New Britain herald., 1918-12-20
NEW YORK TROOPS
|. PRAISED BY HAIG
Second American Army Corps
Does Great Work

>London, Nov. 2 (Correa2 ondence of
The Associated Press l-Operations Of
tho Second American Army Corps
with the British armies south of
Talenciennes which won from Field
Marshal Haig high commenda ton, are
now issued. The Second Corps was
composed of the 9th Division, con-
sisting of New York National Guard
troops, and the 30th Division, consist
ing of troops from Tennessee, North
# Carolina, South Carolina and the Dis
trict of Columbia. The corps was
commanded by Major General G.. w.
Read. In plimenting the corps
upon it's work in the fighting in the
British sector near lie Cateau and
Bohaln. Marshal Haig said, in a mes
sage TO tho corps: Il am proud to
have had YOU in my command; the
deeds of the 2Tth and the 30th Amer
lean divisions will rank with the high
est achievements Of the war"
The Second American Corps was
& operating in conjunction with the
British Third and Ninth CORDS and
rad crossed the II ndcrhurg tine at
i strongest point" near i}ellicourt The
Am erican corps was called upon on
4 October 10 take p.rt in a three day
4 advance 90 n thc Emo extending
from VaIrn"3orrcs through Solesmes
end L a. 81 TO Gui$c. This line ran
\ along fro,t of the Sam;bre Canal.
TO the American division was given
task OF pushing out q salient south
n I.n \ on cfT oil
2ion, and holding the line until the
flanking division moved up.
On tho night Of October the 30th
Division took over from two Austria
Fan divisions a front Of about three
miles. The operation began on Octo-
Der in conjunction with the British
and French on either side of the
Americans, The American attack was
Tmade behind q rolling barrage laid
down by British and Australian ar
tillery and using tanks. In spite of
the enemy counter barrage, little re-
sstance was encountered and by noon
the 20th Division had advanced three
miles and the villages of Brancourt
and Fremont were captured.
"Consistently. il seems, in these
opera ticns the American division was
aga n at tho apex of the advance"
says tho statement.
Tho attack was resumed on the fol-
lowing morning and met with only
rear guard resistance, entering Blu
s'gny and f 2cqugny almost without
opposition. The Gays advance repre-
sented four miles. The movement was
rFsumed on October To-, when a gain
Of 150o Yards was attained and the
villages of Esraufort, st. SoupIet and
Taux-Andigny were taken.
In the three DAYS the Americans and
their Allies had advanced nine miles
with the delivery Of nine villages and
the capture Of 1900 prisoners and
numerous machine guns. The Fourth
Army. OF which the Second Corps was
=, a part, thcn stood in front Of the
SelIe River. On a crest east of this
river, tho Germans seemed to have
prepared 20 mako q stand. A pause
was necessary TO bring UP supplies
and ammunition and to streng CITIZEN
the divisions. The front was shortened
to 1000 yards.
Tho enemy line west of the Selle
River was strongly held by five dtyi-
SONS and Dy elements Of six others.
The attack was renewed IN October
IL. Rain had turned The chalky
ground into q slippery footing and q
thi2l5 ist made all sense of location
imoossihla. Eleven tanks were sent
across the river and the infantry
j. started over the top behind rolling
barrage. Inc first wave wading the
river while tho engineers placed pom
toons for the use Of tho second wave.
Despite All envy counter-barrage and
machine gunners hid in shell holes
under cover of the fog. the Americans
drove over the crest east Of the river
and advanced two miles.
One American division, in conjunc-
ton with the Thirteenth British Corps,
delivered an attack on the fo1lowing g
morning, but it was held up by heav-
lily organized machine-gun posts and
repeated cOunter-atta cks supported by
artillery. Obstinate resistance was en-
countered a the village Of Ribeauvtlle
and not until the middle of the after
noon did the enemy line suddenly
weaken and tho American advance
move on toward the Sambre Canal
3y October 10 the American and
British forces occupied the last ridge
, before the canal and a period Of prep
aration ensued. The advance had re.
suited in the capture Of st. Martin
Rivere, Nolan, Arbre de Guise, Ri.
beauville and Ecaillon. The total ad,
vance for the six days operations was
13 miles, resulting in the capture Of
3,400 prisoners.