The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-26
DRIVE Of ARGUNNE
Today Is Anniversary of Begin
ming of Big Battle.
Thirty-Fifth Division Boys Re-
call 1t Vividly.
WISEST GERMANS OUTWITTED
Fake Plans Were Allowed To
Fall Into Hun Hands.
35th, seth and Rainbow Boys
All Faced Death.
VISEST GERMANS OUTWITTED

How American strategy frustrated
defense plans of the German high
command, was retold today in many
parts of the Middle West by veterans
of the divisions which took part in
/ the great Argonne- -Meuse offensive
that ended the war with Germany.
This was the first anniversary of the
great drive.
The German command had long eX-
pected an American attack on the
fortified city of Metz and on Septem-
Der 20 had six divisions in the city
for its defense. Plans for an attack
on Metz from the direction of Nancy
were worked out by an American staff
and then. purposely, these plans were
permitted to fan into the hands of the
Germans, former army men said
| simultaneously, plans were consum-
mated for the gigantinc American Of
| fensive in the Argonne.
Midnight of September 25 found
American troops of the S9th division
in the Thiacourt sector of France near
Metz, where they had drawn up lines
OF fortification following the successes
of the St. Mihiel drive. "alterted" and
ready for action, according to stories
told by veterans of that division. That
afternoon orders had been received to
be ready for any emergency. What
would be the eventuality no one knew
An advance was rumored; a German
attack talked of.
Beginning of End.
Midnight had passed and the new
day had its inception in a French night
! Of crisp. September air and heavy,
/ dark mist that hung white and low
over the war-torn waste of recon-
| quered country side" said a former
member of the division. in retelling his
experiences of that night. 1--WE had
Iea in IN
sleep was impossible because of the
crowded condition of the place.
Without warning, there broke loose
from all sides the dull thud, thud
thud of artillery and we knew the fun
was on. Our dugout was in a high
bank in a railroad cut near the viii
lage of Bouillonville, and in order to
witness better the action of the artil-
lery some of us left the dugout and
| took up Q position on a stone railroad
bridge across a deep ravine several
hundred yards away. Here we could
discern the scope of the movement
| Our artillery was located mostly to
our right and rear and hundreds of
guns of all calibers were in action, as
could be ascertained by the myriad
flashes of the pieces as they sent shell
| after shell. hurtling thru the air into
the foes lines.
! Hour after hour the artillery kept
| up It's hammerings of the German
positions. The barrage was second
only to that of the great St. Mihiel
| drive. And still no orders to advance.
| To the east, the flush of approaching
dawn suggested the fast waning night,
! when far to the northwest an unmis-
| taxable rumble became audible The
] faraway booming of great guns told of
| the birth of another battle. The sick
ly light of waning night gave way to
rosy tints of the new day. AS the sun
| bobbed up above the horizon of she'll
swept hill and gas-filled vale, the two
| barrages continued with unabated
fury. The German was uneasy, for at
the break of day the drone of his
scout planes could be heard as they
| appeared over the American lines in
an endeavor to feel out the situation.
The stutter of machine guns and the
| sharp crack of anti-draft artillery
proved the American gunner's wake
| fulness. There were intermittent
flashes OF the rose-red rays Of the sun
from the wings of a plane as another
bearer of the Maltese cross plunged in
a spiral to earth.
Germans Up in the Air.
; almost as quickly as they had
leaped into action, the painting pieces
, Of artillery ceased firing and all
around us became quiet, the muffled
hammering far to our left seeming
thereby to Increase in violence. Thru
out the day the far-away din of bat
tie fell family on our ears. 1t was
the great Argonne offensive. The Ger
man command not knowing where
the attack would fall, because of the
wide separation of the two barrages
kept his six divisions of reserves and
then, when news of the attack in the
Continued on Page TwoI