The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-07

ton to fght increased with the OPP
position OF the enemy. Successive
fresh hostile divisions made their sp-
pearance, some OF which were drst
class and all of which were rated
high.
On October Z, the First division
passed under the Fifth Army corps
and In liaison with the division on
its right, made slight gains It be-
came evident that the enemy must
be cleared from the northern end of
TIL Argonne before any further ad-
vance should be undertaken. Ac-
cordingly. tho Sind division entered
ethe sector Of the First division on
the night OF October CT and at day
light OF the 7th 1t assaulted the heights
Of Cornay and Cote 1870. The sue
cess OF this operation relieved the
First division OF the intense artillery
fire on its flank and saved it many
losses.
On the Sth there was no advance.
as the corps had ordered a general
assault for october 3. The boundaries
OF the division zone were changed SO
as to release the open Are valley to
the First corps and to extend the zone
Of the division two kilometers to the
east. The right boundary ran from
Hill $50 to the Tuilerie farm and the
left boundary passes through Som
merance. In front of the division lay
the strongly fortified Hill 2t2, with
it's glacis slope swept by machine gun
fire. the steep and wooded Hill 253;
the Bois de Romagne: and the Cote
de Maldah. Beyond, lay the Kriem-
hide Stellung, organized by trenches,
wire and numerous machine gun
nests. The only fresh troops In the
division was the LIST battlaion Of the
18th infantry, which had been held
as division reserve. 1t was placed
under the First brigade and was given
the mission of relieving the Second
brigade and OF assaulting Hill ara.
The Second brigade was assigned to
the front added to the division and
1t was required to attack In direc-
ton oblique to the original front. In
order to secure density OF the artil-
lery FIRE, the Second brigade. the LIST
battalion OF the 18th infantry and the
First brigade advanced successfully.
each being assisted by the entire avail
able artillery. The attack began at
daylight on October Q and was great
ly assisted by a dense fog that obs
cured our infantry from the enemys
machine gunners. The enemy's rests
lance was less than usual, because OF
the dense harrage. The Second bril-
gade seized Hill 2s3 by a direct drive,
Starting from the nothern base of
the Montregne. the LIST battalion Of the
18th infantry followed its barrags ard
gwep Hill 272. where 1t killed or
captured the entire garrison, includ-
ing the lieutenant -colonel who COM
manded the regiment. Fifty-two ma
chine guns were captured along the
crest OF the hin. The advance Of
the First brigade reached it's objec-
tive, as usual. and at night the divi-
sion held line extending from tho
enemy's trenches / kilometer north
of Flevflle, around the north OF the
Cote de Maldah and ran across Hill
1858 to Hill $50, where II Joined the
division on the right. The lieutenant
colonel who was captured, wept when
questioned and said that he had gone
through the entire war and that this
was the first time his regiment had
been on the defensive. He belonged
to a shock division. The artillery fire
had destroyed all communications
and for two days he had been without
food or orders and had not been able
to send any orders to his troopa He
then added.
II received orders to hold the
ground at all costs. The American
barrage advanced toward my position