Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-10-01
HOW j. ). s7Rh7ECY"
Defeated GERMAN
HIGH COMMAND TOLD
Incident of ArgOnne-Meuse Are
Told by Veterans Who
Participated.

Kansas City, Mo-, Sept. 30.-HoW
American strategy frustrated de-
Tense plans of the German high
command was retold today in may
parts of the Middle West by veter-
ans of the divisions which took part
in the great Argone- Mouse often
sive that ended the war with Ger
many {, This was the first anniver-
sary Of the great drive.
The German command had long
expected an American attack on the
fortified city of Metz and on Sep
TENDER 26 had six divisions in the
city for it's defense. Plans for an
attack on Metz from the direction
Of Nancy were worked out by an
American staff and then, purposely,
these plans were permitted to fall
into the hands of the Germans, for
mer army men said. Simultaneous
ly, plans were contaminated for the
gigantic American offensive in the
Argonne.
Midnight of September 25 found
American troops Of the 87th division
in the Thiacourt sector of France
near Metz. where they had drawn
up lines of fortification following
the success of the st. Mihiel drive,
"alerted" and ready for action, ac-
cording to stories told by veterans of
that division. That afternoon Or
ders had been received to be ready
for emergency What would be the
eventuality no one knew. An adj
vance was rumored: German at
tack talked of.
Midnight had passed and the new
day it's inception in French night
of crisp. September air and heavy,
dank mist that hung white and low
over the war-torn waste of recon-
quered countryside" said a former
member of the division in retelling
his experiences of that night. eve
had sat in our dugout swapping
stories, for sleep was impossible be-
cause of the crowded condition of
the place. Without warning, there
broke loose from all sides the dull
thud, thud thud of artillery and we
knew the fun was on. Our dugout
was in hiph bank in railroad cut
near the village Of Bouillonville, and
tion of the artillery some of us left the !,
stone railroad bridge across deep
Here we could discern the scope of
the movement. Our artillery was To- |
Gated mostly to our RIGHT and rear,
and hundreds Of guns of all calibres
wera in action. as could be ascertain
ed by the myriad flashes of the
pieces as they sent shell after shell
hurtling through the air into the
foes lines.
Barrage Heavv.
"Hour after hour, the artillery
kept up its hammerings of the Ger
man nositions. The barrage was
second only to that of the great st.
Mihiel drive And still no orders t
to advance. To the east. the flush !
Of approaching dawn suggested the /
fast waning night, when far to the |
northwest an unmiStakable rumble i
became audible. The far-awav boom !
ING of GREAT guns told of the birth |
Of another battle. The sihlv LIGHT |
Of wanin~ nipht gave way TO rosv !
tints If the new dav. AS the sun
bcbbed un above the horizon of shell |
swept hill and gass-filled vale. the
two harraees continued with un-
abated fury. The German was nm
easv, for ct the break. of dav the
drone of his scout planes could be
heard as they appeared over the
American lines il an endeavor to
feel out the situation. The stutter Of
machine guns and the sharp crack
&c anti-craft artillery proved the
American "nnner's wakef',lness. |
There were intermittent flashes of ,
the rcse-red rays If the sun from |
the wings of plane as another