While the attack began well, and the two adjacent corps advanced according to plan, V Corps encountered difficulties almost immediately. The corps had only a single road leading to the front to handle all the troop movements and traffic of artillery and support units, a factor that complicated operations. Hitting heavy resistance, the inexperienced divisions could not reach Montfaucon, and that failure retarded the whole First Army plan. The first days' objectives were finally reached on day three, primarily as a result of the brilliant fighting of the 91st Division, but the slow pace of the advance gave the Germans time to bring reinforcements up to the front, with six infantry divisions arriving to bolster the defenses by 28 September. Although an unfortunate development for First Army, this fulfilled part of Foch's intent of drawing German troops away from other portions of the line.
Fresh troops move up to an advanced position at dusk.
Gun crew from regimental headquarters, Co., 23rd Infantry, firing a 37mm gun during an advance against German entrenched positions. Street corner on the Western Front, after the armistice, Dec. 1918. After a brief pause, during which V Corps rotated its divisions out of the line and received the experienced 1st, 3rd, and 32nd Divisions, with the 42nd Division in corps reserve, the attack resumed on 4 October. The attack went well for the first four days, V Corps advancing toward Romagne in coordination with III Corps, but again the pace slowed and Foch ordered another pause on 11 October. At that point, Pershing replaced Maj.