River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-12-12


had cleared the way for the great eff
fort of the allies and American forces
to win a conclusive victory. The
American army moved at once toward
its GROWING achievement, the battle
Of the Mouse.
The general tells a dramatic story
of this mighty battle in three distinct
phases, beginning on the night Of
September 81 when Americans quick
'ly took the places of the French on
the thinly held line of this long, quiet
sector. The attack opened on Septenl-
Der 26, and the Americans drove
through entanglements. across No
frst-line positions.
Battle of the Meuse.
Closing the chapter, General Per
shing says:
ION November 6 q division of the
First corps reached q point on the
Meuse opposite Sedan, % miles from
our lines of departure. The STRATEGY
cal goal which was our highest hope
was gained. We had cut the enemy's
main line of communications, and
nothing could save his army from
complete disaster
I'm all forty enemy divisions had
been used against us in the Meuse-
Argonne battle. Between September
26 and November 6 we took 26,059
prisoners and 468 guns on this front.
"Our divisions engaged were the
First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Twenty-sixth, Twenty-eighth, Twenty
ninth, Thirty-second, Thirty-third,
Thirty-ffth, Thirty-seventh, Seventy
eighth, Seventy-ninth, Eightieth,
Eighty-second, Eighty-ninth, Ninetieth
and Ninety-first.
"Many of our divisions remained in
line for a length of time that re-
CURED nerves Of steel, while others
were sent in again after only a few
days of rest. The First, Fifth, Twen-
ty-sixth, Forty-second, Sevengy-sev-
enth, Eightieth, Efghty-ninth and
Ninetieth were in the line twice.
Although some of the divisions
were fighting their first battle, they
Other Carns Active.
The commander in chief does not
lose sight of the divisions operating
with French or British armies during
this time.
He tells of the work of the Second |
corps, comprising the Twenty
and Thirtieth divisions, in the British
he
the st. Quentin canal passes through |
a tunnel; of how the Second and Thir- |
ty-sixth divisions got their chance in |
October by being assigned to aid the |
French in the drive from Re1ms, and |
of the splendid fighting of the Thirty |
seventh and Ninety-frst divisions sent |
to join the French army in Belgium.
OF the total strength of tho expedi- |
force, General Pershing re-
ports:
There are in Europe altogether, in
Guiding a regiment and some sanitary |
units with the Italian army and the |
at Murmansk, also in
2,053,347 men, less our
losses"
"Of this total there are in France
], 338, 100 combatant troops"
Problem of Equipment.
Of their equipment he says:
sour entry into the war found us
with few of the anXiliaries necessary
for it's conduct in the modern sense.
Among our most important deficiencies
In material were artillery, aviation
and tanks.
"In order to meet our requirements
as rapidly as possible, we accepted the
offer of the French government to pro-
vide us with the necessary artillery
equipment of 75s, one 55-millimeter
howitzer and one 55 G.. P. f. gun from
their own factories for 80 divisions.
''The wisdom of this course is fully
by the fact that, al.
though we soon began the manufac-
ture of these classes of guns at home
there were no guns of the calibers
mentioned manufactured in America
On our front at the date the armistice
was signed. The only guns of these
types produced at home thus far re-
ceived in France are 100 75-millimeter
guns.
First u. S. Planes in May.
SIN aviation we were in the same
and here again the French
government came to our aid until oul
own aviation program should be under
way. We obtained from the French
the necessary planes for training our
and they have provided us
with a total of 2676 pursuit, observa.
ton, and bombing planes.
"The first airplanes received from
home arrived in May, and together
We have received 1879. The first
American squadron completely
equipped by American production, in.
Guiding airplanes, crossed the German
ines on August z, 1913.
"As to tanks, we were compelled
70 rely upon the French. Here,
however, we were less fortunate. for
he reason that the French produc-
ion could barely meet the require