The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-04-24
MAJOR GENERAL LEWIS STORY.
Continued from page 2, column g.

Nineteenth British corps on the
right and the Twenty-seventh Ameri-
can division on the left. with the as
sistance of tanks and under protec-
ton of a creeping barrage. After
this division had captured the OBJ
jective, the Fifth Australian division
with its own artillery and tanks was
to pass through and exploit the sue
cuss to designated objective
Within the division the attack was
made by the SiXtieth brigade with
its two regiments in the line, 12Oth
infantry On the right and the 18th
infantry on the left, each regiment
with two battalons in front line and
one in support. The support bat
talions were given definite mopping-
up missions in the Hindenburg sys-
tenn and tunnel and the town of Belli-
court, while the front line battalions
were directed to detail certain COM
panies for mopping up in their area.
The 117th infantry was allotted the
special task of following the 120th
infantry across the tunnel, then to
deploy, facing south at the conclu>
sion of the creeping barrage Dur
ing the operation of the Australian
division this regiment was to resume
its movement southwark in order to
protect the fanks of the Australian
division. 1t was also expected that
the advance of this regiment would
facilitate the crossing of the canal
by the British division on the right.
One company of the 120th infantry,
assisted by section of machine guns,
was given the special mission of
selling and holding the southern exit
Of the tunnel at Riqueval.
Especial stress had been laid in all
orders and instructions upon the ne
eessity of hugging the barrage, ire
spective of the section of tanks. The
success Of the operation was due in
large measure to the fact that these
orders were strictly obeyed.
The Attack of September 29th..
S. At $50 a. M, September 20, the
Held artillery barrage fell on the
barrage srat line, remaining there
four minutes and thereafter lifting
s 100 yards in four minutes. This 49,
FOUNDER field artillery barrage was
further extended by the AZ howit-
zers, while the heavy artillery fired
on selected targets in advance of
! the field artillery barrage. At the
same time the ,massed machine guns
OF the division put down belt of
IRE on the main Hindenburg trench.
The German barrage was not partic-
ularly heavy but as it fell near our
Jumping off line. it0aused a number
OF casualties among the support
troops.
The morning was foggy; this
mixed with the smoke shells of the
& barrage made it extremely difficult
and often impossible to see more
than few feet in any direction. The
infantry started off well from the
tape but had not progressed more
than few hundred yards before they
began to experience difficulty in
maintaining. direction and contact;
and during the remainder of the
morning the fight was carried on by
more or less mixed groups which had
: been picked up and re-organized by
energetic officers. This series of
isolated fights took place along the
whole front; small groups of men
acting on their initiative would clean
out troublesome machine gun nests
and mop up any trench encountered.
On several occasions small energetic
groups with the assistance of tank
which they found apparently left in
the obscurity, captured machine
guns and minenwerfers, which were
inflicting casualties upon our troops.
In general, these groups, particularly
in the right sub-sector, pushed on
toward their objective. IS!
Blinded Enemy Machine Guns.
While the fog was a very great
hindrance to the maintenance of Or
der and cohesion, on the other hand
it was of great assistance in binding
the enemy's machine guns and field
artillery. On clear day and against
a comparatively unshaken enemy be-
hind broad belts of comparatively un-
cut wire, against nests of machine
guns and minenwerfers, it is difficult
to see how any troops could ever
have taken the position.
The 120th infantry on the right
having only the enemy in their direct