The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-12-26

USlu DlCA III eiAN t'o " ~
signed to second-line defenses. Five OF
the ten divisions were withdrawn from
the British areatin June, three to re-
lieve divisions in Lorraine and the
Vosges and two were sent to the Paris
area to join the group of American
divisions which stood between the city
and any further advance of the enemy
in that direction"
BY that time the great tide of Amer
lean troop movements to France was
in full swing and the older divisions
could be used freely. The Forty-sec-
ond, in line east Of Reims, faced the
German assault Of July 10 and "held
their ground unfiinchingly on the
right flank four companies of the
Twenty-eighth division faced lad
vancing waves Of German infantry"
and the Third division held the Marine
line, opposite Chateau Thierry, against
powerful artillery and infantry attack.
Single Regiment Checks Enemy.
"a single regiment Of the Third
wrote one of the most brilliant pages
in our military annals on this occa-
sion," General Pershing says. "It pre-
vented the crossing at certain points
on its front while, on either flank,
the Germans who had gained foot
ing pressed forward. Cur men, firing
in three directions, met the German
attacks with counter-attacks at criti-
cal points and succeeded In throwing
two German divisions into complete
confusion, capturing 600 prisoners"
Thus was the stage set for the
counter offensive which, beginning
with the smashing Of the enemy's
Marne salient, brought overwhelming
victory to the allies and the United
States in the eventful months that
have followed. The intimation is
strong that General Pershing's advice
helped Marshal Foch to reach his de-
cision to strike.
counter-offensiye Opens.
General Pershing continues:
"The great force of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
the deep Marine salient, but the enemy
was taking chances, and the vulnera-
bility of this pocket to attack might
be turned to his disadvantage.
"Seizing this opportunity to support
my conviction, every division with any
sort of training was made available
for use in counter-offensive. The
place of honor In the thrust toward
scissors on July Is was given to our
First and Second divisions in COM
pany with chosen French divisions.
without the usual brief warning of
a preliminary bombardment, the
massed French and American artillery,
firing by the map, laid down its rolling
barrage at dawn while the infantry be-
gan it's charge. The tactical handling
of our troops under these trying condi-
tons was excellent throughout the, ac-
ton.
1.-THE enemy brought up large num-
bers of reserves and made a stubborn
defense both with machine guns and
artillery, but through five days fight
ing the First division continued to adj
vance until it had gained the heights
above scissors and captured the vii
lage of Berzy-le-Sec.
1.-THE Second division took Beau Re-
paire farm and Vierzy in very rapid
vance and reached position in
front of Tigny at the end Of it's second
day. These two divisions captured T.
600 prisoners and over 100 pieces of
artillery"
First American Army Formed. .
The report describes in some detail
the work of completing the reduction
of the salient, mentioning the opera
lions Of the Twenty-sixth, Third,
Fourth, Forty-second, Thirty-second,
and Twenty-eighth divisions. With
the situation on the Marine front thus
relieved, General Pershing writes, he
could turn to the organization Of the
First American army and the reduction
of the st. Mihiel salient, long planned
as the initial purely American enter
prise.
A troop concentration, aided by gen.
erous contributions Of artillery and air
units by the French, began, involving
the movement, mostly at night, Of
100000 men.
A sector reaching from Port sur
Seille, east Of the Moselle, eastward
Through st. Mihiel to Verdun and later
enlarged to carry It to the edge Of the
forest Of Argonne was taken over, the
Second Colonial French, holding the
tip OF the salient opposite st. Mihiel,
and the French Seventeenth corps, on
the heights above verdun, being trans
ferred to General Pershing's command.
The combined French, British, and
American air forces modified for the
battle, the report says, was the largest
aviation assembly ever engaged on the
western front up to that time in SIM
gle operation.
Battle of st. MihieI.
Of the reduction of the st. Mihiel
salient General Pershing says:
"After four hours artillery prepa-
ration the seven American. divisions
in the front line advanced at a. m.
on September IL, assisted by limit
ed number of tanks manned partly by
Americans and partly by the French.
"These divisions, accompanied by
groups of wire-cutters and others
armed with bangalore torpedoes, went
through the successive bands of
barbed wire that protected the enc
sessed until that conference shall have