The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-23

Of the Thirty-ttird division was TO
clear tho east bank of the Mouse
northward ~ Sivry and toward the
westward band Mt Vilnanes: this with
! their left flank. while further east
| they would take the Bois Dc Cnaume
and. IN conjunction with the Fifty
| eighth brigade, the Buis Plat-Cheno,
! later coming up on the escarpmentS
| Of the Grande Nortagne. The
| Twenty SIKH United States division
was, for the present, hold in reserve
at Narfun.
! The attack was calculated to be n
| surprise and ii went over the top
without artillery preparation at 500
! O'Clock on tire morning of October 8.
| A vigorous harrace was started. how
| ever at tho iaStaut that the infantry
| moved forward Tho desired sur
prise was effected and the results Of
| the first day were highly satisfactory.
| For the esta hli$hmcnt of commu nir3
| tions across the river, during the
previous night the Eighteenth division
| engineers at Samogeux and the
| Seventeenth army corps engineers al
| RegncvIlIe bad bIijt bridges while
at dawn ana under intense shell FIRE
/ the 10Stb engineers of the Thirty
third division throw one bridge about
I 100 feet long across the river nj
Brabant AMI another at Consenvoye
later repairing the permanent bridge
at Consenvoye. and these bridges the
| American troops utilized in carrying
out their part of the attack Eigh-
tHenth ard -I,wef1tg-sixth divisions at
tanned their normal objcctiveS, tht
latter taking the Bots dc. Caures and
approaching Islabas, the former going
ahead about three kjlometers into
tho Bots de Erabant.
The Fifty~eighth United States fri.
gade. under command Of Colonel y
A. Caldwell. attacked frona the cana
bank with The tt1th Infantry on the
, left and the t1sth on the right and
protected by an accurate harra 81
from the f5Sth +. A. brigade. The
. advance pushed on rapidly and with
, few casualties, driving the enem,
ahead and taking many prisoners, t.
r ! a line through the southern part @
. / the EOiS stn -GUTEeTIvDyE and arBUnl
into the Rois ic Rrabant. on the edg
of the Haurnpn ravine, whore 1t ha'
liaison with tho rest of the Eighteenth
, division. It hal broken through TIVE
. intrenched tines and captured til
: formidable heights of Malbrouck Hill
and Hin 338 About 8 O'Clock in II,
= HltI ititAEs LWt bhhtftiItfl" Va iitt l IN
, infantry OF the Thirty-t third division
: crossed the river at Brahant and at
tackled north against the Bois d
, Chaume taking the whole woods T.
/ its north edge. but later drawing hacl
+ to the south edge to maintain llaiSol
with the faEk OF the Fifty eight
! brigade which was nor so far nortl
in the Bots de ConsenvoTe.
: l. AT evening Of October 8 tho Seven
Z teenth corps had made n good be
1 ginning. Isu. peculiar conditiot
, existed on this part of the front.
= will be rememI cred that In an earle
reference TO she general scheme o
the German defensive zones aCrOs
4 northern France, it was said that N
q first three OF these zones virtual
, merged at Drnos. north Of Nerdur
: Ornes. the village indicated as tn
q approximate roint Of this merging
: is only about five kilometers east o
= beaumont, which the. Twenty -sixtl
< division was attacking.
, From ornes the strongest portion
/ OF these defensive zones, The rca
! ones. extending northwest along tn
: crests overlooking the plain Of tn
sl N6evre, by Flabas the Bots dor
: mont the Ro9S Il F,travee and III
p Grande Montague toward Haraumou'
- Nflosnes- ana nrieulles. whore tn
, I<riemhitde Stelhne crossed ~
{ Mouse Con2equGntiy. in attacking
north from s5anorneuN to Beaumont
/. the Seventeenth corps and especial
, The divistops OF its right were attack
ing ~ from; Of and almost parable
To these rear defonsiN' zones. which
had a Ranking fire on tho advanclnI
- troops AMI which. when hnailv reach
ed. woFif nave to he taken either b,
{ 'attnck delivered at an acute angl
; or else lv cnsnPing front under fire
!, German Resistance StifYcns.
So soon as the German recoyeret
{ from the confusion caused by tn
first surprise attack, that is. by th'
G beginning OF The second days battle
gun strengh began 10 utilize the al
T vantaees cf these conditions. ant
| thereafter the progress of tho French
and American divisions was made
more slowly and at heavy cost. Bu
| the progress accom- pli,,hed amounted
, in substance. TO a gradual right turr
on the pivot Of the Twenty-sixtl
\ French division. near Beaumont
. which. as the rest of the front ad
) vanced nostheastward slowly work
| ed its left up toward Flabas, whil'
, the Eighteenth division further west
swung on q slightly larger arc toware
tCrepon ana Moirey
! The Fifty eiglith brigade, Twenty
ninth division, fought northward to
/ ward the Grande Montague until i
i had elhowed out enough room be
g tween its right and the westward
\ tending Thirty-third division on IL
o left for the entire Twenty-ninth. divjs
] ion 70 occupy Thereafter 1t turnct
It's driving power east. toward th'
> edge Of the plateau above the Woevr'
: as Well as north and when ii wa,
e relieved on October 2S by the Seventy
e ninth United States division the lat
r ter continued the pressure siinilarll
until the entire envIrons of. tht
Grance L0ntagne were cleared. wher
I II struck eastward into the valley o.
0 the Theinte river against the stronl
G line OF heights Just beyond it.
The Thirty-third United State,
> division drove north end northeast
clearing The eastern side of the Mouse
4 until about october 10, when 1t wa.