The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-27

Throughout the day the position
consolidated in front of the woods by
the 3lsth infantry was subjected to
Il constant hombardment with high
explosive and gas shells, and hostile
planes were most active.
At 6 =. NJ. on the 5th the division
made another attack upon the Bots des
Ogons. The enemy appeared to have
been taken by surprise, and. though
his machine guns were active, the
usual hostile artillery fire did not fall
upon the approaches to the wood in
which the assaulting battalion man
aged to get a foothoid. The position
gained on the night Of the 5th was
improved on the 9Th, which enabled
the division on the left TO press for
ward Some advance was also made
| by the division en- the right during the
day.
One Advance After Another.
! On the night of October. 81 the
leoth brigade took over the entire
front line of the division. and the
jl5eth brigade withdrew TO the
rear. During the same night
the position in the Bols des
iOgons was orzaniged for defense. with
the assistance OF the 305th engineers,
while the artillery continued to pound
the enemy's positions north OF the
on the 9th. At 33o z. NJ, or that
Iaav two battalions of the 3lath in
Efantry advanced, following closely
rolling barrage BY nightfall the front
line of the division had reached La
lVil1a on Bots Fine, and the attack
was directed to be pressed as far as
the Cunel- Briculles road, which
tposition was reached and held. Later
on the same night two companies OF
the 3lgth filtered through the woods
Isouth of Cunei surprised to garrison
of the town. and took two battalion
STATS. consisting OF twenty seven Of
lfcers and sixty men. whereupon they
returned ry rtiIelr' fines. ~
Al : A NJ. On the 10th an attempt
was made 10 advance the line. but an
annihiating fire of the hostile artillery
Virtually destroyed the two left com
panics Of the attacking troops and In
ffcted serious casualties upon the
others. However the right of the line
and the reorganized left made slight
gains.
During the night Of the 18th the
division was relieved by the Fifth
division. whereupon 1t was moved to
the Foret de Hesse, On the morn
ling Of tho 14th the division was
moved by bus 10 the Triaucourt area,
were taken to reorganiZe and re-equip
the command. preparatory to its ex-
pected return at an early day to the
front lines,
During the second phase of the
, offensive the division had been
confronted by four hostile divis-
! ions and sturmtruppen bat
+ talon. IT had advanced four kill
ometers against the most reso-
= lutte opposition which the Ger
Fl mans were capable or Offering.
-, and had captured thirty officers
l and lo2 other ranks of the enemy
! and n large number of guns and
much equipment.
, At this time Colonel Cocheu was de-
I tailed to the staff college and sue
. ceeded In com mand of the 3l9th in
i fantry by Colonel James L. Love Jr
e formerly lieutenant~colonel of the
4 3lSth infantry. SO also was Colore
George r. Spalding relieved from the
command of the 305th regiment of en-
gineers. which he had organized and
led with marked success. His ser
vices were now to be recognized by his
elevation to the post Of corps engineer
Resting for New Battles.
A brief rest was allowed the division
in the Triaucount area. During the
ten days It remained there severa
thousand requirements were received
and many new officers. At this time
the Browning automatic rifles anc
machine guns were received
on October 13 the division had
been transferred from the third to the
first army corps. and on the Bird Il
was ordered forward to the vicinit,
OF Les Isieftes. where it remained I'M
til the Both concealed in the woods
nd Nh,
First American army was now plan,
ned for the purpose Of breaking the
rcarward line of resistance which the
enemy had successfully occupied af.
ter his Initial Withdrawals. The frs
American corps, on the left of the
tirst army, was assigned the task OF
assailing the powerful German line be.
tween Grande Pre- and st Georges
The ATTACH was to be made with tho
! Eiehtieth. Seventieth and, Seventy
, eighth divisions in line from right t..
ieft. in liaison with The Fourtl
, French army on The left. ON the
right Of the first corps was the NTH
corps, the left flank of which the
Eightieth division was expected t.
cover in The advance
The mission of the Eiehtieth ar
the first day OF the attack was te
lselze the high ground north OF Sivry.
ie~Buzancy. advancing between Exer.
mont, Fleville, Sommauthe. and St
Georges on the right, and Apremont
Chatel Chehery. Cornay, Buzancy
tinciusive.) and St Pierremont lex
elusive) on the left. The enemy held
very strong position with its from,
line roughly a few hundred yards
south or st, Juvin and St Georges.
The division marched TWENTY-FIVE
kilometers through the Argonnt
Forest on October 80 and 81, and re.
lieved tho Eighty second division
along the line Of st Georges st. Ju.
vim. Its own artillery had Continued
in the line with the third corps when
1t was relieved, SO that to it was now
attached the 157th field artillery bri-
gade OF the Eighty-second division
reinforced by two American and ten
or more French batteries.
Again the 160th brigade. General
, Brett commanding. was selected to
mako the assault, while the 159th bril-
gade was held in reserve near Che
hery.
On Nov. I. after an artillery pre-.