The Meeker herald., 1918-12-14

barbed wire that protected the eoos
my's front line and support trenches
In irresistible waves on schedule time.
breaking down all defense Of an en-.
envy demOralized by the great volume
of our artillery fire and our sudden
| appronch out Of the fog.
sour First corps advanced to Thiau-
court. while our Fourth corps curved
back to the southwest through Non.
sard. The Second Colonial French
corps made the slight advance re-
CURED OF II on very difficult ground.
sud the Fifth corps took ta three
ridges md repused counter-attnck.
"A rapid march brought reserve reg.
into Vigneulles In the eariy u,orninR.
where 1t linked up with patrols Of our
Fourth corps. closing the salient aud
forming new line west Of ThiHucOurt
to Vlgneulles and beyond Fresnes-en-
Woevre
10000 Prisoners Taken.
"At cost OF only 1000 casuaitIea,
mostly light. we h. d taken 1900 pris-
Oners nnd 443 guns. n great quantity
| Of material. released the inhabitants
Of mnny villages from enemy domino.
ton and established our lines In 20
sition to threaten Metz.
''rhls signal success OF the Ameri-
cnn First army In its first offensive
was of prime Importance. The allies
found they had formidable army to
| aid them. and the enemy learned final
| iy that he had one to reckon with"
The report shows for the first time
officially that with this brilliantly exc
cuted co,Ip. General Pershing's men
Ind cleared the why for the great ef-
| fort Of The niles and American forces
to win n conclusive victory. The
| American army moved at once toward
Its crowniny achievement. the battle
OF the Meuse,
The general tells n dramatic story
Of this mighty battle In three distinct
phases, beginning on the night Of
September 81, when Americans quick
~ took the places OF the French On
the tbInIy held line Of this long. quiet
sector. The attack opened on Septcln-
her &c. und the Americans drove
through acknowledgements, across No
Mans Land IN take ali the enemy's
arst line nosItions.
..
's ~ WV
Closing the chapter, General Fer
shins says:
"On November y DIVISION OF inc
First corps reached point on Tue
Meuse opposite Sedan. % miles from
our lines Of departure. The strntesi-
cal goal which was our highest hope
was gained. We hnd cut the enemys
main line Of communications, ana
nothing could save his army from
| complete disaster.
"ln NIL forty enemy divisions had
been used against US In the Meuse'
| Argonne battle. Between September
20 and November o We took 28'ooS
| prisoners and +GS guns on this front.
| "Our divisions engaged were tno
First. Second. Third. Fourth. Fifth
Twenty-sixth. Twenty-eighth. twenty
ninth, Thirty'second' ihiry-th'u'
| Thlrty-fifih, Thlrty-seventh, seventy
| eighth. S~vcnty.ninth. EiGhueth'
| Eighty-second. Eighty-ninth. NINETEEN
and Ninety-tirst.
Many OF our divisions remained In
line for IL length OF time that re-
| Guired nerves OF steel, while others
we're sent In again atter only = &c"
,",,,.h ror,,.s.c,nd Seventy.aey.
on,,, r,vh,,.tn Eigh,v.ninth and
>.,ns.,..,, ,.o,.. =, ,ho line twice
.,..a,..,, s,,,n. NJ tho divi.ions
wa.o a.h,,,r their ar.t hattie. they
.an,, hocono equal N IN. hest
rho c,n,,n,n,,er in chief does not
loco v,oht NJ III. aIv,sions operatins
with FRENCH ar british armies during
MI. Tim.
II. to,,. NJ tho work of the Second
,or,,u connr,.,ny the Twenty.seyenth
and ThirtIeth divisions. in the British
n..on,t nm rho uindenburr line where
-. A., -, ....zn. ,h,o,,oh