The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-12-12

aid them. and the enemy learned Hnai-
~ that he had one 10 reckon with.
The report shows for the tirs; time
officially that with this brilliantly exc
cufed coup. General Pershing's men
had cleared the way for the great Ell
fort of the allies and American forces
TO win IA conclusive victory.
American army moved at once toward
It's browning achievement, b battle
OF the Meuse.
The general tells a dramatic story
Of this mighty battle in three dist'nct
phases. beginning on the night or
September -. when Americans quick
ly took the places of the French "h
the thiniy held line of this long. Quiet
sector. The attack opened on Septeni-
her 26. and the Americans drove
through entanglementS. across NJ
Mans Land, To take all the n ,mys
tirst-line positions.
Battle of the Meuse.
Closing the chapter. General Fer
shing says:
ION November 6 q division of the
First corps reached a point on the
Meuse opposite Sedan, - miles from:
our lines of departure. The strategy
cal goal which vas our highest hope
was gained. We had cut the enemy's
main line of communications, AMI
nothing could save his army from
complete disaster.
'ln all forty enemy divisions n
been used against us in the Meuse-
Argonne battle. Between September
% and November 6 we took 26.O19
prisoners ana 46S guns on this front.
Our divisions engaged were the
First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Twenty-sixth. Twenty-eighth, Twenty
ninth. Thlrty-second. Thirty-third,
Thirty-ffth, Thirty-seventh, Seventy
eighth. Seventy-ninth. Eightieth,
Eighty-second, Ei~ghty-nlnth, Ninetieth
and N~inety-first.
"Mapy of our divisions remained IN
line for a length of time that re-
quired nerves of steel, while others
were sent in again after only a few
days of rest. The First, Fifth, Tween
ty-sixth, Fo~rty-second, Seventy-sev-
enth, Eightieth, Eig%hty-ninth and
Ninetieth were in the line twice.
Although some of the divisions
were fighting their first battle, they
o o became equal to the best.
Other Corps Active.
The commander in chief does not
lose sight of the divisions operating
with French or British armies during
this time.
He tells of the work of the Second
corps. comprising the Twenty-seventh
and Thirtieth divisions, in the British
assault on the Hindenburg line where
the st. Quentin canal passes through
a tunnel of how the Second and Thir-
ty-sixth divisions got their chance In
October by being assigned to aid the
French i'm the drive from Reims. and
of the splendid fighting Of the Thirty
seventh and N~inety-first divisions, sent
to join the French army in Belgium.
OF the total strength of the expedi'
tionary force, General Pershing re
ports:
There are in Europe altogether, in
Guiding a regiment and some sanitary
units with the Italian army and the
organizations at Murmansk. also In
Guiding these en- route from the States
approximately 2,O53,347 men, less oul
losses"
"Of this total there are in France
1,33S, 169 combatant troops"
Problem Of Equipment.
OF their equipment he says:
"Our entry into the war fOupd u
with few of the anxillaries necessar!
for it's conduct in the modera sense
Among our most important ~detciencie'
in material were artillery, aviation
and tanks.
."In order to meet our requirement
as rapidly as possible, we accepted tn
; offer of the French government to pro
vide us with the necessary '%artiller,
! equipment of los. one 55-millimete
howitzer and one 81 G. r. f. gun iron
their own factories for 80 divisions.
! ''The wisdom of this course Is full,
demonstrated by the fact that, a
I though we o o began the manufaC
ture of these classes Of guns at home
: there were no guns of the callber
mentioned manufactured in Americ
on our front at the date the arniStic
| was signed. The only guns of thes
types produced at home thus far RI
ceiyed in France are 100 75-millimete
> guns.
First U. S. Planes in May.
: "In aviation we were In the sam
situation, and here again the Frenc
government came to our aid until on
own aviation program should be undt
s way. We obtained from the Frenc
t the necessary planes for training ot
{ ~narsapnal and they have provided I
: with a total Of 2.676 pursuit. obseryi
$ ton. and bombing planes.
"'The first airplanes received fro
+ home arrived in May. anS togetht
e we have received 1879. The fir
American squadron completeI
equipped by American production. II
Guiding airplanes. crossed the Germa
IL I - AZ