Show A A to 1091 N m azill V aes X VA zo toa to rv 0 th 0 e copyright 1931 lo in all bythe t lie north ameri ay general con aau newspaper ew paper alliance Alllan oo world right reserved including it the scandinavian sea ad inn via a reproduction la in serico whole john eff B pershing or la in part prohibited la CHAPTER LIV continued the thirty third division liell was still with the Priti british sli wile when it the combined attack of the british fourth and lie french first armies in the alhert albert sector began all august 8 the division was in front line training with tile the british fourth army and was attached to the british third corps for tile the operation lite hie one hundred and thirty first regiment of infantry being assigned to the british efly eighth this regiment joined in the attack august 9 against the morlancourt chipilly spur north of the comine it readied reached its objectives in splendid fashion and occupied a line on the sv western estern edne edge of gressmire Gres Gressi saire tire wood extending southward along alone the aher august 10 it continued to progress against decided opposition gaining the eastern edge of the forests of fosse and marcon alarcon during the following three days daya the command having been shifted tile the one hundred and thirty first infantry under the australian fourth division attained a line lust just west of bray sur somme tile three other regiments were tit in reserve during the operations the one Ilund rod ond end thirty first infantry was relieved august 20 having advanced oer three miles and suffered heavy casualties I 1 motored to the british front sunday sanday to be present at thirty third tit dl vision headquarters near aux bols bois on the occasion of the visit of king george who was then visiting his armies general bliss had preceded me and we both spent tile the night there that evening general hell bell relating the details of the participation of his troops iab with the british said their services had been urgently requested and that they had acquitted themselves well king george bestows bestons decorations the king arrived august 12 to present decorations to selected men of the thirty third division who had martiel participated in the recent attacks of the british army soon after ills his arrival the king icing invited general bliss and me to his room where he presented me with the grand cross of the order of the rath bath and bestowed the order of st Bl michael ichael and st SL george on general the presentations were informal as the king simply handed the decorations to us in turn at the same time expressing his appreciation of american assistance we then accompanied the king to the place where the men were assembled for the ceremony ue ile was gracious in ills his compliments as he pinned the decorations on our men and the recipients were extremely proud CHAPTER LV the final decision that the first firs american army would undertake ill the 0 reduction of the SL salient gallent ac a its ita first operation was transmitted to army headquarters august 10 and tile the army staff immediately began tile de of plans tor for the concen colleen of the necessary troops for its ita execution it was certain the psychological et ef feet on the enemy of our success in this first operation by the american army as well as on the allies our own troops and our people at boine would be of great importance the attack must therefore not only succeed but a serious hostile lios reaction must be made impossible tile the headquarters of the lie first army were removed to in be tween august 11 and 18 16 the special army troops assembled north of if chateau thierry were moed eastward during tile the same period composition Compos itlo 1 of first army the following corps and divisions were placed at tile the dispo disposal sid of tile the first army tor for the st operation and their condition may be izod as fol follows lovis the first and second di ismons were excellent as to training equipment and morale they had flat att attacked acted july 18 in the soissons Sols sons drive the third fourth twenty sixth and forty second divisions nere ere of fine morale and considerable expert once as they had fought lu a the de bense about Clip thierry and to in the advance toward the vesle river the eighty ninth and ninetieth divisions were going through their sector training on the front between tout toul and tile the moselle closelle blo selle river and the fifth and thirty fifth divisions were taking their sector training lu in the the thirty third seventy eighth eightieth and eighty second divisions had been training behind the british front one brigade of tile the thirty third having baring had front line service with the british and the ninety first division had never been inthe in the front line fine and had received less than tour four weeks training in france misleading the germans german the consider aLlo circulation of troops in the lite st alphiel area naturally attracted tile he attention of the people and of tile donkers and soldiers although cautioned against such dis trus cusa sion iDD the probability of an american attack on tile the salient was discussed liere here and there to dhert tile attention front from our real objective tt it was necessary first to create some rome uncertainty in the minds of our own troops the rutin itic wan B therefore started around headquarters that our first offensive might be in the hie direction of mulhouse tit in tile the rhine valle bedona ln annd lite ahe mountains northeast of vel liel fort 11 II was also decided to make A tit diversion in that direction and it as a preliminary step tin nil olliver us as sont to lease buildings in tiel rort at the hie same time confidential nere sont sent bundy Ku tily on oin manding lite sixth corps to pi to bl elfort fill a ahil led staff mid flad prepare detailed plans for an all othnile offen she bilth the object I 1 seizing and the heights to the southeast and eventually establishing our line along the ihlae in the letta tf instructions seven were mentioned us its heiing been designated tor for the attack tin nal three officers from t cl cla of these units were detailed to delort to general bundy to assist in ID tin tile reconnaissance lie he ans directed to expedite the work nork of preparation as the movement would probably begin september 8 under my personal command an attack by the frantti tenth army begun august 1 29 9 1918 was un der taken to force the retirement of tile the enemy from the lie vesle and alane rivers on its relief front from alie lie vesle august 7 the thirty second div division islon ibaan Ila aci was assigned to tile tenah army and entered the line august augurt 29 immediately under undertaking a series of fuw fortresses tresse around iro tind toul wv we had three hirer divisions in line on nn the lite cilev of lie sector but bill the naw nin sa of our battle troops would not nol tale take oer mer tile the trenches until the night before hi lite attack foch springs surprise august 30 tile hie tiny day I 1 assumed corn com mand of lite I 1 lie sector marshal I 1 oab accompanied nc by his chief of en collie me in 0 o my iny residence nt at digny en and arter the usual cordial es change of greetings greeting presented tin an entirely new nen plan glnn for the uso use of the american the marb lail began hy by saying that llie lite german lerin ii armies were vere in more or legs disorder from rom recent atlays by tile allies anti flat we knust not allo them to anize tind that the brit ish would continue their attack in ID lite direction of anti anil st quen quell tin anti the french fri nali foulard lo url Al mesnil esTill then much to my surprise he proposed that llie lite objectives in the st RL billi fel operation he restricted alad the attack made on the southern face only and that alint apon Us its completion two other operations lie undertaken by combined Ani american erlean and french a number of our divisions going under french command pershing insists on U S army I 1 repeated acin aled what I 1 had often said gald that the Ann erleau and people expected llie ibe army anny to act as a 11 unit und and not be dispersed ills persed in this way A X VAR I 1 v 1174 X their way into a farmstead local operations in which gains wore were made in III the face 0 of very heavy lire fire ravines and numerous caves cares in the region provided ideal cover for the defending troops the general attack of the army the following day met but slight success the enemy resisting desperately aloni his hia entire front but on the kinli by a flank attack from tile lie south the thirty second division captured jn III igny pushing a small salient into tile the german lines hard fIght loo continued august 31 but by the end of the day the thirty second had rea clieo tile important soissons st SL quentin road where ll it was relieved september 2 the thirty second division had advanced nearly three miles allies and its success contributed greatly to the forced withdrawal of the german line to the aisne aasne river er pershing takes over sector As prearranged between general petain and myself the sector fruin from port sur east of the blo closelle selle hier to north of les lea Esp arges forty two miles in extent then occupied by the entire french eighth army and a part of the french second army was transferred to my command on august 30 the front included the hie st salient which was between these points and embraced the permanent I 1 pointed out thill that each time we were about to complete the orgarita org ariza it on of our army some proposition like this was presented to prevent it the discussion was somewhat heated and much of it was carried on so rapidly that it could not be translated tie lie continued to reiterate ilia his demands deninn ds for or the adoption of ills plan but I 1 had hac learned that hut it was sary to be very firm in dealing with him and I 1 finally said in effect marshal carshul Mar shul foch you have no authority as allied commander in chief to all cull upon me to yield up tip my command of the american army to have it II scattered among tile the allied forces where it will not be an american army at all ne was apparently surprised at my resentment of ills his attempt to confine american effort to ate roles n and said bald 1 I 1 must insist upon the lie ar ranz ement to which I 1 rep replied led as we e both rose you may insist all you please but bul I 1 decline to agree agape to your plan while title our army will III tight cheri er you may fitly decide it will not nol light exren as tin nn american armity lip lie lie he was it disposed to tit di whal he could toward forming forin lna an Ame rieno army lie then priced up ills mapa and anif and fert vry very pate pale and tip ap patently parent ly exhausted saying baying nt at the door As ai lie he handed me the I 1 he ut of his proposal that he thought thol after careful study I 1 should arrive at al the same conclusion he had agreement Is 1 reached my aty chief bw or of staff gene general ral sian drew and thief filet of operations vun FOX conner bonner were ere sent to confer with wey gand september I 1 and returned to bligny ligny fil en carmis with wilh word that mar afar flat I 1 oth ni li desired it see general pe ie lulu inin and me file lie following lily blo alv loring to Ve el lains headquarters with boyd tin and lie we found lle McAndr Andrew fW nna conner Linn pr flat prec in abill nii after lundi we went to coin bola hon citing the lite conference foch re berred to lo the hie note nole tie lie imd had handed nn au auguil af SO 30 and nn to my reply ni my observations stating lily iny atti tatie on hie file hi lily or of carrying out vigorous Ig orous to fill rullell sible ement I 1 explained that hint it if it should t ann lil lip be nev necessary essary to abinion the st project in it order to heeln the hie larger offensive flitch was understood to be west wesl of afi ahe lie meuse I 1 mould bould abide ly by ills his decision in the ensuing discussion while tile there ans its considerable sparring it was agreed freed ii hie file american Anier lenn army aminy should operate us its ll a unit under its ita own com anin ter on in the hie meuse argonne arnorine front marshal aih concluded that hint lite title for the file operation atlon should be postponed so we e could first carry out tile the limited at al st SL Mili Alib lel we e finally reached the dennite definite understand tinder stanI ill ing that after st our first army should prepare to begin this alii beyond offensive not later inter than sell sei 25 CHAPTER tle first army atta attacked cLed yest yesterday erda v and tile reduction of tile the st mihiel salient Is complete reads reada my lily diary of september 13 written at al tn en barrels Bur Bar rols our troops beli bahmed nied splendidly the secretary of war visited two corps headquarters returned to bligny ligny much delighted nl at our sur success cess petain and I 1 went to the town of st today find and were warmly greeted by tile people this Is lily birthday anti anil a very harpy happy one the attack of tile the infantry on the southern race of the st salient started tit at in the lie mor morning ning and before tit alint it I 1 went with several staff officers to lo old fort Cir onville situated on a commanding height overlooking the battlefield from the south the secondary attack on the west was launched at 8 a in as an element of surprise for artillery preparation there weather gives advantage A drizzling rain and mist inist prevented us front from getting a clear lew but the progress of our troops could be followed by tile the barrage which preceded them notwithstanding a heavy rainfall the night of september 1112 11 12 the weather gase gae us an advantage as the mist partly screened our advance from tile the enemy overcome Entangle entanglements ments thanks to the thorough preparation beforehand the wire entanglement entangle ments were more easily overcome than we had bad expected trained teams of pioneers and engineers gi with bangalore torpedoes wire cutters and axes assisted in opening gaps in the masses of barbed wire co coching cring the german positions the lending leading troops thein carried along rolls of chicken which was ins thrown thron across entanglements entangle ments here and there forming a kind of bridge tor for the infantry in n all theft offensives hes the allies had spent days destroying entanglements entangle ments with ith artillery ore fire or had bad aged a large number of heavy tanks but we had only a few it light bt tanks ineffective for uch such work the tact fact that we had mothered tile the enemy artillery was an advantage us ns it enabled the leading waves deliberately to do their work without serious loss the quick pa passage sage through these en tangle ments by our troops excited no little among the french who sent seat a large number of off leers and officers to st several dins litter inter to sue see how flow it had been lone ilone one of these officers after ills reconnaissance remarked la in at all I 1 sel I 1 oil that the americans had the advantage oer frenchmen he be caule chuie of their long legs and large feet TO BE BB CONTINUED I 1 w ve r u n 5 1 A plan of of first army sept 12 fale OC r jump off line morning sept Q th t front lines sept and sept 6 barmy boundary corps boundary arrows indicate direction and weight of attack 14 arabic numerals indicate divisions qc dornan numerals indicate corps 0 N co C 10 de 3 lk cs A M zil PT r Z N r I 1 W aes NO sard co st athiel 0 1147 C 5 go Z a pont mo son limey 42 sell I 1 |