The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-03-22
ENGINEERS BUILD
BRIDGE UNDER FIRE
Ccon,lrued from Pags ~

of the Arguune forest With the
exception oi ST. Mlhlel. tic Old Ger
man front line from Switzerland tn
the cast Of Rheims was still intact
The general attack planned all along
the linc-the operation assigned tu
the American army As the hinge ol
this allied oilen,lyc--was directed
toward the important railroad com
munlcalionS ol the German armies
through Mrl'efeS and Sedan The
enemy must hold ia 'p This part oi
The line or the withdrawal ul hs
iorces. with four year, o' aC.umull
ton Of plant, and materials would De
Dangerously mpcrlIcd
German Morale Good
The German army had as vet
,hown no Decentralization and. whll,
vie mass OF II, troops had suffered
in morale. IT'S iirI-CllS divisions
and notably it, machine ginnerS were
exhibiting remarkable tactical ei.
icicncy, as well a, courage. The
German general staff wa' fully aware
OF the consequences ol success on
the MeuSe hrgorur tcrtduu that
they would do c,cylhlng 10 their
power to oppose the American army
the action was planned with As mush
secrecy q, possible and was under
taken with the determination 10 use
all OF our divisions IN forcing a de-
ciSion. General pcrshing expected 20
draw the best German divisions 70
this front and 10 consume them while
the enemy was held under grave ap-
prehcn,ion lest the attack should
break h, line, which h was our firm
purpose 20 do.
"Our right flank va, protected by
the Meusc, while olr let embraced
the Argonnc forest. whose raylnes.
hills and elaborate dcieuses screened
BY dense ihckctS had been conSId-
cred impragnable by the English and
the French Tor the last four years
"Thc order Of the battle from right
10 left was. the Third army corps
from the McuSe to Malancourt Ia
Nsuquois. with the Thir,y-third
Eightie,h and Fourth divisions in
line and the Third division as corps
reserve; the Fifth army corps from
Malancourt to VauQuois to Nienne le-
Chateau, with the Thir,y.iii,h, Twen-
ty-eighth. Seventy-scyenth and lllth
Engineers in line with the Ninety
second as corps reserves. The army
reserve consisted Of the First, Twen-
iy-ninth and Elghty-Sccond divisions.
"On the night ot September y,
when We had reached the village OF
Iocheres. the doughboy' quietly took
the places OF the French who thinly
held the line in this sector which had
long been inactive.
After a iiye-dlys hombardment by
the American artillery the doughbogs
followed by the engineers after a
thirty minute interval, went over the
top and drovra,hrough the barb wire
entanglemcnts and the sea OF shell
crltets across no.mln'S- S-land, mas.
terirg all the first line detenScS
Company I, cooperating with The
1ll,h Engineers oi the lhirty-lilth
division, was halted on the high
ground beyond wirs' had been the
German third line trenches.
How Battle Looked
"Herc at the top Of a hill, where
once stood the little villargc Of Bout
eIles, the infantry could he seen ad.
vancing on the lei, OF the Argonn,
forest. Against a heavy artillery bar
rage the Twcnty-ciehth division
pushed its way through lhe center into
The city OF Narennes, while the lhir
iy-Nith division brought the rgh
wing up BY the capturing Of the towi
OF Cheppy.
working in view Of the German
batteries we commenced uncoyerins
an old road under terrific shell fire
The advance Of the artillery this
time, whose cooperation was very
much needed by the infantry, TO re
pulse the heavy ooun,er-attack' thai
the Germans we're making, depended
entirely On the opening OF this road
il was here that Corporal Hess cap
tvred German prisoner in 4 dug
out nearby and not to be outdone
the captain, while on tcconnOiS
ance, captured seven BQche soldier
in q shelter trench. with the assist
ance of a member Of the 10th En-
aineers. Night drew near with n,
idea OF sleep or food, and in the chill
and the rain OF the dark night W,
had TO build a new road aero" tn
spongy and shell-torn area.
"On September q, against machin
guns and artillery OF an increasing
number OF enemy reserve divisions
the advancing infantry penetrated t
y depth OF from three 10 seven mile
and took the villages Of Mon,iaueor
hnd lis commanding hill, where III
brown prince waited, a few years be
n eoee, 10 see his victorious army ente
ivesdun, and Epinonvlle, ChaSpentr,
Nesy, Cheppy and other villages. u
h 10 this time 10000 prisoners had bee
captured, and the American troop
had gained their poin, by forcing III
battle into the open, and were pre-
pared for the enemy s Sre-ac,ion wbic
was bound to come, as he had goo
roads and ample railroad facilities fo
bringing up his artillery and re
yoA splll,lQUnnum nrnN