The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07

mand was placed under lasting obliga-
lions. His attachments as a general
staff officer. his extraordinary tactical
p. skill and his quick and we'll balanced
2 Judgment made him indispensable in
the operation section Of the division
.staff. 1t 10 but fair to say that much
of the success Of the division was due
, to the skilful and simple plans for the
Unemployment Of the troops formulated
by Capt. Crochet.
= After few days training in open
warfare In the Gisors area. the divi-
sion proceeded by marching toward
the battle line in front OF Montdidier.
Upon arrival It relieved the Forty
.ififth African Division on April % and
took over the command on April 81.
s. The sector ran from north OF Menil
st. Georges to north of Cantigny,
covering a front Of three and a half
kilometers. Here, again, the division
found itself under the First French
army, but in the Sixth French Army
Corps. The artillery was REINFORCED
by French artillery who, as always,
worked with extremely cordial rela-
7. tons with the Americans. On May S
the Tenth French Corps replaced the
Sixth Corps.
During the latter part Of April and
In May the enemy's artillery fire was
very heavy. The trenches, battery
positions, command posts and trails
were subjected to continuous harass-
ing fire. Towns were heavily gassed
and roads were under a constant inter-
diction fire. Battery positions were
frequently destroyed by shell fire or
rendered untenable by gas. At the
same time the artillery of the division
= delivered carefully prepared firing
schedules within the limits of the am
munition supply. The infantry patrols
were active along the front, constantly
taking prisoners and harassing the
enemy. ., nf-Yt.-r tA.-.s.'
line. and communicating
trenches were constructed, often under
constant fire. and the sector was COM
gpletely organized. Anti-tank guns
e'emplaced and a liberal use was made
OF machine guns. Much work was
also done on the second and third line
trenches.
ff5' (Which brings the reader to the first
of the high spots''-namely the Can
tigny raid. Considered solely as a
3 tactical operation the raid was of no
importance. Otherwise its importance
was enormous, for 1t was the first
blow struck by American troops under
American command. The official his
tory. 1t will be noted, tactfully speaks
of the desirabillty In this raid Of de-
veloping "the moral and fighting
power OF the division" The fact Is
that there never was question OF the
9 divisions own morale or of its punch
tETs Ma ~
as an object lesson to the millions of
new made soldiers behind these trusted
Regulars demonstration that Amer
2icans could carry fight to the much
advertised German military machine,
Hand not only hold their own but
sSemerge victorious.)
How oantiEny Was Taken.
= : The possession OF Csntigny by the
.enemy gave him command and OBJ
= servation that afforded him many ad-
!, vantages. 1t was also desirable to
develop the moral and the fighting
!, power Of the division by some Often
siye operation the success of which
would not be In doubt. Accordingly,
III was decided to capture Cantigny,
and the Twenty-eighth Infantry, under
~
selected for the operation. Toward
the end of May the artillery was re-
enforced by French batteries, Until
there were in position for the opera
Ntion against Cantigny 1872 rs MILL
meter guns, thirty-six 1856 millimeter
howitzers and sixteen 22O millimeter
and $50 millimeter howitEers. In addi-
ton there were twenty-four So Mile
meter, six $50 millimeter and four $40
millimeter trench mortars.
At daylight. on May 20, after an in
tense artillery preparation of one hour
and preceded by a rolling barrage, the
Infantry advanced on a front OF 2.20o
Tmeters and penetrated to an extreme
depth of 1000 meters. The attack was
accompanied by French tanks and was
assisted by a detachment Of French
q. fame throwers. At the same time the
: heavy guns delivered concentrations
and the artillery of the neighboring
divisions assisted with all of their
!, guns. ~
H.. The attack was completely success
=, full and the entire garrison OF Cantigny
was killed or captured. The division
took 225 prisoners, including five Of
,hcers, and ATS dead were counted in
Cantigny alone. The losses of the
division were unimportant during the
advance. but they became serious from
the ehemy's artillery and machine gun
FIRE while consolidating the position
during the day. As a result the
casualties amounted TO thirteen Of
: Aeere and Iss men killed. thirty-one
I. officers and 621 men wounded. 200 men
gassed and one officer and fifteen men
:, missing.
: vi The enemy made successive counter
a attacks, but they were promptly re-
pulsed The division gained much In
morale and In knowledge Of the Often
sive from this operation. o.
~ The German offensive OF May ~
:, forced the removal of the corps artil-
lery and all Of the reinforcing artillery
from the Cantigny sector. At the same