Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

enemy with all his art and weapons of
defense. This sort of fighting con-
tinued against an enemy striving to
hold every foot of ground and whose
very strong counter attacks !. chat-
lenged us at every point. On the 9TH
the list Corps captured Chatel-Chehery
and continued along the river to Cor
nay. On the east of MeuSe sector one
of the two divisions cooperating with
the French captured Consenvoye and
the Haumont woods. On the 9Th the
5th Corps. in its progress up the Are.
took Fleville, and the Sd Corps, which
had continuous fighting against odds.
was working its way through
Brieulles and Cunel. On the 10th we
had cleared the 1Argonne forest of the
enemy.
Necessity for Second Army.
cit was now necessary to. constitute
second army, and October'9 the I'M
mediate command of the 1st Army
ter Liggett. The command OF the "a
Army, whose divisions occupied sec
tor in the Woevre, was given TO Lieut..
Gen. Robert L. Billiard who had been
commander of the ist Division and
then of the Sd Corps. Maj. Gen. Dick
man was transferred to the command
of the 1st Corps, while the 5th Corps
was placed under Maj. Gen. Charles
2. Summerall, who had recently COM
manded., the 1st Division. Maj. Gen.
John l.. Hines. who had gone rapidly
up from regimental to division COM
mander, was assigned to the Sd Corps
These four officers had been in France
from the early days of the expedition
and had learned their lessons in the
school of practical warfare.
Our constant pressure against the
enemy brought day by day. more pris-
Anarc mostly survivors from machine
gun nests captured In fighting at
close quarters. On October, is there
was very fierce fighting in the Caures
woods east of the Mouse and in the
Corps took st. Juvin. and the 5th
Corps, in hand-to-hand encounters,
entered. the formidable. AEiemhllae
line, where the enemy had hoped TO
check US indefinitely. Later the 9Th
Corps th farth 1et a9 teok
Champigneulles and the important
town of Grandpre.
"Our d0gEed offensive was wearing
down the enemy, who continued des-
perately to throw his best troops
against us, thus weakening his line
I'm front of our allies and making
their advance less difficult.
Divisions in Belgium.
Meanwhile we were not only able
to continue the battle, but our 37th
and 9lst Divisions were hastily with
drawn from our front and d1spatched
to help the French army in Belgium
Detraining in the neighborhood OF
Ypres, these divisions advanced by
rapid stages to the fighting line and
were assigned to adjacent French
CORPS, On October 81 in continuation
of the Flanders offensive, they at
tackled and methodicallysh broke down
,t~f No In n i.
s the s7th had completed its mission
in dividing the enemy across the
Eseaut river and firmly established
itself along the east bank included in
the division zone of action. By a
clever fianking movement troops of
the slst Division captured Spitaals
Bossehen,1 a difficult wood extending
across the central part of the division
sector, reached the Escaut, and pen
etrated into the town of Audenarde.
''These divisions received high COM
mendation from their corps COM
manders for their dash and energy.
Meuse-Argonne, Last Phase
On the 23d the Sd and 9Th Corps
pushed northward to the level of
Blantheville. While we continued to
press forward and throw back the
enemy's violent counter attacks with
great loss to him, regrouping of
our forces was under way ,tfor the
final assault. Evidences of logs Of
more confidence i'm attack and more
fortftude in enduring the fatigue of
fncessant effort and the hardships Of
very Indictment weather.
ssWith comparatively well rested di-
visions. the final ADVANCE in. the
November Il. Our increased artillery
force acquitted itself magnificent1y in
support of the advance, and the enemy
broke before the determined infantry,
which, by it's persistent fighting of the
past weeks and the dash OF it's attack.
had overcome his will to resist. The
Sd Corps took Atnerevflle. Doglcon
and Andevanne, and the 9Th Corps
took Landres ct ST. Georges. = and
pressed through successive lines of
resistance to Bayonville and Chem
merry. On the I'd the LIST Corps Joined
an impetuOus onslaught that could not
..on the Sd advance. troops surged
forward in pursuit, some by motor
trucks, while the artillery pressed
along the country roads close behind;
Chatillon- sur-Bar; the 9Th Corps.
Fosse and Nouart, and the Sd Corps,
Halles, penetrating the enemy's line
to depth of twelve miles. Our large
Caifber, guns mao advanced ana were
skillful1y brought into position to
fire upon the important lines at Mont
medy. Longuyon and Contains. Our
I'd Corps crossed the Mouse ON the
5th and the other corps, I'm the full
confidence that the day was theirs.
eagerly cleared the way of machine
xlns rs they swept northward.
maintaining complete coordination
throughout. On the 9Th a division of
the LIST Corps reachedfa point on the
Mouse opposite Sedan. twenty-five
miles from our line of departure. The
strategical goal which was our high
est hope was gained: We had cpt the
enemy's main line Of Communications,
and nothing but surrender or nm
afmistice could save his army from
complete disaster.
I'm all forty enemy divisions had
been used against us I'm tn" ; '"sa-
Argonne battle. Between Ser 1oer
26 and November we took 5f.059
prisoners and 46S guns on this front.
Our divisions engaged were the LIST.
Cd, Sd, 4th, 5th, 26th, 28th. Goth, 32d.
33d, 35th, 37th. 42d, 18th, 18th. 10Th.
s0th, SD, seth, Goth and 91st. Many
of our divisions remained in line for
a length of time that required nerves
Of steel. while others were sent in
again after only a few days of rest.
The tst.- 9Th. 18th. 42d. 18th. Soth.
- oh To-, 81 live, ttsis