The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-12-12

American troop movements 10
France was in full swing, and the
older divisions could be used
freely. The Forty-second, in line
east of Rheims, faced the German
assault of July Is and "held their
ground unfiilchingly;" on the
right flank four companies of the
Twenty eighth division faced lad
yancing waves of German infan-
try" and the Third Division held
the Marne line opposite Chateau
Thierry against powerful artillery
and infantry attack. "A single
regiment of the Third wrote one
of the most brilliant pages in our
military annals on this OCCASION.
General Pershing says. 1T pre-
vented the crossing at certain
points on it's front, while on either
flank. the Germans, who had gain
ed a footing, pressed forward. Our
men, firing in three directions,
met the German attacks with
counter attacks at critical points,
and succeeded in throwing two
German divisions into complete
confusion, capturing 600 prison.
ers."
Thus was the stage set for the
counter offensive which beginning
with the smashing of the enemy's
Marine salient brought overwhelm-
ing victory to the allies and the
United States in the eventful months
that have followed. The intimation
is strong that General Pershing's
advice helped Marshal Foch to reach
his decision to strike General Per-
shing continues:
"The great force of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
the deep Marine salient, but the
enemy was taking chances, and the
vulnerability of this pocket to at
tack might be turned to his dis
advantage. Selling this opportunity
to support my conviction, every dlvl-
sion with any sort of training was
made available for use in a counter
offensive. The place of honor in the
thrust forward scissors on July H.
was given to our First and Second
Divisions in company with chosen
French divisions. r
scissors Thrust Described.
"Without the usual brief warning
of a preliminary bombardment, the
massed French and American artill-
cry, firing by the map, laid down its
| rolling barrage at dawn while the
| infantry began it's charge. The
tactical handling of our troops IN
der these trying conditions was ex-
cellent throughout the action. Tho
enemy brought up large numbers oil
reserves and made a stubborn de.
tense both with machine guns ano
artillary, but through five days fight.
ing the First Division continued te
advance until it had gained the
heights above scissors and captured
the village of Berzy-le-sec. The sec
ond Division took Beau Repaire farm
and Very in very rapid advance
and reached a position in front Of
Tigny at the. end of its second day
These two divisions captured 7,0Ol
prisoners and over 100 pieces of ar
tillery."
The report describes in some de
tail the work of completing the re
duction of the salient, mentioning
the operations of the Twenty-sixth
Third, Fourth, Forty-second, Thirty
second and Twenty-eighth divisions
With the situation on the Marn'
front thus relieved, General Pershint
writes, he could turn to the organi
cation of the First American Arm!
and the reduction of the st. Mihie
salient, long planned as the initia
!, purely American enterprise. A trool
concentration, aided by generous con
tributions of artillery and air unit
by the French, began, involving tn
movement, mostly at night, ofa500
, 600 men. A sector reaching from POI
sur Sellie, east of the Moselle, west
ward through st. Mihiel to Verdu
and later enlarged to carry it to tn
edge Of the forrest Of Argonne, wa
E taken over, the Second Colcni;
E French, helding the tip of the salier
opposite st. Mihiel, and the .Frenc
5 Seventeenth Corps, on the heigh,
above verdun being. transferred
: General Pershing's command.
The combined French, British an
/ American air forces modified K
$ the battle, the report says, was tt
{ largest aviation assembly ever el
gagged on the Western front up
that time in single operation.
|, st. Mihiel Victory Depicted.
r Of the reduction OF the st. Mini
: salient General Pershing says:
after four hours artillery prepar
ton the seven American divisions
: the front line advanced at 5 A. N
on September IL, assisted by lin
tied number of tanks manned part
I by Americans and partly by II
!, French. These divisions, accor
q panied by groups of wire cutie
!, and others armed with bafgalo
q 4~~.,-,~oe xr,an< fhro,Oh the Succe