The sun., 1919-03-23

the outer works, was an arsenal for
all calibres and descriptions of au-
tomato weapons, with a maze of
heavy wire entanglements protect
ing each centre of resistance.
"Offioers and enlisted men alike
under, food what confronted them,
but were welded together by local
sentiment, pride In their organiza-
tons and a rightly OF discipline
surpassed by no fighting unit in
the American army. They faced
the Hindenburg line with no lack
Of confidence and no lack Of cour-
age. They believed they could do
what picked troops Of the allied
armies had failed on numerous oc-
casions TO accomplish. For two
days the men OF the Twenty-sev-
enth Division and the Germans
who garrisoned this inverted for
tress struggled for supremacy. The
knoll changed hands four times.
storming the German Ncrdun.
at dawn OF the 10th the Fifty
fourth Brigade. in reserve during
the preliminary operations, attacked
behind the heaviest harraCe OF the
war. The 1o7th and l0Sth Infantry
regiments. composing this brigade,
were supported by forty tanks, and
the attack was synchronized with
that OF the Thirtieth American Di-
vision on the right flank Of the
New Workers..
Gen. Organs men advanced de-
spite an incredible amount OF metal
thrown into their midst by the
enemy. The machine gun fire from
both the enemy's line and from our
own machine gun battalions was
probably ds heavy as any during
the four years OF war.
Smoke screens made it imposs-
bic in number OF instances for the
men to see what was In front OF
them. and many OF the tanks were
put out OF action In the early stages
Of the battle by land mines and ar
tillery fire. Enemy reserves, who
had been held in the tunnel carry
ing the st. Quentin Canal, attacked
on three sides. while a counter at
tack was launched against the left
flank Of the division from Wand
huilie in an effort to roll up this
flank and crush the whole attack.
"0ne battalion of the 10th In
fantry and one battalion of the
lO5th with machine gun battalions
stopped this counter attack. which
had come Unexpectedly from tho
left, where the British had been
unable to come up. The counter
attack was defeated. and despite
odds elements OF the division
reached the main line and occupied
parts Of the St Quentin Canal.
These elements held on. bombing
dueouts and positions Of the main
defence system and capturing more
prisoners than their own strength.
When on October TIE division
was relieved by Australians APP
proximately 500 OF the New Workers
continued 10 go forward with their
comrades in arms, and when the
smoke cleared away the results now
historic became known: not only
the outlying defences but the main
system Of the Hindenburg line. OF
which the enemy had boosted and IN
which he had placed implicit faith,
had a, last been broken.
Through the break made by the
American divisions the rest OF the
Fourth British Army pushed
through and Continued 10 go for
ward, while the Twenty seventh
Division was withdrawn in order
that il might be reorganized
"On October II the division again
moved into line. After ten days OF
pursuit the enemy had reached the
La Selle River and was there pre-
pared for determined resistance.
The New York division. having
sideslipped to the south, again
found itself at the point OF the
wedge. Division headquarters was
pushed forward 20 Busigny. which
was the furthest east and the near
est line OF any division headquar-
tiers on the western front.
The headquarters Of the two in
fantry brigades were even further
forward, and on the night OF cc-
tober 1914 the division commenced
10 dominate No Mans Land with
patrols On the following day
brilliantly executed daylight raid
netted twenty. seven prisoners with
out a sin, 3 casualty among the