Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-15
THREE u. S. DIVISIONS
RACED TO TAKE SEDAN
Rainbow Boys Stopped Firsts Advace but Latter Took
General Macarthur Prisoner-Creat
Difficulties Overcome
BY EDWIN L. JAMES

heights south of Sedan, and at
o'clock in the afternoon the Americans
entered the southern part OF Sedan.
Betting Favors Rainbow Division
Far be it from me TO say whether
the men of the First or Forty-second
got there first. One cannot find out by
lsking either division. I may only set 1t
lown that official betting at army head
luarters favors the Rainbow.
But while the first and the Forty
second Divisions were racing for Sedan
French division, which had been or
dered by General Gouraud to proceed
20 Sedan, found the only usable high
way blocked by the hurrying Americans,
who entered there first.
TO add to the thoroughness of the
exploit the Second Division sent back
word late that night that it also had
reached Sedan, having moved up along
the Meuse not knowing that 1t had COLI
a'dorable rivalry for the honor.
The Americans have all be withdrawn
now from Sedan, leaving 1t TO a FTench
division, except that for reasons OF
courtesy, sentiment or some other rea-
son one company Of Americans Is there
with the French troops.
II one does not want to start an
argument one will not do what l did
ask the headquarters of the FIRST ana
Forty-aecond Divisions which got to
Sedan first. 7 asked a very diplomatic
colonel attached to the headquarters OF
the army to tell which It was. His
reply was:
"You may say safely that the First
American Army reached Sedan tirst'
one may add that this race was not
due to any ones fault or any mistake
It was an entirely proper thing tor the
army's orders were to pursue the enemy
with all vigor back to the Meuse' ano
other orders stated that strict sector
lines might be disregarded II the exi'
gences seemed to require.
Whatever may be said in the years
to come about which division got tc
Sedan first, one may safely say ina,
~ the entire Fifth German Army hao
tried to hold the heights south Of Sedar
If would have had a great struggle Will
the following regiments: The 165th
166th, 18th and 16Sth Infantry of thu
First Division and the Fifth and Sixtf
Regiments of marines and the Ninth ant
Twenty-third Infantry of the Second Di
vision
The regiments of the Sixth Division
we're right behind these If they wer'
needed.
|
Transportation Problems Overcome
reached Sedan after overcoming
the worst transportation difficulties eve
! put in front of our army by the foe
Every bridge and every culvert had beel
! blown out, and where there were ~
| bridges or culverts the retreating enem
blew out stretches of road One stretc
| of 200 yards had nine mine holes, eacl
of which was big enough to hold a house
Our engineers by rushing work bridge
these holes, but it was a formidabl
| task.
Nothing could better tell the story {
the gerat battle since September 26 tha
the trip took. Down around Narenne
on the remnants of the Hindenburg lin
there Is hardly an inch of the terrai
but is torn by shell fire. Up at Crane
pre- all Is desolation. OF the once prett
villages only mounds of stones renal
At Buzancy the destruction decrease
Then when one reaches Tannay al
Chemerey. TOWNS practically untouche
by shell fire, he finds civilians standir
on the sidewalks watching the Amer
cans with wide open eyes From Chem
, rey. up to. the time when the advanC
, started on November l and it becan