The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-12-26

siles crashed down upon Cantigny and
its stone walls began to crumble and
fly into splinters.
The terrific fire paralyzed the Ger
mans and when, at $50 a. m, the bonn
bardment was suddenly pulled back
to the initial line of the barrage and
the Infantry went over, advancing at
the rate of 100 meters every two min,
utes and following the barrage at a
distance of SO meters, the enemy was
so bewildered that he could not offer
effective resistance. Mastered by the
bayonets of the American Infantry
and terrified by the tanks and flame
clusters, those who attempted to fight
being shot down or captured as the
rush Of a%ssaulting troops mopped up
the town and its covering trenches.
In an incredibly short time the objec-
tive line beyond Cantigny had been
reached, with remarkably few losses.
But now came the far more difficult
task Of consolidating and holding the
captured positions. The German coun-
ter artillery fire had come down
promptly, and it was whitening. 1t
was necessary promptly to make the
new line secure against the counter
attack which was certain to be launch
ed very shortly.
First, a line of shell holes was con,
solidated and, with the help OF the
Engineers, connected with hasty, shall
low trenches, capable Of being defend
ed mainly with automatic rifles. I'm
der a CALLING artillery barrage and a
constant hail of machine gun and rifle
fire. the men then wired these posi-
lions in front, while the third wave
of the assault, close behind, vas busy,
under quite as difficult conditions, in
consolidating three strong points i'm
mediately behind the front line; n
in the woods 200 meters east OF the
smoking ruins of Cantigny, n in the
woods to the northeast of it, and n
in the cemetery north of the town.
Each strong point was g~arrisoned by
one platoon of Infantry provided with
automatic rifles.
Under cover of a vigorous machine
gun barrage, in which one captured
German machine gun WIGS participat-
ing, the Americans awaited the Ger
man reaction. For two hours after
the capture of Cantigny the enemys
artillery fire continued with undated
intensity, in spite of the powerful re
Spouse which the American and the
French guns were making to it. Tele-
phone wires all along the American
front were constantly cut, and it was
during this period that n young
American sergeant earned from the
Germans the nickname of "the black
snake of Cantigny" because of his
success in wriggling over the top to
repair cut wires.
Though they had lost their front
line in the overwhelming rush of the
American attack, the Germans were
confident of their ability to retake it.
Indeed, one German captain who had
been taken and turned over to an
American officer, upon finding himself
held prisoner for a time in the front
line. had the assurance to remark
IF you expect to keep me much
longer, you had better send me to the
rear: my men will retake this place
within two hours"
True to expectations, just two hours
after the capture Of the town, the
enemy's counter-attack was seen com
ing over from his reserve trenches
in Lalval Woods, protected by a bar
rage whose accuracy was carefully
checked by experienced German aV-
iators flying overhead. The attack
fell upon the End and 3rd battalions
of the 2Sth Infantry. But, CALAMITY
though they advanced, the enemy
made the error of following the par
rage at a distance of about 200 meters
instead of so meters. The artillery
fire passed over the American front
line and gave the Infantry a chance
to get into action before the assault
ing line was upon them. Waiting un-
til the latter vas within 100 yards,
the Americans opened fire with one
burst of flame, and in a moment the
Germans we're fleeing toward Frame
court Wood, leaving upon the ground
not less Titan 500 killed and wounded.
But, though the attack was thus de-
c~isively repulsed, it was only the hrst
Of six successive cOunter-attacks
which were launched within the next
48 hours. AS each was repulsed, the
enemy became more ex~asperateo'
more desperate in his efforts to re-
take the lost positions.
It was not only that they were OF
value to him in themselves; the &C
cumulating evidence of the dash n
d~oggedness of the American troops
as they continued to maintain them
selves triumphantly against the ut
most efforts that their adversaries
could make was giving the lie so plain
ly to the German thesis that the
American troops were nc good ana
never could be made good; that il was
impossible for the American effort
ever to become a decisive factor IN
the war, that the enemy dared not let
them retain their advantage. II they
did retain it, the news was sure 20