Show Pershing's the A. A Eo E. F. F of vV v v Copyright 1931 In all sU countries by Jy the thy North I New World n r 1 American N pap r Ut tile reserved including the Reproduction In m whole or ar in pert part prohibited t. t J John OUn J J. J P Pershing ers h. h CHAPTER L Continued L With most commendable energy and Initiative the officers led their commands forward during the nt night ht winding In and out through the almost Inextricable snarls of of wheeled vehicles One of the battalions battalions bat bat- assigned to lead In the attack attack at at- tack though on the march most of the nl night was forced to move mO on the run for tor the last few hundred yards and Just reached Its place as the barrage started The Second division headquarters found Itself July l 10 16 with no knowledge ge of the terrain and little o obtainable from any source Harbord lIar Har- bord and his chief of staff l' l Col Preston Brown Drown started for tor the front and accidentally ran Into the I headquarters of the Twentieth corps They there found the directive directive tive the for the attack from which they Issued the divisions division's ord orders rs The country over o which the Twentieth corps attacked consisted consist consist- ed edof of t f a succession of ot wooded ravines that lay In across the line of advance ance with scarcely scarcely any roads leading toward the front The enemy's enemy's enemy's ene ene- mys my's main defenses along the ridges es of the Soissons plateau were ere naturally strong and with the added the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my evidently e felt himself reasonably reasonably reasonably reason reason- ably secure It was harvest time and the ripening wheat that covered covered cov coy ered erect the rolling roIlIng landscape gave excellent excellent ex ex- ex cover coyer for the enemy's Infantry infantry In in- fantry and machine guns but It also helped to hide our advance Without the time usual preliminary artillery pr preparation the assaultIng assault- assault fug Ing battalions accompanied by light tanks plunged forward behind be be- bind hind the barrage The enemy was caught by surprise and the First and Second divisions gallantly supported by the Moroccan divisIon division divi divi- sion slon In the center soon overran his forward position and broke through h the zone of his light ar ar- tillery Though constantly cond confronted con con- fronted d by fresh enemy troops this corps took the lead lend In the advance and nd Its Us progress was most tory tort By noon It had captured half of the great plateau In Its front with many prisoners and a little later tater forward elements reached the days day's objective The Second division encountered strong opposition at nt VIerzy In a determined effort launched after 6 p. p ID m. m the town was captured and a aline aline line overlooking the valley volley of the Crise was occupied The First division divIsion division di di- vision had carried ever everything before before belore be be- fore lore It capturing defended farm farmhouses farmhouses farmhouses houses and and- other points where It met stiff stilt resistance finally taking Missy BoIs aux Bois and holding a front frontline frontline line slightly be beyond ond that town The Theline Theline line Une ran diagonally ally across the Soissons road The attack of the corps was resumed resumed resumed re re- the morning of July 19 but during the night the German lines directly in front of ot had hod been heavily re enforced re with machine machine ma mn chine guns and artillery In Tn their advance the French One Hundred and third Fifty division and the First division met with much resistance resistance re re- re- re the Second brigade of the First encountering fire of ot the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my both from the front and the left flank Tanks were sent to Its assistance assistance as as- and with close artillery support the division was enabled slowly to gain ground but at considerable con con- cost The Second division dl with the reserves reserves reserves re re- serves of the first day In the lead lend forged ahead to the time Chauteau Thierry road but was compelled to withdraw to the vicinity vicinity vi vi- of La It finally established established es es- es- es a line Just west of TIgny Tig-ny with the road under Its guns The division was relieved by the French Fifty eighth division the night of ot the having advanced six and one half miles captured prisoners prig pris and 75 guns and sustained about casualties First Division Makes Advance July 20 the First division continued continued continued con con- Its advance nd dO doggedly against a desperate stand by the Germans Germanson on the knoll In front of Berzy le Sec See The French had been ordered to take Sec le but failed In n the afternoon Summerall directed direct direct- ed that It be assaulted by hy his Second Sec See Secand ond and brigade but the attempt did not succeed that day Assisted by the use of artillery and with consummate dash under Brig Gen B. B B B. Buck In the face foce of ot intense In Intense tense artillery and machine gun fire lire the Second brigade captured the town on the Meanwhile the First brigade and the French I division which had relieved the Moroccans had ha-d crossed the Chateau Soissons Thierry high high- wa war and reached the Chateau Chuteau of Buzancy The line now v ran parallel to the Crise with Soissons com- com landed by our artillery The First division throughout four tour days of constant fighting had advanced nearl taken nearly seven se miles aGoo prisoners and 08 as guns from seven Been different German divisions employed n against It and had about casualties The thrust of the Twentieth corps was conducted with such magnificent dash and power that the enemy's position within the so salient n lI-n t was rendered untenable The dan dangerous erous character of the threat caused the crown prince to begin a general withdrawal from the Marne This operation snatched the Initiative from the enemy al nl almost almost most In an Instant and from that moment nt he be was on the time defensive OUT Our First and Second divisions dl with the the- Moroccan division between them h had d struck the decisive e blow v that t turned the tide of the war war said Bald It could not have ha been done dona our divisions dl On the other side the German chancellor Von said later Inter We expected grave events e In Paris for the end of ot July That was on the On the even the most optimistic among us understood understood un un- that all nil was lost The history of ot the world was played out In three days s CHAPTER LI American participation In the second Marne offensive which began began be be- gan gnu July 18 1918 and turned the tide of ot war In favor of the allies was not limited to the operations of ot the First and Second divisions dl While this bitter cont contest st was being wn waged waded ed for tor the possession of the crucial point near the troops around the rim of the salient had been steadily driving ahead The Fourth dl division Islon Cameron less Its artillery fought at fit first with the French The Seventh brigade was attached to the Second corps French Sixth army the For For- seventh ty-seventh Infantry In reserve and the Thirty ninth assigned ned to the thel l' l French rench Thirty-third Thirty division In In the attack of July 18 this regi regI- regIment regiment ment meat cleaned up the wood In Its front captured Noroy and extended extend ed the line fIne to the south On the the regiment went forward about two and one half miles on a front 1000 yards north of the It was relieved the morning morning morn morn- ing of the and went to reserve resene The Eighth brigade was assigned to the French One Hundred and find Sixty-fourth Sixty division the Fifty- Fifty ninth regiment In reserve In the attack of the the Fifty eighth regiment assisted In the capture of Hautevesnes and Courchamps took Chevillon and made further substantial substantial sub sub- gains Th The ninth Fifty regiment was put In the front line during the night of ot July 18 19 relieving re re- lieving the Fifty eighth O and on the lath advancing with the div divi division lion sion gained two miles On the with two battalions of the ninth Fifty In line the advance was carried well to the east of Sommelans The brigade was relieved re re- red lie from the front line July 21 Twenty-Sixth Twenty Division Participates Coincident with these advances on the the First corps Liggett Liggett gett sen serving with the French Sixth army and composed of ot our Twenty sixth division and the French One Hundred and Sixty Sixty- seventh division also became a apart apart apart part of the movement The sixth ty-sixth division occupied the line It had taken over from the Second division July 10 The plan for the July 18 offensive contemplated a adeep adeep adeep deep penetration south of ot Soissons by the French Tenth array army supported supported sup sup- ported on the right by the French Sixth army extending the attack as far tar south as Bouresches The second Fifty brigade de ty-sixth ty division captured the villages vii vil lages of Torcy Torey and Belleau and andone andone andone one battalion reached the base of the dominating hill hili Elements of the bri brigade ade reached the railroad but severe ere flank fire dr drove ve them to the starting point pointOn On the the advance of the Twenty sixth was contingent ent upon the success of the French One Hundred Hundred Hun Hun- dred and anel Sixty seventh division on Its left but hut that division failed to take Its objectives Cs and the time Twenty- Twenty sixth did not attack On the the One Hundred and Sixty seventh was vas held up again exposing the left of ot the division Islon to heavy lank flank Ore fire and preventing more more than a sll slight ht gain Farther to to the right the Twenty sixth succeeded In takIng taking tak tak- lu ing farm tarm and got a n foothold foothold foothold foot foot- hold on hill bm HO When the attack began on the It was found that the Germans had withdrawn the night before and the Twenty sixth moved forward for tor- ward with little or no opposition until It reached the new German Hn line at Mont Mont St St. Pere east of ot the Chateau Soissons Thierry highway On the It captured Trugny and got a foothold foothold foot toot hold bold In but was forced by bya a strong German counter attack to retire to wood The Fifty Fifty- second brigade was also driven back to Its starting point I The attack renewed on the was successful one re regiment reachIng reachIng reach reach- Ing the Mont St St. Pere rond road but In the afternoon It was forced to retire That night the Fifty Fifty- second brigade was replaced lJ by tI tb sixth Fifty brigade Twenty I Twenty eighth eighth division When the latter launched Its attack the morning of the 2 2 1 Uh th It was found that the enemy had withdrawn and he was not n again aln encountered until the pursuers including Including In in- part of ot the first Fifty brigade s Twenty sixth th division reached Croix Rouge farm During Its offensive oO action beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning with the the Twenty- Twenty sixth division had bad progressed nearly nearly nearly near near- ly eleven miles and find had captured prisoners and four pieces of artillery Since Its occupation of the sector Jul July 10 It had suffered about casualties The division was relieved relle to together with the sixth Fifty-sixth brigade Twenty-eighth Twenty division by the II fourth Eighty brigade brigade bri bri- bri- bri division which gade second Forty took over o the sector on the The fourth Eighty brigade Forty Forty- second division replaced two French divisions which were pinched out by the shortening of ot the line On the the time Forty Forty- second occupied the time entire front of the First corps about two miles In extent Enemy Fights Desperately The enemy's defeat In front of ot the Twentieth corps American First and Second divisions an and First Moroccan an division n was the principal cause of the withdrawal of his his' armies but h he lit fought desperately desperately des des- from flom position to position and his retirement was being skillfully skillfully skill skill- fully conducted to save e men and ma material from frolD capture In the offensive counter-offensive of July 18 no operations were ordered for French or American troops east of ot Chateau Chateau Thierry leaving them an opportunity to readjust their lines Ines On the Ol h patrols from the Third division discovered that the Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans had withdrawn across the Marne the night b before fore and the division divIsion division di di- vision at nt once advanced its line to the river The nl night ht of July 20 the G Germans further withdrew to the line north of Mont St St. Pere connecting with their line of ot resistance In front of our First co corps filS July 21 the Fifth brigade crossed the Marne In pursuit capturing Mont St St. Pere and driving machine guns out of Chart eves The Thc Sixth brigade waited for the bridge to be completed at nt and the mornIng morning morn morn- In Ing of the one regiment crossed the river and captured Jaulgonne The Germans were contesting every step am nn while the First battalion of ot this reached Le Channel Charmel It was compelled compelled com compelled com com- to retire b by successive positions post post- to Jaulgonne On the operations planned In operation co with the French Thirty ninth and the American second Forty on Its left were only partly successful The Forty see ond and captured the strongly held Croix Crob Rouge Houge farm but the French Thirty ninth division could not ad ad- vance The leading ba battalions of the Fifth brigade nde entered Le Charme Charmel Char Char- me mel but not being able to debouch from the town they were withdrawn withdrawn with with- dr drawn wn after dark During the night the pressed hard-pressed Germans retired retired retired re re- re- re tired to the leaving lea machine guns behind to delay our advance nd July the Fre French ch Thirty-ninth Thirty division took up the pursuit followed tot fol lowed by the Fifty fifth brigade ade Twenty eighth y division which relieved re re- re- re lIe ed the 11 French rench Thirty-ninth Thirty that nl night at Courmont The Time Fifth i brigade bri bri- bri gade Third division advanced nd on the right to protect this movement and occupied a line running southeast southeast south south- east from Courmont through h VII VII- During the morning of the t the e Fifth bri brigade ade captured and the Twenty-eighth Twenty division reached the but was unable to hold Its gains north of the river On the the Third division occupied an Irregular line linebe be beyond but neither that unit nor the Twenty-eighth Twenty division din divi sion slon on Its left was was' able ahle to make material progress a against a the Bois Bols des that day The Third division was relieved relle by the Thirty second on the and und retired south of the Marne It had taken a o. o decisive part in stopping stopping stop stop- ping the last lost German offensive and had advanced advanced- ten miles tulles through IJ country stubbornly defended defend defend- ed by the enem enemy It had suffered casualties to the number of ot about officers and men The second Forty division as ns we have seen had come from the French rench Fourth army Briny to the Marne l salient and had hind relieved the ty sixth division l In the rhe First corps In the advance I that hat followed It had gallantly captured Croix Rouge llou farm on the and on the following fol lowing day clay had cleared the Foret Fordt de Fere Iere captured Villers VIllers-sur-Fere VIllers sur Fere and had reached the July the second Forty established a n line beyond the anc and on the the I Fourth division In support support support sup sup- port of the second Forty-second division captured Sergy while the latter took et et eR |