The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-07

the same time. the necessity for with
drawing French divisions to meet tne
offensive caused the First division TO
extend It's front to include the Pare
de Grivcsnes, making total front OF
G kilome;ers. Early in June, an at
tack by the enemy on a. large scale
seemed imminent. The sector was or :
ganized In great depth and became
very active.
The attack came IN June and ex-
tended TO the immediate right OF the
division. Patrollipg increased in ac-
tfvity and the division became skill
ful in making raids. On June 70, 3s
prisoners were brought in from the
Ros de Fontalne. BY the end OF
June, the morale and the fighting
powers OF the division were higher
than ever before. Great improve
ment had been made in the care of the
material aid In the condition of the
horses On July 4. horse snow was
held by each brigade. Tho day was
further celeb by firing n salute
10 the union of As guns into the
enemy's position and at night the first
concentration Of 5000 rounds OF mus
lard gas shell was delivered. The
spirits OF the command were high
and all were eager to engage more
&c lively in stopping the enemy's ad-
vance,
While In the Cantigny sector, the
division captured 3i0 prisoners The
casualties OF the division amounted
TO 604 killed, 1921 wounded, 1899
gassed and 40 missing. making a total
of 4,323.
TRAINS FOR OPEN WARFARE.
Between the 5th and sth ~ July,
the division was relieved by the 152nd
and 156th French divisions. 1t pro-
eeeded to the vicinity of Beauvais for
training in open warfare. Before the
schedule of instruction could begin.
the division commenced marching
eastward. moving at night. On July
Is, the enemy launched an offensive
from the Marne salient. The march
OF the First division was INN edia tely
directed towards the front south of
Scissors An movem ents continu ed
hy night and the greatest care was
taken to, screen the troops from the
e''"0ly. on July Is. a reconna issance
was made along the front in the Wei
Llts Of Coeuvres.
In the meantime, there had been
important changes in the personnel
of the command. Brigadier- General
George y. Duncan had been promoted
10 be major general and was assigned
to the command OF the Nth division.
He was succeeded by Brigadier-Ge
eral John /. Hines who had com
manded the 9Th infantry, Major-Ge
eral Bullard had been assigned to the
command of the 3rd corps. and on
July II Major-General Charles p.
Sum erali was assigned to the COM
mand of the First division. Colonel
L. K. Hoibrook succeeded General
sum neral in command of the First
Field Artillery brigade.
The First division was attached to
the 2oth French Army corps, of TIE
10Th army At conference on July
IT, orders were given for an attack ri
daylight on July ~. The First divi-
sion was TO occupy the left of the
front of the goth corps, with the First
Moroccan division on its right and
the l53rd French division on it's left.
The direction of the . tack was to-
wards the south of Scissors Dur
ing the night of July 1T-1S, French
troops occupy ing the front line were
relieved by tie First division. This
WAS accomplished with great difficulty,
oWiag to The congested condition of
the roads and the great distances to
be covered during the march. Ry
4 35 o clock ON the morning of July
rs, which was III" hour, all troops
of the division were in position and
The artillery was ready to support the
attack. With only six minutes of ar
uiiery preparation. the infantry adj
vanced, accompanied by French tanks
and preceded by thing rolling bar
rage. The enemy was completely
surprised and the infantry pressed
rapidly on to the plain which lay
south OF Scissors. BY the end of the
FIRST day, TIE First infantry brigade,
on the right. had gained s kilometers
end was In c'tse laison with the First
Moroccan GivE.on. The Second In
family brigade. on the left, had taken
y lAissysUw-Esois~ ard tire deep MISSY
Ravine and was N laison with the
153rd division. 1t had advan ced 4 / 9
kiiometers and 1t became necessary
Tor the First brigade to refuse it's left
in order to connect with the Second
brigade. The fighting was sb4ttsr, but
MANY prisoners and guns were taken
along the entire front of the division
The attack was resumed at dayl,gh.
on the 18th and the fighting was
severe throughout the day. BY night
the Second brigade, in liason with the
1880 division, mad taken the difficul,
FJoisSy Ravine and had reached the
edge of the ChazeIle Ravine. The
First brigade had conformed TO the
inavetnc0' with great skill and the line
was st~aightened BY this time the
tanks had all been disabled. They
nad rendered excellent assistance
against the enemy's machine guns and
the superb morale of the Tank corps
was a great inspiration to the infantry
On July 20, the enemys resistance
stn1ened and the battle grew in in
'enSi'y. The hostile artillery fire
greatly increased and machine CUR
nests were spread along the entire
front. The iosscs were very heavy
The original detectives of the Firs,
division extended from Ruzancy or
the south to Berzy-le~ Sec This oh.
1ectivc was accordingly transferred b,
the army to the First division or
JAY 20 and an assault was ordered
Tor the entire line at 1870 o'clock
The position vas naturally strong and
IT was defended not only by a large
force, including artillery and machine
guns, but the approach to II was en-.
hre1y swept ny the hostile machine
guns in front of the 153rd division
/ The artillery Of the First division was
greatly inadequate. For the entire
front, there were only s4-75 MN
guns and 2i-155 m IN howitz. RS II
was therefore impossible to establish
a superiority OF fire True to its tradi.
ions and its training, the artillery was
handled a@gressively and with the
most devoted zeal, In order to Civ,
! the infantry a maximum of sunport
| batteries did not hesitate to place
themselves close to the verv from,
lines. The response was invariably