing my ray embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment embar embar- especially as fiS I could hear a hushed laughter from the Irreverent Americans In the area who witnessed my situation no doubt with sympathy I thoU thought ht that M P himself himself him hIm- self was wa's was probably quite as much macli embarrassed ed as I was Moreover he lie must have heard the suppressed mirth as DS plain as I. I LAs As As- the American army was now an accomplished fact It seemed ad ad- to begin preparations immediately Immediately Im im- im mediately to carry out the plan of ot campaign n adopted adapted July 24 ti-I. ti providing provid provid- In lag ing for n a distinctive American operation operatIon op op- op- op against the time St St. Mihiel sal ent eat I motored to Sarcus Au August 9 D and after discussing with Marshal Foch the changed situation In the Marne sector mind the time practical stabilization of ot the tIme front on the Vesle Vesie I suggested the transfer of ot the First army headquarters to the St St. Mihiel region where It could begin Immediate preparations for tor forthe forthe the proposed offensive We considered con con- ed the outline outline of or my plans and without hesitation Marshal Foch acquiesced In the time transfer Returning to Paris the same sume afternoon afternoon afternoon aft aft- I went to to talk the matter over further with General General Gen Oen eral We took tool stock of ot available divisions for tor the St. St operation and he said I could count on him definitely to todo todo todo do everything In his power to furnish furnish fur fur- tur- tur nish whatever we might require Having thus reached a general understanding regarding the preliminary preliminary preliminary pre pre- details of ot the move I drove the following morning to La sous Jouarre to take formal command of ot the First array army and to give gl Instructions to my staff regarding regarding re re- re- re garding the time movement of ot headquarters headquarters head head- quarters to Nen chateau Bells Bell's Division In Action The Third division dh Bell W was S still sun with the time British when the I combined attack of ot the British I II Fourth and the French First I armies In the Albert sector began August 8 The division division divi divi- sion was In front line training with the British Fourth army and ond was attached to the British Third corps for tor the time operation the One OneHundred OneHundred OneHundred Hundred and Thirty first regiment of Infantry being assigned to the British FIfty FIfty-el Fifty eighth division This Tills regiment Joined In the attack August August August Au Au- gust 9 against the Morlancourt- Morlancourt Chipilly spur north of ot the Somme It reached Its objectives In splendId splendid splendid did fashion nm and occupied a line on the western edge of wood extending southward along the river August 10 It continued to progress progress progress pro pro- gress against decided opposition gaining the eastern edge of ot the forests forests for tor- ests of or Fosse and Marcon During the following three days the command command com corn mand having ha been shifted the time One OneHundred OneHundred OneHundred Hundred and Thirty-first Thirty Infantry under the Australian Fourth division divi sion slon attained a line Just west of sur Bray The three other regiments were In reserve during the operations The One Hundred Dundred and Thirty-first Thirty In Infantry tan try was relieved relieved re re- re- re August 20 having advanced nd over three miles and suffered heavy casualties I motored to to the British front Sunday to be present at nt Thirty- Thirty third division headquarters near Mol aux l I on the occasion of the visit of King George who was then visiting his armies General General Gen Gen- eral oral Bliss miss |