Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-06

upon thoae leass ahis 70 hsar it.
PERSHING'S STORY
ieeatiassd frsa eass o~s,
lily held IL ground assiHs, the enc
nays best divisions.
In the battle Of Belieau Wood.
which followed, our men proved their
superiority and gained = stncnG tacti-
cal position. with far greater loss 10
The enemy than 70 ourselves On July
/, before the second was relieved.
il captured the village sf Vsux with
most splendid precision
Meanwhile our second corps. IN
der Maj. Gen George W. Read. had
been organized for the command Of
our divisions with ins British, which
were held back In training areas CT
assigned to second line dsfenses- Five
from the British area IL June three
10 relieve divisions in Lorraine and
the Vosges and two to the Paris AREA
TO Join the group OF American di-
visions which stood between the city
and any farther advance OF The ene.
my in that direction
Held the Marine Lire
BY that time the great tide c.
american troops movements TO
France was in full swing ard the old
er divisions could be used freely. The
iend, in line east # Rheims faced tbs
German assault of July Is and held
their ground unfinchingly; on the
right flank four companies OF the 2sth
division faced advancing waves Of
German infantry" and the third d.
vision held the MarIe line opposite
Chateau Thierry against powerful ar
t.Bery and infantry attack a single
regiment OF the Third wrote one OF
he most brilliant passes in our mill
tary annals On this occasion" Gen
erai PershinE says 1t prevented the
citssing al certain points on its front
while. On either flank. the Germans
mho rad gained Z footing, pressed
toward. Our men. firing III three d.-
! ections. met the German attacks With
counter attacks at critical points and
succeeded in throwing two German
divisions into complete confusion,
capturing 500 prisoners"
Thus was the stage set :or the
counter offensive which beginning
With the smashing o. The eEemYs
narne salien, brought overwhelming
victory to tie Allies and the United
States in the eyentfu! months that
have followed The animation Is
strong that General PershinEs advice
ttlPed Marshal Fcrh IL Ieaen his de-
c.sicE 10 strike. General Psrsflne
continues:
The great farce of the German Cha
ieau Tiierry offensive established the
deep Aarns salient ba; the euetny vas
taking chances, and the ytlIEe rab.iIy OF
this locke, TO attack might bs turTe i
to ms disadvantage. SEEKING this op-
Iortuuity to support M conviction, es-
err division with any sort OF training
vas made available for Use IN a counter
offensive. The place CT honor III the
,hrus; tosard Seasons on July Il Nas
gwen TO ogr frs. aad seload divisions
in Company with chosen French dIyis-
ions,
SS1hter Intensive StSFksC
''Wihou; the usual brief warning Of .
preliminary eoI6ba rdlleR., the !gassed
French and American ARTILLERY. aT!ns
by tEe map, laid down its rolling uaz-
rage ct dawn whiie the infantry began
its charge. The tactical handing Of CD:
troops under these irving conditions
was excellent throughout tie action,
The enemy brought Up large number.
Of reserves and made . stubborn Dc
tense both Slth machine guns ana az
tiliery, but through five days nghLng
the first division continued 10 aoraace
until it had gained tie heights atcve
scissors ara Captured the village Of
Beau Repairs farm and Yierzy II :
very rap O advance and reached q 20.
sition ia front OF Tigny at the end @!
its second day. These two division:
c. p,ured .tn prisoners and over ~
PIECES Of artillery"
The report describe II. some de.aa
,he wor;s ef completing the reduction G!
the salient, mentioning tie operations
Of the scth. 81. iih isi. 32i and 18Th di.
kisGCls- nttE tfc 1traal1Sa az a4Fe
Aarae froRt thus rshssed. Genera
PershIag writes, he could turn 10 tbs
organization Of the First American AZ.
NY and the reduction q the 81. Nih!el
salient, long planned as the initial pure
IL American enterprise troop COZ.
centration. aided By generous contritu.
tons Of artillery ana air units hy Ihs
French. beEaT, IL, diving the Iaoys-
Iaent nasty at Righi, OF eI.oo snar.
4 sector rsaciing from Pori sur Ssille
east Of he Mpsslle, westward thrnuSh
St M;hje! 10 Ntriun ard later ealarg-
ed 10 carry IL 10 the edge OF the forest
Of ArgoEue. vas taken over. ,he Secoai
Colonial French. holding the Up 81 tie
salient opppsiis. 81 aihiel. and the
French i7rh Corps. or he heights a:.ove
VerSur, being transferred TO Gen.
PershiIg's command.
The combined FrEncb. British zni
American air forces modified for ,tsa
battle. the report says. was tire ,srges:
aviation assembly ever engag gel or the
western front Up 10 that time il sin
gle Operation
The St. Mihiei Battle
OF the Reduction Of the ST. Ainiei sa-
lent Gen. Persh.n2 says:
After four hours artillery pre- ra-
fi0r the Ssyeu .rS--@ar SsrsS31-s =,