The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-12-12

held back in training areas or as
signed to second.lne defenses. Five of
the ten divisions we're withdrawn from
the British area in June, three to re-
lievc 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
their ground unnlnchlngly; 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. ut pre-
vented the crossing at certain points
on its front while, on either flank,
the Germans who had guined a foot
ing pressed forward. Our men, firing
in three directions, met the German
attacks with cOunter-attacks at critl-
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
Marine salient, brought overwhelming
victory to the allies and the United
States in the eventful months that
have followed. The lntlmation is
strong that General Pershing's advice
helped Marshal Foch to reach his de
Clsion to strike.
Counter Offensive 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 vunera-
blllty Of this pocket to attack might
be turned to his disadvantage
"Seizlng this opportunity to support
my conviction, every division with any
sort Of training was made available
for use In cOunter-offenslve The
place of honor In the thrust toward
scissors on July 10 was given to our
First and Second divisions in com
pany with chosen French divisions.
without the usual brief warning OF
preliminary homhnrdment, the
massed French and American artillery.
firing by the mnp laid down It's rolling
barrnge MT dawn while the infantry be-
gun its charge. The tactical handling
Of our troops under these trying condl-
tions WAS excellent throughout the aC-
ton.
THE enemy brought up large mum
hers 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 viii
lagc Of Berzy-eScc
"Thc Second division took Beau Re.
paire farm and Vlcrzy in very rapid
vance and reached a position In
front Of Tigny mt the end Of its 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 Pershlng writes. ne
could turn to the organization of the
First American army and the reduction
OF the ST. Mlhcl salient, long planned
as the initial purely American enter
prise.
A troop concentration, aided by gen.
erous contributions Of artillery aud air
units by the French began, involving
the movement. mostly at night. Of
600. OO0 men.
a sector reaching from Port sur
Settle, east of the MOsele. eastward
through St Mlhle to Verdun and later
enlarged TO carry It to the edge Of the
forest Of ArgOnne was taken over, the
Second Colonial French, holding tho
tn Of the salient opposite st. Mhiel
and the French Seventeenth corps, on
the heights above Vcrdun, being trans
ferrcd to General PcrshIng's command
The combined French. British. and
American mir forces modified for the
battle, the report says, was the largest
aviation assembly ever engaged on the
western front up to that time in sin.
gle operation,
Battle OF 81. Mlhlel
OF the reduction OF the st. Mlhipl
salient General Pershing says:
After four hours artillery prepa-
ration the seven American divisions
In the front line advanced nj . n. m.
ou September II, assisted by limit
cd number OF tanks manned partly by
Americans and pnrtly by the French.
These divisions, accompanied by
groups ~ wlrecutters and others
armed with bnngnlore torpedocs, went
| through the successive bnnds OF
hnrbed wire that protected the enc
, sessed until TINT conference shnll have