The Farmington times., 1918-12-13
Charge Is Begun

rolling barrage at dawn. The tactic
al handling of our troops under these
trying conditions was excellent
throughout the action. The enemy
brought up large numbers of reserves
and made a stubborn defense, both
with machine guns and artillery, but
through five days fighting the First
Division continued to advance until it
had gained the heights above Sois-
sons and captured the village of
Berzy-le-sec. The Second Division
took Beau Repaire farm and Very
in a very rapid advance and reached
a position in front of Tigny at the end
of its second day. These two divisions
captured 1000 prisoners and over 100
pieces of artillery"
The report describes, in some detail,
the work of completing the reduction
of the salient, mentioning the opera
tions of the Goth, 3d. 4th, AID, 32d and
28th divisions. With the situation on
the Marine front thus relieved, Per-
shing writes, he could turn to the Or
ganization of the First American
Army and the reduction of st. Mihiel
salient, long planned as the initial
| purely American enterprise. A troop
concentration, aided by generous con-
tributions of artillery and air units by
the, French, began, involving the
movement, mostly at night, of 60O,-
600 men. A sector reaching from
Port sur Seille, east of the Moselle,
westward through St. Mihiel to Ver-
dun and later enlarged to carry it to
the edge of the forest of Argonne,
was taken over, the Second Colonial
French, holding the tip of the salient
opposite st. Mihiel and the French
18th Corps on the heights above Ver-
dun deing transferred to Gen. PERISH
ing's command.
Air Forces Big
The combined French, British and
American air forces modified for the
battle, the report says, was the larg-
est aviation assembly ever engaged
on the western front up to that time
in a single operation.
OF the reduction of the St. Mihiel
salient, Gen. Pcrshing says:
"After four hours artillery prepa-
ration the seven American divisions
in the front line advanced at 5 a. m.
on September IL, assisted by limit
ed number Of tanks manned partly by
Americans and partly by the French.
These divisions, accompanied by
groups of wire cutters and others arm
ed with bangalore torpedoes, went
through the successive bands of barb
ed wire that protected the enemy's |
front line and support trenches, in
irresistible waves on schedule time, |
breaking down all defense of an enc
my demoralized by the great volume
of our artillery fire and our sudden !
approach out of the fog.
"Our First Corps advanced to Thiau-
court, while our French Corps curved |
back to the southwest through Mon
sard. The Second Colonial French
Corps made the slight advance re-
quired of it on very difficult ground,
and the Fifth Corps looks it's three
ridges and repulscd a counter attack.
A rapid march brought reserve regi-
ments of division of the Fifth Corps
into Vigneulles in the early morning,
where it linked up with patrols of our
Fourth Corps, closing the salient and
forming a new line west of Thiau- |
court to Vigneulles and beyond Fres-
nes-en-Woevre.
1000 Casualties
"At the cost of only 1000 casualties,
mostly light, whe had taken 10000
prisoners and 443 guns, great guam
tity of material, released the inhabi-
tants of many villages from enemy
domination and established our lines
in a position to threaten Metz.
"This signal success of the Ameri-
can First Army in its first offensive
was of prime Importance. The Allies
found they had formidable army to
aid them, and the enemy learned final
y that he had one to reckon with"
The report shows for the first time
that with this brilliantly ex-
ecuted coup Pershing's men had
cleared the way for the great effort of
The Allies and American forces to win
a conclusive victory. The American
Army moved at once toward it's
achievements, the battle of
The Meuse.
The General tells dramatic story
If this mighty battle in three distinct
phases, beginning on 'the night of
September 27, when Americans quick
" took the places of the French on
,he thinly held line of this long, quiet
sector. The attack opened on Sep
tember 26 and the Americans drove
through entanglements, across No
Mans Land to take all the enemy's
positions. Closing the chap
;er, Pershing says:
Goal Was Won
"On November 6 a division of the
First Corps reached a point on the
Meuse opposite Sedan, rs miles from
,ur line of departure. The strategi-
al goal which was our highest hope !,
vas gained. We had cut the enemy's
main line of communications and /,
nothing but surrender or an armis-
ice could save his army from COM
,lete disaster.
''In all 40 enemy divisions had been ;
Ised against us in the Meuse-Ar- ,
,onne battle. Between September 26 =
md November we took 26,059 pris-
'ners and 468 guns on this front. Our /,
divisions engaged were the 1st, I'd,
ID, 4th, 5th, 26th, 28th, Goth, 32d, 33d, :.
18th. 37th, 42d, 77th, 18th. 18th. Both.