| Show 0 41 fm eff laBi alt all countree countr tries le by br the north american newspaper alliance W 11 L 1 world rights right reserved afi 0 use ao arved including the rv e 0 scandinavian lo in whole reproduction W or at lo in part prohibited assy gima eero offs I 1 service I 1 f AMERICAN DIVISIONS IN THE REDUCTION OF THE MARNE SALIENT A 6 1 4 M A t 94 av 64 1 n yao UM 91 k U 2 ile maa kycej 01 f july I 1 1 IN I 1 26 CHAPTER LI lit 1 continued ji I 1 marshal halg haig gave lils views and h i plans which agreed with the general outline suggested BUg as did general petain who wanted further to consider the possibilities As far as these preliminary operations applied to the americans they were simply a restatement of the plans we had been leading up to ever since our entry into the war I 1 therefore advised that details of organization and supply were receiving every consideration in the preparation of the american army to do its part while at general fochs headquarters I 1 arranged with general retain for the expansion of the first corps then operating in the A t marne sector by which tour four american can divisions were to be placed in the line with two in reserve it was my hope that this would be i the basis for the preliminary tor for of an american army on this front en route to chaumont I 1 stopped to call on liggett and j apprise him film of the possibility of additional american divisions tor for his corps expedition to russia the supreme war council was prone p rone to listen to suggestions tor for the use of allied troops at various places other titan than the western i front one ot of these on which the british seemed to be especially insistent si 31 stent was to send troops to help the so called white army in russia to keep open the communication through Mur mansk in the archangel I 1 was opposed to any such idea as it would simply mean scattering our resources all of which were f needed on oil the western front but president wilson was prevailed upon to help and I 1 was directed to end a regiment prodded ded general foch had no objections As apparently parent ly he had already considered the question he be gave his approval and a regiment was accordingly sent the three hundred and thir ty ninth infantry col george E stewart commanding together with one battalion of engineers and one field hospital were designated for or this service in of the prospect for the earli mr embly of corps and edoris to form our army it became urgent that the organization be hastened with all possible speed the outlines had been determined end and members of th tho first army staff were at work on the details my formal order creating the first field army was issued july 24 to take effect august 10 with J headquarters at la ferte sous jouarre immediate consideration was jg given iven the improvement of the genral eral supply system although the 5 recent reorganization had helped t it had been my purpose for some time to make changes in personnel j in the S 0 S particularly in the v position of chief which demanded great administrative ability after much thought the choice tell fell to general Ilar harbord bord K CHAPTER 1111 kearly in august 1918 1018 1 I made an c inspection tour of I 1 the he service of I 1 S supply to note the progress 3 and acquaint myself the chief of sta staff ff and general Ilar bord by actual E observations with conditions s the tour was made also with a g view to such changes in personnel g and improvements in methods as would insure the complete fulfill kneut of the increased obligations imposed upon the service of sup 5 ply by the tremendous task 0 of f receiving ce cel iving vIng storing and transporting the enlarged troop and supply shipments our first stop was tours which g being I 1 lie file location of the head 6 of the S 0 S with a huge i american military garrison of 2400 5 ambers and buo men had bad become 1 a beethe of activity 6 we visited every cry activity y at r toura fourr beginning with the central by records affife a branch odthe of the ad at lutai Ill tant it generals office of large pro portions where the personal ree rec of every man in fit the A EL F II 11 were kept hept we found that the gd railway operators numbering thousands situ situated atod in portable barracks barrack at camp de J grasse grasme were putting every energy into the service certain engineer troops were vere kept at this central point for railway work ready to respond to calls from any direction the well managed camp of german prisoners under colonel groome of the military police contained several hundred men used as aa laborers A number of british women known as the auxiliary aid corps were lent to us its by their government to assist in clerical work the women located at tours occupied neat and comfortable temporary barracks and presented a very military appearance on parade some fifty of them were III in quarters at the time and I 1 gave instructions that they should be transferred to our hospital besides officially these fine women under the proper restrictions that prevailed became a valued addition to the social side aide of life where they were stationed this force with us eventually numbered about speaks to men in hospital the base hospital at tours was then filled with ith men wounded in the recent engagements they were receiving the best of care under col A al smith and his effi clent group of medical officers and nurses passing through the various wards of this hospital I 1 spoke to it a fine looking young soldier who was sitting up in bed and asked him where he was wounded meaning to inquire the nature of his wound in reply he said do you remember sir just where the road skirts a small grove and turns to the left across a wheat field and then leads leada up over the brow of the hill well right there sir lie he was clearly describing the advance south of soissons Sols sons which pierced the chateau thierry salient of course I 1 was 13 not ot there at the time but it touched me that he should feel that I 1 must have been very close to him at the base hospital in bordeaux then under the efficient effi clent supervision of col n H A shaw chief surgeon of the base section we found about of our wounded most of them soon to be sent home no matter how severely wounded they were I 1 never heard beard a word of complaint from any of our men there could not have been found in the hospitals of any army a more cheerful lot it was a lesson in fortitude an inspiration to see their fine courage we arrived at brest august 2 and found the commanding general 0 II 11 Il arrles and staff at the station to meet us base section no 6 5 was built around brest our vt ra m A aak serving a field fiela jun aun leading port of debarkation TI alie e section included tour four french territorial rit orial urial departments another landing port for or troops was cherbourg Cher bourg A large locomotive te terminal and repair wore were located at kennes and a coal port at granville major ON eils secret after an inspection of the storehouses and the new coliat ruction tor for additional storage on the piers I 1 asked for the chief stevedore major onell oneil who came up apparently parent ly quite embarrassed to put him at ease I 1 took him by the arm and wu we walked together to where some lighters were being unloaded As the port had made the record of handling arriving troops and their baggage in one day may hay 24 entirely with lighters I 1 asked him to tell me about it by this time he be had overcome his fright and pointing to officers each do down don n in the bottom of 0 a lighter directing the work he said sir do you see those two captains down there in their shirt sleeves well the secret I 1 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 men of course those captains have now become experts I 1 did the same thing when I 1 started but since they are trained I 1 mariage manage things generally and they carry out my orders I 1 can wear my uniform now that I 1 have won the ri right ailt to wear it well I 1 said onell oneil youre just the man I 1 have been looking for and I 1 am going to send you to every port ve e use to show them your secret CHAPTER LIV the french government had expressed a de desire SI re to be bestow S tow their decorations on american off officers leers and men and asked it if I 1 would accept an appointment in the legion of honor with the grade of grand officer A As 9 cor congress gress had recently granted permission for members of our forces to receive foreign decorations the french government was advised accordingly and it was to confer this honor upon me that president Pol poincare paid his first brief ilsie st to chaumont august 6 0 1919 I 1 met him at the station with a military escort and conducted him to my headquarters where the senior officers of the staff were presented after that formality we repaired to the small area of barracks where the headquarters troop and band were drawn up in line for the ceremony meanwhile the entire headquarters personnel several hundred men and women had turned out to witness the proceedings both national airs were played and the troops were presented to the president after which he be addressed me briefly in perfect english and pinned on the decoration 1 I am specially pleased he said at this opportunity to thank general pershing and the brave army under his orders for the very gallant work they did during the last weeks on the field of battle I 1 replied thanking him for the honor and saying 1 I value this decoration as a mark 0 of recognition by france of the services of the american army and of friendship for the american people kissing causes embarrassment then according to the french custom president icare kissed me on both cheeks but not without some difficulty as he was not so bb tall as 1 I and it was necessary for him to rise on tiptoe and for me to lean somewhat forward fori ard I 1 was mas not insensible to the high personal honor but regarded it mainly as an appreciation on the part of the french government of the assistance america had bad already given to the cause without implying the slightest criticism of the form of salutation used in the ceremony I 1 cannot refrain from confessing my embarrassment ras especially as I 1 could hear a hushed laua laughter ahter from the irreverent americans in the area who witnessed my situation no doubt with sympathy I 1 thought 11 himself was probably quite as much embarrassed as I 1 was moreover be must have heard the suppressed mirth us its plain as 1 I As the american army was now an accomplished fact it seemed advisable to begin preparations immediately in to carry out the plan of c campaign adopted july 21 providing for a distinctive american of operation against the st salient I 1 motored to sarcus august 9 and after discussing with marshal marsh at foch the changed situation in the marne sector and the practical stabilization of the front on the vesle I 1 suggested the transfer ot of the first army arav headquarters to the st region where it could begin immediate preparations for the proposed offensive we considered the outline of ray my plans plan 3 and without hesitation marshal foch acquiesced in the transfer returning to paris the same afternoon I 1 went to provins to talk the matter over further with general petal n we took stock of available divisions for the st mihiel operation and he said I 1 could count on him definitely to do everything in his power to furnish whatever we might require having thus reached a general understanding regarding the preliminary details of the move I 1 drove the following morning to la ferte sous jouarre to take formal command of the first army and to give instructions to my staff regarding the movement of headquarters to Neuf chateau bells division in action the third division bell was still with the british when the combined attack 0 of f the british fourth and the french first armies in the albert sector began august 8 the division was in front line training with the british fourth army and was attached to the british third corps for the operation the one hundred and thirty first aregim regiment ent of infantry being assigned to the british fifty eighth division this regiment joined in the attack august angust 9 against the morlancourt spur north of the som somme me it reached its objectives in splendid fashion and occupied a line on the western edge of gressmire Gres Gress saire alre wood extending southward along the river august 10 it continued to progress against decided opposition gaining the eastern edge of the forests of fosse and marcon alarcon durin during 9 the following three days the c command om having been shifted the one hundred and thirty arty first infantry under tinder the australian fourth division attained a line just west of bray sur somme the three other regiments were in reserve during the operations the one hundred and thirty first infantry wa was 8 relieved august 20 having advanced over three miles and suffered heavy casualties I 1 motored to the british front sunday to be present at thirty third division headquarters near aux bois on the occasion of the visit of king george who was then visiting his armies 0 general en bliss had preceded me and w we e both spent the n night lit t there ere that evening general bell relating the details of the participation of his troops with the british said their services had been urgently requested and that they had bad acquitted themselves well king george bestows bestons Be stows decorations the king arrived august 12 to present decorations to selected men of the thirty third division who had participated in the recent attacks of the british army soon after his arrival the king invited general bliss and me to hla his room where he presented me with the grand cross of the order of the bath and bes bestowed toed the order of st michael and st george on general miss bliss the presentations were informal ns as the king simply handed banded the decorations to us in turn at the same time expressing his appreciation of american assistance si we then accompanied the king to the place where the men were assembled for the ceremony ile he was gracious in his compliments as he pinned the decorations on our men and the recipients were extremely proud As soon as the king departed I 1 left with boyd for sir douglas haigs advance he headquarters ad quarters to ask the relief of some so e of the amerlean american divisions then with the british armies marshal halg haig said he had understood der stood that the american dl divisions had been sent there to be trained and to serve on the british front and that now just as they had become usefully useful it lt was proposed to withdraw thern them re ile had bad hoped he said that these divisions would remain and was disappointed to have them removed I 1 gae marshal haig my assurance that his desire was fully appreciated prec precia ted and that I 1 regretted the necessity which impelled me to make this request just at this moment but in accordance with our agreement I 1 must insist on having them lie ile acknowledged the understanding der and said that although tie needed our troops he realized my position and my reasons for their withdrawal lie ile then said la in his frank straightforward wily way pershing of course you shall hall have them there can never be any difference between us its TO BB |
