The Raymer enterprise., 1918-12-12


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the ten divisions were withdrawn from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-
lleve 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 l5 and held
their ground unfiinchlngly;;" on the
right flank four companies of the
Twenty-eighth division faced "nd-
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 Pershlng says. 1T pre-
vented the crossing ut certain points
on its front while. on either flank,
the Germans who had gained foot
ing pressed forward. Our men. firing
In three directions. met the German
attacks with cOunfer-attacks at crlti.
cal points and succeeded In throwing
two German divisions into complete
confusion, capturing 600 prisoners"
Thus was the stage set for the
counter-offenslve which. beginning
with the smashing Of the enelny'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 Pershlng continues:
"The great force of the German
Chateau Thlerry offensive established
the deep Marne salient, but the enemy
was taking chances. and the vulnera-
bllity 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 IS was given to our
First and Second divisions In COM
pany with chosen French divisions.
Without the usual brief warning of
a preliminary bombarlment, 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.
tions was excellent throughout the ac-
tion.
'The enemy brought up large nun.
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 yierzy in n very rapid
vance and reached position In
front OF Tigny at the end Of Its second
day. These two divisions captured T.
900 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-sec0nd
and Twenty-eighth divisions. With
the situation on the Marne 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
units by the French, began, involving
the movement, mostly at night, OF
100000 men.
A sector reaching from Port sur
Seille. east Of the Moselle, eastward
through st. Mihel to verdun and later
enlarged to carry Il 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 yerdnn. being trans.
ferred to General Pershlng's. command
The combined French, British. and
American air forces mobilized for the
battle. the report says. was the lnrgest
ayiatfon assembly ever engaged on the
.'estern front up to that time In a sin
gle operation.
Battle Of St. MihieI.
of the reduction Of the II. Mlhiel
salient General Pershing says:
"After four hours artillery prepa.
ration the seven American divisions