The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-27
|CI1IEVEMENTS OF THE 8Oth
! DIVISION in BATTLE ARRAY
e the Hottest and Most Desperate Fighting of the Whole War Fell
These Brave Sons OF Virginia. west and Pennsylvania Along
the Banks of the Muse Dead Mans Hill North Of Verdu

tiHery fire had been encountered from
me Ravine aux Pierres and the 320th
infantry had been unable to press
beyond AlliepOnt. or to keep abreast
OF the 319th. The centre and left
DIVISIONS of the corps made no prog
ress. SO that the only advance made
on Nov. ! by the First Corps was
made by the Eightieth division.
In front OF the corps the enemy
remained in wood which barred the
progress OF the whole corps line be-
yond the 31sth infantry.
The independent action Of the
Eightieth division command alone
enabled the difficulty to be over
come. During the night of the
nrst 1t was arranged that the
sl9th infantry. which had made
a splendid advance to the north
of the hostile position mention
ed, should deliver a flank attack
upon 1t directly to the west on
the following day. This was
done at s A. NJ. and was com
pieteiy successful. The 320th
Infantry then advanced from
Alliepont practically without
resistance. SO that Verpel and
Thenorgies were reached during
the morning. Several hours later
the Seventy-seventh division and
vision, moved up abreast OF the
Eightieth.
But while the divisional comman~
der had undertaken of his own mi
uauve to sweep the front on the left
ny flank attack, he had not pro-
posed to delay the advance on the
right and thus fall behind the Second
division. During the night of the first
he had ordered the 317th infantry
forward from reserve. and on the
second at 10:i5 A. NJ, it advanced
to the attack, The strong position
of Bazancy was carried. and before
night on the second the line was es-
tablished north OF the town.
Achievements of the Autumn.
On the 10th. OF November official
information was received that HOSTILE
ties We're to cease at IL A. NJ. the
following day. and the Eightieth di-
vision was ordered to march on the
18th to Les Islettes area, whence ii
had moved forward
During the twenty-three days II
was engaged in the American sector
the Eightieth advanced thirty seven
kilometers. or nearly twenty-four
miles. 1t three times broke through
the main enemy lines of defense on
Sept, 26-2T, on Oct. A-12, and Nov. I
and 2, respectively. It captured 100
officers including three entire bat
talon STATS, and LILO men: eighty
eight pieces of artillery OF various
calibres, and GAL machine guns, be-
sides vast quantity of small arms
ammunition. equipment and stores.
This was ACCOMPLISHED with total
loss of but 210 officers and SAGA men,
including thirty-seven officers and
b92 men killed.
On Nov. Is Major Gen. Adelber,
Cronkhite, who had made and led
the division throughout the war, was
assigned to the Command of the Ninth
Corps, He was succeeded by Major
Gen. s p. Sturgis.
| Early in December, General Jamer-
| son resumed the command of the
, l55th Brigade. and Colonel George D.
Freeman was assigned to the COM
mand OF the 31Sth
| With the gradual reduction OF the
American Expeditionary Force, many
corps were disbanded, including the
Sixth to the corpand of which Cen
eral Cronkhfte had been transferred
| from the Ninth in March. This en-
abled him to be reassigned to the
| command OF the EAghtieth division or
April ~. and to return TO America
with his original command in May
! 1919.