Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

the deep Marine salient. but the enemy
was taking chances. and the vulnera-
bility of this pocket to attack might
be turned to his disadvantage. Selling
this opportunity to support my con-
viction, every division with any sort
of training was made available for use
in counter offensive. The place of
July Is was given to our LIST and Cd
divisions in company with chosen
French divisions. Without the usual
brief warning Of preliminary bonn
bardment. the massed French and
American artillery, firing by the map.
while the infantry began its charge.
The tactiful handling of our troops
under these trying conditions was
excellent throughout the action. The
entmy brought up large numbers of
reserves and made stubborn defense
both with machine guns and artillery,
but through five days fighting the LIST
had gained the heights above Scissors
and captured the village of Berzy-le-
Sec. The I'd Division took Beau Re
paire farm and Nierzy 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 ar
tillery.
The 2sth Division. which, with a
French division, was under the COM
mand of our 1st Corps, acted as a
pivot of the. movement toward Sois-
sons. On the 18th it took the village
Of Torcy. while the Sd Division was
retiring enemy. The 2sth attacked
again on the 21st. and the enemy
withdrew past the Chateau Thierry-
scissors road. The Sd Division, con-
tinuing its. progress, took the heights
Of Mont st. Pere and the villages of
Charteves and Jaulgonne in the face
of both machine gun and artillery
fire.
"On the gath, after the Germans had
fallen back from Trugny and Epieds,
our 42d Division. which had been
brought over from the Champagne,
relieved the 26th and, fighting its way
through. the Forst de Fere. over
its path. BY the 27th it had reached
the Ourcq. whence the Sd and 4th
divisions were already advancing,
while the French divisions with which
we were cooperating were moving
forward at other points.
1.-The Sd Division had made its adj
vance into Roncheres wood on the
29th, and was relieved for rest by a
brigade of the 32d. The 42d and 32d
undertook the task of conquering the
turing sergy and the 32d capturing
Hill gao, both American divisions join
ing in the pursuit of the enemy to the
vesle. and thus the operation Of re-
ducing the salient was finished. Mean
while the 42d was relieved by the 4th
at Chery-Chartreuve, and the 32d by
the 23th, while the 77th Division took
up a position on the Vesle. The opera
lions Of these divisions on the Vesle
were under the Sd Corps, Maj. Gen.
Robert /. Billiard, commanding.
Battle Of st. Mihiel.
with the reduction of the Marine
salient we could look forward to the
concentration Of our divisions in our
own zone. In view Of the Forthcoming
operation against the st. Mihiel
salient, which had long been planned
as our first offensive action on a large
scale, the LIST Army was organized on
August 10 under my personal COM
mand. While American units had held
different divisional and corps sectors
along the western front, there had not
been up to this time, for obvious rea-
sons, a distinct American sector; but,
in view Of the important parts the
American forces were now to play, it
was necessary to take over a per-
manent portion Of the line. Accord
ingIy, on August 80. the line Begin
ming at Port-sur-seille, east Of the
Moselle and extending to the west
through st. Mihiel, thence north to a
point opposite Verdun, was placed I'M
der my command. The American Sec