The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-12-05

E5 VEST V.ls CT j =
offiei ~ = hi 81 Lis 6lilllHllL5 y
scrtsd eo1ps GeneIz .eEllill men
Nd = eared llls Tor tlle ll-set e.
fSoFs Ct fhs ard 4E1eriea1l forces
% Sln : eO1elusfyo FietoEy. TIE AZn1eEs
fem axnIy moved at once toward rs
browning aehfeyements the battle OF
The General tails 3 dramatic story
az dis mighty battIo IN three distinct
phFaSeu. Beginning on tho might Of Sep
f0m6ar q. when Americans quickly
took tho places % tho French on the
thinly held line OF this long quiet sec
tor. The attack opened on Septem-
Der Is and the Americans drove
THOUGH entangiementS, ACROSS NO
Mans Land 70 take an the enemy's
firSt line positions. Closing the chap
ten. General PershinE says:
con November s q division OF the
Flint corps reached q point on the
Geuss opposite Sedan, % miles from
our line Of departure The strategical
eoal which was our highest hope was
gained. we had cut the enemy's main
line Of communications, and nothing
but surrender or an aTmistlce could
save his army from complete disaster.
"Ta an 30 enemy divisions had been
used against Us in the 3ieuseArgonne
battle. Between September 26 and
November s we took 26,059 prisoners
and 4SS guns on this front . Our diTI-
sions engaged were the First, Second.
Third, Fourth, Fifth. Twenty-sixth,
Tventy-eighth.l TEnty-1i1th, Thirty
second, Thfrfythtrd, Thirty-fifsh.
Thirty Forty-Second, Seventy
sevep.0. SevcutyeiShth, Seventy-ntntE
NinetfeSh end NinetyfirSt. Many OF
OR divisions remained In Inns for a
length ot time that required nerves OF
steel, while Others were sent IN again
aeter only 4 few days OF rest The
Ffrst. Filth, Twenty-sixth, Forty-sec-
sni, Seventy-seventlI, EIShtieth, Et6h-
fieth, Efghty-ninth and Ninetieth were
in TIE tine twice. Although some OF
tie divisions wore fighting their first
battle, they soon become equal 10 The
best"
The Chief does not
lose sight OF the divisions operating
With French or British armies during
thf, time He tells OF the work of the
Second corps, comprising the Twenty
seventh and Thirtieth divisions IN the
British assault on the Hindenbu-g lee
where the st. Quentin canal passes
through tunnel; OF how the Second
and Thirty-Sixth divisions got their
chance IN October by being assigned
20 aid the French In the drive from
Rheims and o. the splendid fighting
Of the 9Th and 9lst divisions sent TO
ioin the French army In Belgium
OF the total strength of the Expedi-
tfonnrv Force, General PershinB re-
ports:
Gliding a regiment and some sanitary
units with the Italian army and the
organizations at Murmansk, also ir-
gliding .hese en- route from the states,
approximately 2,053. S41 me1, less our
losses. OF this total there are in
France 1855, 169 combataut troops.
Forty divisions have arrived, Of which
the infantry personnel Of 10 have been
used as replacemUnts. leaving 30 dtvf-
sions now IL France organized i:lto
three armies Of three corps each.
or their equipment he says:
Our entry iato the war found Us
with few OF the auxfiiaries necessary
for its conduct IN the modem sense.
Among our most important defIcieE-
cfeS IN material were artillery. aviation
LaGlkSs IA OEVCE " LuSCb S0A AC
duirencnts as rapidly as possible. we
accepted the offer OF the French gov
ernnert to provide US with the neces-
sary artillery equipment Of seventy
lives, one ftfty-five mfllemeter howit'
zers, and one Sifty.Cive G. P F. guns
from their own factories for thirty di-
visions. The wisdom OF this course
is 1ully demonstrated by the fact that.
although we soon began the maaufdc-
ture these classes or guns at home.
there were no guns Of the callbres
mentioned manufactured in America
on our front at the date the armisttce
was signed. The only guns OF these
types produced at home thus far re
ce:vel IL France are 100 seventy-fiye
milliEeter guns.
I'm aviation zee were in the same
situation. an Ghere again the French
government ccme to our aid until our
own aviation program Should be en-
der way. We obtained from the French
the necessary planes FOR training our
personnel, and they have provided US
with total Of 2,G76 pursuit, observa-
ton. and bombing planes The first
afrplanes received from home arrived
, IN May, and altogether We have re-
cetvot 1873. The first American
squadron completely equipped oy AM
j ezican production, including airpIanes.
crossed the German lines en- August z,
1918. Az 10 tanks we were also COM
: PEELED 20 rely upon tho French. Here,
however, VIC were less fortunate, for
! the reason that the French production
could barely meet the requirements OF
their own armies
ut would be fully realized that the
] i oIu-aES talon
most liberal attitude and has been
! most anxious TO give as every posi-
BILE assistance in meeting our deficten-
, cieS IN these as well as In other re-
| spects. Our dependence upon France
| Hnr artIllnrr. aH,Gahinn and fankE TRS