| Show mm m mi cj General P Pershing's Stor of the A. A E E. Fo F. In all til countries br bi the th North orth American l New NI p per World B By Ut f eneri 1 hU to trued lh the e dla a Reproduction n In n whole or of In put part prohibited John J. J Service CHAPTER Continued Continued Air hir IS Saker iker returned from lumi his Ills ob ot observation point near the battlefield much eluted elated over the success of ot the troops He had been a witness to the first effort of ot au American army and It was a proud day for him to feel that as secretary of ot war his directing directing di dl- di- di hand had led to such results re re- He fie took much pleasure ingoing In IngoIng Ingoing going about to all parts of ot the arm army and scorned being treated as ns asa asa a guest Overcome Entanglements Thanks to the thorough preparation preparation tion Uon beforehand the wire entanglements entanglements entanglements entangle entangle- ments were more easily overcome than thun we had expected Trained teams reams earns of ot pioneers and engineers with bangalore torpedoes torpedoes torpedoes torpe torpe- does wire cutters and axes assisted assist assist- ed In opening gaps In the masses of barbed wire sure Ire covering the German positions The leading troops themselves themselves them thern- selves carried along rolls of ot chicken chick chick- en wIre Ire which was thrown across e entanglements here and there forming a kind of bridge for the Infantry In all nIl their offensives the allies had spent da days s 's destroying entanglements entanglements entanglements entangle entangle- ments with artillery fire or had hadr r used a large dumber lumber of f heavy heay tanks but we had only a few light tanks Ineffective for such work The fact that we bad had smothered the enemy artillery was WilS an advantage anta ad e as It enabled the leading waves wa deliberately dellb deliberately erat Jy to do do their work without serious loss The quick passage through these entanglements by our troops excited excited excited ex ex- cited no little surprise among among- the French who sent a large number of officers and noncommissioned d officers of of- to St. St sev several ral days later t to see how It had bad been heen done One of ot these officers after his reconnaissance reconnaissance reconnaissance re re- re- re remarked In all seriousness seriousness seri serf that the Americans had the they advantage over Frenchmen because of their long legs and large feet Troops Overrun Objectives In milking making our dispositions for battle our older divisions the First Second and second Forty Fort sec nd had received re re- re- re positions on the southern face opposite the open spaces to enable them to Hank flank the wooded areas quickly thus aiding the advance advance advance ad ad- vance of ot less experienced units assigned as as- assigned signed to these areas The whole line Une pivoting pIvoting- as planned on the second Eighty on the right advanced resolutely to the attack The entire operation was as carried through with dash clash and precision By afternoon the troops had pushed beyond be ond their scheduled objectives objectives ob ob- and b by e evening had hind reached the second days day's objective on most of the southern front The divisions of the Fourth corps DIckman and those on the left of or the First corps CUrtIS Liggett overwhelmed overwhelmed overwhelmed over over- whelmed the hostile garrisons and quickly overran their positions carrying car car- r wing the fighting into the open The German resistance on this part of the front was disorganized by bythe bythe bythe the rapidity of our advance and was soon overcome Although the enemy enem was expecting expecting- an nn attack he did ld not think It would take tak place so soon and It therefore came as ns a surprise When the First division on the marchl g flank of the southern attack attack at at- tack had broken through the hostile hostile hos hos- tile Ute forward rd positions the squadron squad squad- ron of cavalry attached to the Fourth corps was passed through h the breach At 1 45 p. p m m. It pushed forward to reconnoiter the roads toward VIgneulles Vig but encounterIng encounter- encounter Ing machine gun In position was forced to retire Western Attack Att ck Slower On the western face of the salient sail sali ent progress was not so tory The Twenty-sixth Twenty division In Its attempt cu tv make malte a deep advance advance ad ad- vance toward VIgneulles met considerable considerable con con- resistance and except for fora a b battalion of ot the division reserve had not reached the days day's objective The French at the tip Up of ot the salient had bad attempted to follow up the flanks of our successful penetrations penetrations penetrations pene pene- but made only small ad ad- vances Upon the tte request of ot Gen E. E J. J commanding the French second colonial corps a regiment of ot the Thirtieth division Cronkhite In reserve reser was sent to his assistance assistance- On the of the twelfth learning that the roads leading out of the salient between the two attacks attacks attacks at at- tacks were Oiled filled with retreating enemy troops with their trains and artillery I gave ga ve orders to the commanders commanders com com- manders of ot the Fourth and Fifth corps cOrS to push forward without de de- de I I In lay Using Using- the telephone myself I directed dl di the commander of the Fifth corps to send at nt least one regiment reg of ot the Twenty sixth division toward VIgneulles with all aU possible speed That evening u. u strong force from frOlD rota the first Fifty brigade pushed boldly bold bold- I ly forward and und reached VIgneulles at 2 15 a a. a m. m the thirteenth It Immediately Immediately Im Im- mediately made dispositions that effectively el closed the roads leading leading- out of the salient west of or that point In the Fourth corps the Second Second Sec See ond and brigade ade of ot the First division advanced In force about dawn of oC the thirteenth Its leading leadIng- elements reaching VIgneulles by G a. a a m. m The salient was closed and our troops were masters of ot the field Could Pass Hindenburg Line The Tile troops continued to advance on the thirteenth when the line tine was established approximately along the final objectives set for I this offensive In view of the favorable favorable situation created Just west of the Moselle river rl by our successes successes suc suc- 1 farther to the left a limited attack was made on that part of the front by elements of ot the Eighty Eighty- second and divisions with good results During the night ht our troops all along the line were engaged eng In organizing organizing organizing or or- their new for defense defense de de- Tense preparatory to the withdrawal with of divisions and corps troops for participation In the Ar Meuse-Ar- gonne battle September 14 15 and 16 local operations continued consisting con of strong and occupation of better ground d for defensive purposes Beginning the thirteenth several counterattacks counterattacks counterattacks tacks were repulsed The line as finally established was Handlo mont Fresnes-en Fresnes en Fresnes Doncourt Doncourt Doncourt Don- Don court Jaulny Reports received the thirteenth and fourteenth Indicated that the enemy was retreating In considerable considerable consider consider- able disorder Without doubt an Immediate continuation of the advance advance ad ad- vance would have carried us well beyond the Hindenburg line tIne and possibly Into Metz and the temptation temptation temp temp- tation to press on was very great But we would probably have become become become be be- come deeply Involved and delayed ed edthe the greater grenter Meuse Meuse-Argonne operation operation operation opera opera- tion to which we were wholly com com- Nearly prisoners were taken and some enemy guns had bad fallen Into our hands Our casualties numbered about As the enem enemy retreated he set fire to many large supply dumps and several villages The few remaining remainIng remain remain- Ing French Frenchh Inhabitants who found Cound themselves within our lines were overjoyed ov to be released from the domination of ot the enemy but many were left d destitute by the burning of their homes at the ver very moment of deliverance On the thirteenth General Pe Pee tamn came by my headquarters and we went together to St. St where the p people ople Including children chip chil dren carrying French flags gave us a welcome w witch may well be Imagined Ined when one realizes that they ha had been held as prisoners entirely out of touch with their own countrymen for four years though alwn always s within sight sig-ht of ot the French lines JInes All Jubilant Over Vl Victory tory On my visit to several se corps and division headquarters the following day I found all nIl Jubilant over the vIctory and overflowing with Incidents incidents In in- of the hUng fighting reciting many cases of Individual heroism among the troops The Second division and the ninth Eighty Wright both claimed the honor of capturing Thiaucourt In assigning objectives while that village was Included In Inthe Inthe inthe the sector of the Second division the town was to be taken by the ninth Eighty-ninth should It arrive arrhe first The result was a n keen rivalry between between be be- tween these divisions as to which should have the honor The two units were equally In- In In upholding their claims and I never neer undertook to decide the question Distinctions In achievement among the attacking units on the southern face could not be made with any assurance as all ail had done more than ex ex- expected CHAPTER In accordance with the tile understanding understanding understanding under under- standing of ot September 2 we we were now moving rapidly toward our second second sec sec- ond and great grent offensive e Questions concerning concerning con con- the concentration and supply sup ply of the elements of the First army In the battle areas arens were being beIng being be be- ing worked out by the staff of that army who were given every possible ble assistance by the staff at G G. G H. H Q The general g plan of ot action of the allied armies as agreed reed upon at atthe atthe atthe the conference of ot commanders In chief July 21 24 was to state It simply and briefly that the offensive should continue each army driving driy ing lag forward as rapidly as possible The allied and American opera operations operations during the summer had resulted result result- ed in the reduction of the Chateau ThIerry Amiens and St. St sal sal- tents lents and the great offensive was now under way Imme Immediately west of the Meuse river the battle line tine had remained practically unchanged ed since 1917 It was as on this front the American army was to play Its great part The disposition of ot the Belgian British French Frenc l and and American armies on the wl wide e front between the North sea rind and Yer Verdun un was such that they would naturally converge erg as they advanced So long as the enemy could coul hold his ground on the east cast of ot this battle Hue frontal attacks farther west might drive him back on his successive posItions positions yet iet a decision would be long iong delayed Yanks Face Strong Position n. n His Ills main line Brie of communication n nand and supply ran through Sedan and If It that should be Interrupted before he he could withdraw with draw his armies from France and Belgium the communications In Inthe the narrow avenue between the Ardennes Ardennes Ar Ar- dennes forest and the Dutch frontier frontier frontier fron fron- tier were so limited that he would be unable adequately to supply his forces or to evacuate them before his ruin would be accomplished As our objective was the Sedan Sedan-Carig nan railroad It was evident that the sector assigned to the American Ameri Amen can army was opposite the most sensitive part of ot the German front then being attacked The fhe danger confronting the enem enemy ma made e It Imperative e that he should hold on In front of ot the American army to the limit of his resources From the enemy's point of f vie view v this was the vital portion of his defense clefense line Une because here It wa was closer to his his main artery of ot supply Sedan than at nt any other point He lIe could afford to retire his armies gradually gradually gradually ally from nil all fronts except the Meuse-Argonne Meuse where he be must b hold bold ld until the last Germans Strongly Fortified The area between the Meuse river and the Argonne forest was i Ideal for defensive fighting On the east the heights of the Meuse commanded com corn that river valley and on the west the rugged hl hUh high h hills hilts of ot the Argonne forest dominated the valley of the AIre Alre river In the center cen cen- center ter the watershed lie between tween the Alre Aire and the Meuse rivers commanded com corn mantled both valleys s with the hel heights of Montfaucon Cunel Romange Ro Ito mange and of the Bois Bols de Barricourt Barricourt Bar Bar- ricourt standing out as ns natural strong points From these those heights observation points completely covered cowered cov cow ered the entire German front The terrain over which the attack attack attack at at- tack was t to be made forn formed e a n d de defile defile de- de file blocked b by three successive barriers barriers bar bar- the heights of ot Montfaucon then those of ot Cunel and Romange and farther back the ridges of the Bois Bols de Barricourt and of nC the Bois Bols de Bourgoyne The Meuse river was the AIre Alre river fordable only In places In addition addition addi addi- tion to the heavy forest of the Argonne Argonne Ar Ar- gonne there were numerous woods with l heavy eavy undergrowth which were serious obstacles These natural defenses were strengthened by every artificial means Imaginable such as t fortified dugouts successive lines of trenches and an unlimited number of concrete machine gun emplacements With tb the advantage advantage advantage tage tag of commanding commanding- positions the enemy was particularly well located located located lo lo- lo- lo to pour oblique and flanking flanking flank flank- ing artillery fire on any assailant attempting to advance within range between the Meuse and the Ar Ar- gonne A dense network of wire entanglements entanglements en en- covered every position I Ir Irv was small wonder the enem enemy had I rested four years on OB this front without without with with- out being molested He Be felt secure J o ca i at i oft aura a a- a R MIHIEL OFF OFFENSIVE o a Q ST. ST I fl a aa Q c as a SEPT 16 12 1 1918 J 1 II a II 4 II f fo o 0 8 a o T ta T A T a 11 Q a yo q L A q N woM dreU S a 1 t eQ t C Nt a lk a t yr yrs s ot ea r 4 d t L h I t iv o a r y Q q qan a 1 N nn bayou d y a ae e a all a ad o va o aY i ar 1 ova at f ace but r 1 at Y 1 d dk k l a 1 a s c 1 S r d N l l a a. a k a a vas a eQ 4 alp 6 n da n 04 r o aA at iffy h 1 11 Al rl a bt t a 94 Syr ci f t f 1 4 o Era it iI wb Met a 1 iM H ap r e n. n Mo L a q a an v Q 3 Sc 9 ae a W q aA y Q 0 4 iua d bf iL 7 a. a g a i jt E 0 dl 1 F rig a f R 1 Ur 7 m a atiO l da n n a tae a r qa sad a b E b as Q a da a f t t d p s. s rt arN t ao o 4 a I a sra 4 4 G a olo a o A tt u w L i. In the knowledge that even with few tew divisions to hold these positions posItions positions his east and west lines of rail communication In rear would be bewell bewell well protected against the probability ity of or Interference HIndenburg Position Is I. Objective In accordance with the principal mission which remained the same throughout this great offensive the main attack of ot the First army was to be launched west of the Meuse river Its right to be covered by the river and by the operations of ot the French Seventeenth corps on the ea east t of the river that corps being a apart apart apart part of our army Our left was to be supported by bya |
