Show an tiny s 's Test of Yank 9 f V ri I Fighter Wars WaTs Vital Point CI oo to Allies Balance Balance of 0 Arms J Was r in rn Their Favor I Two Harr Harrowing J Days for First Division 11 Writes rites rites Glorious Chapter C in American History II 1 From Stars and n T r Is possible that In those ancient crumbling be- be years wh when n Rome Home was foro tho the attacks of at tho the barbarians I from om beyond the tho Rhine or when wheat west- west rn jn Gaul was trembling beneath tho the of or Attn the civilized civilised world of oC ho bo time limo ma may have la c felt Colt Itself an as gravo- gravo Iy f y threatened with destruction as aR did the months modern civilization cl during t f April May and June 1918 1919 when l rico again th the Huns as ns always through h the ages the assailant of ot the higher of ot human development o ment were making eking their effort to crush Jho tho ho armies of or tho allies upon the soil of t Franca But never ne In past vast erne eran certainly was the stake Involved for COI humanity so vast BO so world ing ng and never did tho the out outcome como oC of o a struggle seem to hang bang more mOlO perilously In the balance C tOn On the tho one hand h lili was a German army reinforced to en n tho western front nearly orrl twice it its former proportions b bythe by the Iho collapse of at Russia armo armed and trained trained to the tho last degree of at pe perfection Iou tion an and ond animated by a A. hope oo of ot success suc suo- ness cess ees which because It was aA based upon uch such almost Immeasurable strength th otter amounted to conviction Oil 11 tho the other othor I hand and wore warp the tho armies of or Franco and England doggedly determined sill but orely tried through nearly four tour years cars of pt ceaseless battles and cruelly batby battered bat t by the tha gigantic plunges of at tho nem enemy nemy In n his hla q spring o or offensive c SI 1 What factor facto r could furnish to one aldo or the other the tho balance of or n cl which might turn tho the scale Tho The only factor factor In view which might accomplish this result was on tho the side of ot tho the al- al albut es but It was ono one so now so 80 untried developed that In and so eo Incompletely those tholo days day's or of early g when t the thea c German erman battering ram m h had hd a driven en a W wed edgo o between tho British and Fren French I arm armies os nearly nearh to tho the coast const iwO west t of or VItale i VI- I Into the tho and another deep tale taI of or the British front at ability to turn two the tide hill hUl that Its of or battle battlo could coul only be bo hoped for not noi certainly relied upon r t This factor was the army of or tho Cho United sited States which had hall b been en in the l theoretically for tor a year bu but which tv ar ar the zone oft of 01 vas teas as as yet let ct represented In the armies armies b by only a few tew Ins div divisions and the theo a o few trained oily o I ordeal of at modern Car Carfare Jor tor tho terrible the stabilized I In quiet experience tare rare b by lectors It I. was as of ot course rte necessary cossar suby eventually bo ba sub sub- that they should though t t but I test I to the tho supreme though Americans themselves might feel per per- I I of the results confidence In what eel t have ha I be It could not would be that hat test without some somo misgivings ings that the been ordered the 1 1 t I nett high command I division son U S. S A. A MaJ Gen Robert Lee I dl- dl commanding to occupy tho I mullard ullard Cantigny inY In fronting r sector Y which it t took position on April 25 a I Is 1918 Cantigny was Wag not merely mere mere- The sector of or morn morn- In the allied allie lino Uno of or f ly Iy an important one ono been almost almost al- al I battlo it t may be said ald to have hn supremely Important Lying a afew i most northwest of or Idler J few lew kilometers which which like Cantigny Itself I was and inthe In Inthe of or the Germans We the possession the southeast about twenty kilometers It ft was at the ver er ver apex anex et r Amiens had f the salient which the enemy of at in their March offensive when when near to sc sering se Shey measurably hey had h come ring the British p id French armies s hoMinG holding the tho line hero here Upon the troops Rested c two the chief responsibility for tho the safety of ot Amiens and the vital railways a s 's rind nd other lines of at communication now necessarily crowded crowde close to the coast I by toy which h the tho British supplied all atI of at their line north o of tho the Somma tram from I to La o Havro and other ports of ot the channel chan chan- nel el coast W 1 Could the tho Americans be relied upon 11 f to o hold this vital point as well as the wench French who had hero here stopped the German Ger- Ger man advance ance a few tew weeks before The Germans sneered at the tho tho Idea vowing yawing that tho the untrained and sel self indulgent ent I Americans tf could never be made Into first class soldiers The Th French and the thc British believed that they could and i Jf if tho event should prove provo that thc they I when hen the opportunity could coul moreover cr ty came make head offensively cly into I the uthe German Gorman lines opposite to th them m. m It could be to the tho wearied armies and I I peoples of ot tho the allied nations Into liko the the- first Hush flueh of ot daylight after atter the stormy j night inight Millions more of at American troops potentially as good as those of or orthe the ithe Fret division wore were coming and Iti if It f i h First division could stand tho the su su- su preme test no doubt would remain that eventually c the tho war wal could coul be ue won WaIL Tit lit for Cor Tnt After Arter a period of at rigorous training behind the tho lines Ines tho the First division dl first occupied a quiet sector in lit the tho re region region re- re gion glon of oC Toul about the thc middle of ot JanUary January Janu JanU- a ary 10 where through three months of ot almost constant service ser the they had learned the complicated lessons lesson of ot de defensive de- de o warfare which had been brought to such euch a n high state o 0 of perfection perfection per per- during three un and a n half years year of oC war It was ns from tram this sector that thal they were tran transferred to Cantigny Cl wh where ere from their arrival on art April Apri 20 0 the they experienced an Intensity of ot do- do warfare vastly greater than that which had prevailed In n their former for tor mer leer positions posItion Tho rho Germans constantly threatening to ro um their push toward Amiens and the tho coast harassed tho the American linos night an and day da with artillery fire lot of all calibers while walla trench t raiding was vas frequent and blot Tho American raiding however or was Quito as 03 spirited aa M tho the Oc Gorman and patrols had soon oon secured Information eho showing g that tho the enemy's lines to the First division were hold held by tho two Two- Two Hundred and Seventy first and anel Two Hundred and amI Seventy second regiments of at Germany Infantry who whoso whose o companies companies companies compa compa- nies had an average strength of at ICO men i bettor bottor troops and und larger larKer companies companies compa compa- nies 8 than tho the average In tho Iho German army arm at tho time Importance Difficult though tho American po position position l- l tion was to hold It Il soon oon became evident evident evi evi- dent that merol merely holding It would not suffice The village muga of or Cantigny strongly strong organized and defended by h the enemy was waa on rising ground afford afford- affording ing admirable or r points overlooking overlooking over over- looking tho American lines and und rear areas toward Amiens and Breteuil and moreover er presenting an excellent excellent excel excel- Ilont lent Jumping Jumping- off oft place for tor a n further I great greal assault If It tho the Germans should det determine to resume their advance to toward toward to- to ward two the coast To safeguard tho the po po- position and to place the line favorably fa for Cor an nn allied counter offensive o If it the chance chanco for one should come It was as necessary that that Cantigny should be betaken betaken tal taken en and held Preparations for tho operation were begun at once The Tho troops detailed to make malee the at attack attack at- at tack tacIt were tho the eighth Twenty Infantry infantry try tn Colonel Fly Ely ono battalion of ot the Vent T Twenty sixth Infantry MaJ laj Theodore Theodoro Roosevelt Jr Jr for support and detachments de detachments de- de of ot French tanks nn and flame throwers A section of or terrain behind tho the American lines very ery similar In natural natural nat not ural features to that occupied bv by Cantigny Can Can- tigny nn and Its defenses was selected for tor maneuvering maneu and trenches In r rt- rt of at the German Gorman ones we were du du r It Sand tables to topography upon showing tho the to topography to- to woods lines of or change cange atthe of at the barrage objectives strong points and all houses In Cantigny which might be e expected to be organized a as I machine gun nests were prepared and I minutely studied Exact ct and detailed orders were prepared by br the staff slat and the artillery artillery- arrante arranged accurate time timetables timetables tables table for tor the preliminary bombardment bombardment bombard bombard- ment and the rolling barrage e. e Three of or For three successive days dus the th troops I which were to participate In the as assault assault assault as- as sault rehearsed It In detail upon the selected terrain until every overy officer I and man knew perfectly the part which he ho he was to reach This preliminary training being o er every compan company company com com- pany pan commander together with one I other company officer 1 an and two noncommissioned noncommissioned non non- commissioned officers ma made e a daylight daylight day day- light reconnaissance to stud study the sector sec sec- tor and tor-and and select objects upon which to march whets when ti p to assault should go off ott At length after evory every conceivable able preparation had been made an and every 1 precaution taken to Insure success came the momentous nl night ht of ot May 27 I 28 Probably tho the troops did not yet yeti ct know leno it It but on that very cry morning had occurred an event ent which was waa to give to their own comparatively small undertaking en even greater moral morrl significance signifiCAnce sig significance sig- sig than It would otherwise have e possessed That morning the Germans had gone over the tho top along the tho Chemin des Dames in the tho last of ot their successful great groat offensives s an offensive so successful successful suc suc- at the beginning that It t was wa perhaps more disquieting than an any of those which had preceded it carrying the enemy's lines down to tHo Marne Marno I Chateau Thierry and seeming se g for a I at with Imminent I unto time to threaten Paris arts attack In tho next days day's news flows to a dismayed world telling of at tho the a armies j striding the German crown prince of ot southward across the V esle tho electrifying electrifying elec elec- I elee-I success of or tho the First American Ameri I Ican I division at Cantigny was the tho only can au of ot exceeding ex- ex x- x bright ht spot but ut It was a spot cee brightness Over r the Tun Zero hour r was set for a. a m. m May fa units en en- en designated Infantry 2 The Tho 1230 1 30 trucked for tho front lines at a. a m. m an and at S g 3 a. a m m. m they were In position position po po- In their lr off jumping trenches Twelve Twel French tanks and tho 1 French flame throwers were in position tho the squadron of ot French airplanes detailed ready to to mal make mako o observations way was perform Its part alt of or the complicated task and a a. l of United States Scales eng was on hand for pio pioneer plo plo- of ot artil artil- near neer work About bout pieces ler lery American and French ranging in caliber from to stood prepared rc to lo open the tho bombardment bombard bombard- mont ment at th Lh the appointed S second such Kuch ach carried a shelter half halt his rifle with rounds of or ammunition ammunition am am- two han hand grenades ono n 1 fl 41 ire four ono one Bensa rifle rino grenade days days' da s rations two canteens canteens canteens can can- sand tind bags bass two wo teens of at water an and either cither a a. pick or I a a. shoveL At 4 J 57 1 a a. a m. m ever every unit was in lit po position position i- i tion and every ery arrangement completed The nl night ht was calm und and starlit ad admirably all all- 1 suited to the work in hand Promptly at zero hour a. a in m tho the with a bombardment began bean roar an and the hall of or missiles crashed down upon Cantigny and it its 1 stono walls wails began to crumble and fly Into splinters Tho Tito fire Ire paralyzed the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans an and when at a. a a. a m m. the bombardment bom- bom was suddenly pulled back bacle to the initial line of or the barrage and the tho Infantry went over ovel advancing ad at nt the lato rato of or meters er e every two minutes and follow following 11 tho barrage Imra-alo ai at a distance distance dis dis- tance of ot fifty meters the enemy was wasso wasso wasso so bewildered s be that ho could coul not offer oUel effective o resistance Mastered by the bayonets of or the American Infantry and terrified by tho the tunics tanks and anti flame flamethrowers throw throwers he Germans surrendered In clusters those who attempted to fight tight being boing shot down or captured at as tho thu rush of ot troops mopped up tho town towi and ind Its covering trenches In an Incredibly short time tho the objective objective tive Uvo line beyond Cantigny n had boon reached with remarkably few losses lossos But nut now came cam the th far tar more difficult task of ot consolidating and hol holding ln the captured positions rho Tho German counter counter coun coun- ter artillery fire ho had como come down promptly and Ind it was withering It was necessary promptly to make the tho v ne line secure against agnin t tho the counterattack counterattack counter count r- r attack which was certain to bo be launched very shortly the Positions First a lino IIno of ot shell holes was consolidated consolidated con con- and with tho the help of ot the engineers connected with hast hasty ahal- ahal low trenches capable of or being defended defend defend- ed mainly wIth automatic Under Under Un Un- der a galling artillery barrage and a constant hall hail of ot machine gun un an and rifle fire tho the men then wired these positions positions positions In front while the third wave of ot the as assault close behind was as bus busy under quito quite as difficult conditions In consolidating three strong points Immediately immediately immediately Im im- mediately behind the tho front line ono one In tho woods wood OO meters e st of or tho smoking in ruina of Cantigny one in tho the woods to the tho northeast of or It t and I one In tho the cemetery north of ot tho the town Each strong point was garrisoned by h byone ono one platoon pl of Infantry provided with automatic rifles Under cover cooer of ot a R vigorous I machine gun un barrage In which one captured German machine c gun bun was participating in ing the Americans awaited the German reaction For two hours hours after the capture of oC Cantigny n the enemy's artillery artillery artil artil- lery fire tire continued with unabated intensity Intensity In- In In hi spite of at the powerful re response response response re- re which tho tiro American an and French guns wore snaking making to It Telephone wires all along the American front were constantly cut and it was during this period that |