The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-05-02

The Following story describes the
part played by the Goth Division in
the Argonne- -Meuse action that end
ed the war. In this fight many
Chickasha and Grady county men
participated. The concluding story
of the series which will follow short
ly, deals with the final days Of the
war-Ed.
Berne Castle, Germany, April 3.
(By Man) Commencing with the
Marne salient, the Allied armies,
particularly the British army, had
steadily driven the enemy back until
nearly all of the ground gained in
his great offensive or March, April
and May, 1918 had been recovered.
1t became evident that the enemy
was planning, if not already eyecut-
ing, 4 general retreat with the
Meuse as his pivot and that if the
Allied armies could continue their
offensive, and particularly il they
could break the enemy's pivot on
the Meuse, decision might be
reached. With this in view the
great attack of September 26, which
developed into the battle of the
Meuse-Argonne, was planned and tho
First American army was given the
honor position en- the Meure with
the all important task of breaking
the pivot OF the enemy's retreat
The part which the 90th Division
played on September 25 has already
been described The first attack
met with great success on the entire
front Of the Army. The advance
was rapid Then as divisions be-
came exhausted communications
supply became extremely difficult
and the enemy threw in great num-
bers Of reserve divisions, the adj
vance slowed down and the first
stage of the battle was concluded.
During the second stage there was
continual fighting along the line, but
no concerted attack was launched
by the entire army. The effort was
rather on the part of individual d-
visions and corps to straighten out
the line and reach a position from
which a second great attack could
be launched.
Capture Of BantheVIIe.
The Goth Division went into line
near the end Of this second period.
The 10th Brigade relieved the 10th
Brigade of the 9TH Division on the
night Of 21-22 October. The 1SOth
Erigade was held in division re-
serve. The 3rd Division was on the
right and the S9th Division on the
left At this time the front line ran
Just north Of Romangne and Cunel
around the northwestern edge Of the
Bois des Rappes. The S9th Division
had pushed forward and occupied the
Bois de Bantheville on the left so
that the line of the Goth Division
formed pocket a little over two
kilometers in depth in the front OF
tine Corps. In this pocket were the
fillages Of BantheYille and Bourrut.
The FIRST mission Of the division
was TO straighten out the line The
257th Infantry attacked at S'oc'ock
on the afternoon of October %, cap
tured Bantheville and the high
ground north and northwest Of that
town and established a line from
the northeast corner of the Bois des
Rappes over the high ground north
of Bourrut to the northeastern cor
ner of the Bois de Bantheville.
where the line joined with the seth
Division. The 35Sth Infantry in the
Bois des Rappes at the same time
extended its left to connect with the
S57th Infantry north of Bourrut. and
the same night two companies of
the S5Sth Infantry crossed the An
don Brook and established line