Gilpin observer., 1918-12-12

Maj. Gen. George w. Read, had been
organized for. the command of our
divisions with the British. which were
held back In training areas or as
signed to secOnd-line defenses. Five Of
the ten divisions were withdrawn from
the British area In June. three to re-
lieve divisions in Lorraine and the
Vosges and two were sent to the Paris
area to join the group of American
divisions which stood between the city
and any further advance Of the enemy
In that direction"
BY that time the great tide of Amer
lean troop movements to France was
In full swing and the older divisions
could be used freely. The Forty-sec-
ond. In line east of Reims. faced the
German assault of July Is and "held
their ground untilnchingly on the
right flank four companies of the
Twenty eighth division faced lad
vancing waves Of German Infantry"
and the Third division held the Marne
line. opposite Chateau Thierry. against
powerful artillery and Infantry attack.
Single Regiment Checks Enemy.
"A single regiment of the Third
wrote one Of the most brilliant pages
In our military annals on this occa.
sion." General Pershing says. "It pre-
vented the crossing at certain points
on its front while. on either flank,
the Germans who had gained a foot
Ing pressed forward. Our men, firing
In three directions, met the German
attacks with counter-attacks at criti-
cal points and succeeded In throwing
two German divisions into complete
confusion, capturing 600 prisoners"
Thus was the stage set for the
counter-offensive which. beginning
with the smashing Of the enemy's
Marne salient, brought overwhelming
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 de-
cision to strike
Counter Offensive Opens.
General Pershing continues:
"The great force Of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
the deep Marne salient, but the enemy
was taking chances, and the vulnera-
bility of this pocket to attack might
be turned to his disadvantage
"Seizing this opportunity to support
my conviction, every division with any
sort of training was made available
for use in counter-offensive. The
place Of honor in the thrust toward
Soissons on July 1S was given to our
First and Second divisions in COM
pany with chosen French divisions.
without the usual brief warning Of
a preliminary bombardment, the
massed French and American artillery,
firing by the map, laid down its rolling
barrage at dawn while the infantry be-
gan its charge. The tactical handling
Of our troops under these trying condi-
tion.
"The enemy brought up large num-
bers Of reserves and made a stubborn
defense both with machine guns and
artillery, hut through five days fight
ing the First division continued to ad-
vance until 1t had gained the heights
above Soissons and captured the viii
lage Of Berzy-le-Sec.
1.-THE Second division took Beau Re
paire farm and Vierzy in very rapid
vance and reached position In
front Of Tigny at the end of its second
day. These two divisions captured Z
600 prisoners and over 100 pieces of
artillery"
First American Army Formed.
The report describes In some detail
the work Of completing the reduction
Of the salient, mentioning the opera
tions Of the Twenty-sixth, Third,
Fourth, Forty-second. Thirty-second,
and Twenty-eighth divisions. With
the situation on the Marne front thus
relieved. General Pershlng writes. he
could turn to the organization of the
First American army and the reduction
Of the st. Mihiel salient, long planned
as the initial purely American enter
prise.
A troop concentration, aided by gen.
erous contributions of artillery and air
units by the French, began, involving
the movement, mostly at night, of
COO 900 men.
sector reaching from Port sur
Seille. east of the Moselle, eastward
through St. Mihiel to verdun 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 Seventeenth corps. on
the heights above Verdun, being trans
ferred to General Pershings command
The combined French, British. and
American air forces mobilized for the
battle. the report says, was the largest
aviation assembly ever engaged on the
western front up to that time in sin
gle operation.
Battle Of St. MihIei.
ne tho raducf i'm Of tho Ct AEthtot