The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-18


the record of the activities OF the 3oth
division, active with the End DIVISION
uuring October, as given 10y the ofil
einl newspaper OF the Americana ENpe'
dictionary Foro.. The Stars and stripes
,li,ion of April rs. The seth Division
is made up OF Texas and Oklahoma
men, and the l+2 infantry when rea,
is underwent the most terrific sue"
fire, is made up almost entirely OF oka
home men
As logical part of the operations
of American divisions in the Meuse
Argonne offensive, an outline ~ now
In order OF the fine work performed
by two divisions-the End and som
with the Fourth French Army, uhdei
General Gouraud, early IN October ON
the Champagne front about midway
between the Argonnc Forest ana
Reims,
The Fourth French Army, the imme'
diate object of whose right flank was
to assist the First American Army IN
clearing the Argonne and the object
uf whose left flank was TO iorce the
enemy back from Reims, had made
good progress In its first irontal AT
tacks. from September 26 TO October J.
and had broken through great part
of the terrible maze of German defenses.
in some places ~ kilometers or more
in depth, which stretched across III
Champagne front.
But north Of SOmme hy, which had
been very important center OF the
enemy's defensive systems, there sun
remained mtakrn some very power
tul lines and 'centers of resistance IN
the vicinity Of Orfeuil, Medeah Farm,
Blanc Mont 81. I,tienne and ST. Pierre
en.Alnes, positions which, while they
remained. would enable the enemy TO
continue his close investment of Reims,
since they had secured the left flank
of his lines near that city. To lend
To the rest of his army the stimulus
Of the immediate presence of the Am
erican troops with them, as well as
10 avail of the actual numerlcal
strength, and lively initiative of the
Americans. General Gouraul determin'
ed To make use of the 2nd Division,
which had been placed under his com
mnnd after its Withdrawal from the
ST. Nlihiel salient for the reduction of
the Blanc Mont positions.
The md Goes la
Accordingly. the md Division, when
had been in an area south of ChhIohS'
sur.Nlarne September p, was marched
thence to Souain Snippes area, and ON
The night of October - relieved the 9Th .
French division i'm the front lire just
north of Sommc.Py. the actual positions
heing i'm "A line of German trenches call
NkrbneA front WAS /
now reversed to face north instead OF .
south The md was now the left di'
vision Of the Twenty fourth Corps hay
ing on its right the l01th Division ot
the same corps and on its left the 2lSi .
Division of the Eleventh Corps.
Its communication ran back through .
Sommc.Py where was located the di'
vision post command, and ahead of 1t
TO the northwest the sector, which 1t
was to conquer stretched across some
open ground to the small Bos de Ia
Where and then up and over the roll
ine highland of Blanc Mont, consider
ably wooded with small timber set out
in long. narrow "plantations,' and in
tersected with numerous trenches. wire
belts and strong points.
The right boundary of the sector Just
excluded Aledeah Farm; the left one
included the Bois de Sommc-Py and
The woodland dominated Blanc Mont
and then about three kometers fur
ther on. lust excluded 81. lIeienne vii
age.
The 2nd Division had TO spend its
first day in line in clearing Germans
lom the western part of the Essen
=
which was on the ground, made some
nosr,,- ON The 2nd'S right flank toward
in. Eols du Carefour and and Nadeah
Farm Th- 2lst Division was still
fighting for parts of the trenches eN-
teudin4 to the left from those held
by the md Division, and was unable
to c-uquer particular section of them,
called locally the hook of the Essen
trench. when was just west of the 2nd
Division, flank.
Early ON the morning Of October 3
al divisions ON this point of the front
attacked together. the 2nd going in
with tine sth Infantry on the right the
Cth Marines ou the left. the 9Th Marines
standing fast n the center because
The lines OF utlack of the flank regt
ments couversel to "a connected front
ON Blanc Mont beyond the Bois de Ia
Nipere which place was thus 10 be
thanked ON both sides and then mop
ped up by inner companies of the at
mckmg rcgin, Ets The End r. \.
brigade delivered a five minutes pre-
paration fire and then put a rolling
harage in front of the attack, which
was also accompanied. and very cffec-
IH.,t It..t.