The Corpus Christi caller. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1918-1987, 1918-12-05

prisoners and over 100 pieces Of arr
nliery"
The report describes In some dctan
the work 81 completing the reduction
% the salient mentioning the opera
tions 81 The esth. 2rd. ain, 4end, 3znd.
and 2Sth Divisions With the situa
zion on the Marine front thus relieved
General pcrshing writes he could turn
to the organization Of the First Amcri-
can Army and the reduction Of the St
Mihlo salicnt long planned ns the in
itiAl purely American enterprise. \
troop conccntraticn.fa ided by generous
contributions Of artillery ana air units
by tho French. began. involving ,hc
movement. mostly al night. OF 60e,0uo
men. sector reaching from Fort sur
settle. enst Of the Mosclie. westward
through st Mihici TO Vcrdun and later
cn.ar~ad 20 carry II 20 the edge Of the
forest Of ArRonnc was taken over the
second Colonial French. holding the TIP
of tho Aalicut opposite ST ,Mihicl. and
the Frohch Seventeenth Corps, on the
heights above verdun being transfer
rcd TO Gen. pcrshng's command,
The combined French. British and
American air forces mohhzed for the
battle the report says, was the largest
aviation assembly ever engaged on the
western front up to that time IN a sin
gle operation
or the reduction OF the ST. Mihiel
salient. Ger Pershing says
after four hours Of artillery prepn
rati0n tbs seven American divisions IN
the front line advanced at u. m, on
September ~. assisted by a limited
number of tanks manned partly by
Americans and partly by the French
These divisions. accompanied by groups
Of wire cutters and others armed with
bangaloro torpedoes, went through the
successive bands OF barbed wire that
protected the enemys front line and
support trenches, IN irresistible waves
on schedule time, breaking down all
defense OF an enemy demoralsed by
the great volume Of our artillery fire
and our sudden approach out OF the
fog
'Our First Corps advanced to Thiau-
court. while our Fourth Corps curved
back 70 the southwest through Nom
sard. The Second Colonial French
Corps took rs three ridges and re-
pulsed a counter-attaci. rapid march
brought reserve regiments Of a division
Of the Fifth Corps into Nigneulles IN
the early morning where Il linked M
with patrols OF our Fourth Corps. clos
ing the salient and forming new line
west OF Thiaucourt to VigneulIcs. and
beyond f'resncs- on Woevrc.
AT the cost Of only 1000 casualties.
mostly light. we had taken 5000 pris-
oners and 413 guns, great quantity
Of material. released the inhabitants
OF many villages from enemy domina-
ton. and established our lines In a po-
sition to threaten Metz.
This signal success OF the American
/ First Army In It's first offensive was
of prime Importance. The AIlios found
they had a Formidable army TO aid
them, and the enemy learned finally
that he had ono 10 reckon with"
1 The report shows for the first timo
lofficially. that with this brilliantly ex-
cCuted coup General Pcrshlne's men
had cleared the way for the grcnt e.
fort ~ the allied and American forces
10 win a conclusive victory The
American army moved at once toward
It's crownlng achievement the battle
Of tho Mouse
The General tells q dramatic story
Of this mighty battle IN three distinct
phrases. beginning on the night oil
Sept n when Americans quickly took
the places Of the French on the thinly
held line Of this long quiet sector The
attack opened on Sept 20 and the
Americans drove through cntanglc
mcnts, across No Mans Land 70 take
an the cnomy's first line positions.
Closing the chapter General Pershipg
says.
ION November 6 a division Of the
First Corps reached a point on the
Mouse opposite Sedan, 20 miles from
our ltgc of departure The strategical
goal which was our highest hone was
gained We had cut the cnemys main
line Of communications and nothing
but surrender or an armisticc could
save his army from complete Disaster.
In an 40 enemy divisions had hccn
used against ur "a the Mouse ArEonne
battle Between September 90 and No.
Vemhcr 9 we took l6.05a prisoners aud
lGS gums ON this front our divisions
engaged were the First Second Third.
Fourth Fifth. Twenty sixth, Twenty
eighth Twenty -ninth. ThirtA second