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

their ground unfinchingly; on the
right flank four companies Of the
Twenty-eighth division faced "ad-
vancing waves of German infantry"
and the Third division held the Marine
/ 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. ut 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
Marine 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:
1.-THE great force of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
the deep Marine salient, but the enemy
was taking chances, and the vdlnera-
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 a counter-offensive. The
place of honor in the thrust toward
scissors on July Is was given to our
First and Second divisions in COM
pany with chosen French divisions.
Without the usual brief warning of
preliminary bombardment, the
massed French and American artillery,
firing by the map, laid down it's rolling
barrage at dawn while the infantry be-
Of our troops under these trying condi-
lions was excellent throughout the ac-
ton.
"The enemy brought up large num-
bers of reserves and made stubborn
defense both with machine guns and
artillery, but through five days fight
ing the First division continued to ad-
vance until it had gained the heights
above scissors and captured the vii
lage of Berzy-le-Sec.
"The Second division took Beau Re-
paire farm and Very in a very rapid
vance and reached position in
front of Tigny at the end of it's second
day These two divisions captured T.
900 prisoners and over 100 pieces of
artillery"
First American Array Formed.
TIE report describes in some detail
the work of completing the reduction
of the salient, mentioning the opera
tons of the Twenty Third
Fourth, Forty-second, Thirty-second,
and Twenty-eighth divisions. With
the situation on the Marine front thus
relieved, General Pershing 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
L 110Io n1xyfrN
the movement, mostly at night, Of |
100000 men.
A sector reaching from Port sur
Seille, east of the Moselle, eastward
through ST. Mihiel to Verdun and later
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 I
ferred to General Pershing's command |
The combined French, British, and |
American air forces modified for the
battle, the report says, was the largest |
assembly ever engaged On the |
western front up to that time in a sin
gle operation.
Battle of ST. Mihiei.
Of the reduction of the st. Mihiel
salient General Pershing says:
"After four hours artillery prepa-
ration the seven American divisions
In the front line advanced at a. M.
on September -, assisted by a limit
ed number of tanks manned partly by
and partly by the French.
"These divisions, accompanied by |
groups of wire-cutters and others
armed with bangalore torpedoes, went
the successive bands of |
Darbed wire that protected the enc
my's front line and support trenches
n irresistible waves on schedule time,
breaking down all defense of an en-
envy 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 Fourth corps curved
back to the southwest through Non