The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-11-19
AMERICAN TROOPS
PLAYED BIG PART
Much of Credit for Win
ming Decisive Battle
Due Americans.
HUNS DEATH BLOW
FIRST OF NOVEMBER
Men Under Pershins Show Msttls
When Called Upon BY High Com
mand to Take Argonne Sector,
Probably Most Difficult Task
Ahead Of Allies.

Ahead Of Allies.
Out Of the confusion and daze Of
the crowding military events on the
western battle line since late in Sep
tember, when battle followed battle
until from Flanders to Verdun there
was ceaseless action, it is now per-
missible to outline to certain extent
the part played by the American ar
mics in the final decisive battle Of
the war, which ended with the arm
istice Of last Monday. ..j.
Military reasons heretofore have
prevented accentuating the accom-
plishments Of the Americans, except
in most general manner. The dis
patches from the field have been
necessarily fragmentary and possibly
were overshadowed by the accounts
Of the more dramatic operations
over. the historic battle fronts to the
west. ...ri
Fl American Divisions.
But it now may be stated that
twenty-one American divisions, to-
falling more than 100000 American
combat troops, participated in the ac-
ton beginning September 26, known
variously as the battle of the Ar
gonne and the battle Of the Meuse,
but which history may well call Se-
dan-the battle that brought Ger
many to her knees and as far as hu-
man foresight goes, ended the
worlds bloodiest and costliest war.
In order to understand the military
situation which made the Argonne op-
erations the crux of the war it is nec-
essary to 60 back to the reduction Of
the St. Mihiel salient in the middle Of
September. The brilliant American
accomplishment is still fresh in his
tory. It cut off at one stroke a men,
acing projection towards Verdon and
weakened the enemy's defensive by
threatening Metz, one of Germany's
two greatest advanced railway GEN.
ters for distributing troops and sup
plies along the Montmedy-Sedan line.
Metz also was the pivo on which
the enemy swung through Belgium
into France and therefore obviously
it was the pivot on which his retire.
ment must hinge. The Argonne, the
next step below here, threatened the
great railway arteries running west
ward from Metz.
With the conclusion of the St.
Mihiel action, the steady inflow Of
American forces caused a displace-
ment of power as between the Allied
and German armies. Thus it no longer
was necessary to pursue a policy of
reducing a salient of nibbling at it.
The American troops had shown what
they could do.
A broader policy of general attack
along the entire line was then adopt
ed and the high command called upon
Gen. Pershing to take the Argonne
sector, admittedly one of the most, if
not entirely the most difficult of the
whole front. The broken terrain, the
topography and the like of roads
made a problem difficulty to describe.
Germany had in four years fortified
with superb roads both rail and
motor, connecting up to the rear po-
sitions and basis.
The outstanding feature of the
Argonne forest is long chain of
hills running north and south, COW
cred with dense growth of trees and
underground, making an advance diff
fcult and Offering superb defensive
qualities. Virtually no roads exist
in the forest, except for few tran
versal passes running east and west.
The soil is such that the least rain
converts it into a slippery, miry
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