The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07

on July 20. 1t was withdrawn during
the night Of July 20 and "a, when the
British artillery was ready to take
| over the missions.
Brief Rest. Then on for Tout.
After a few days rest in the Dam.
martin area the division entrained and
proceeded to the vicinity OF Toul. On
August and 8 it relieved the
| Second Moroccan Division in the
Sai1erais sector, where 1t remained for
two weeks under the Thirty second
French Army Corps. During this time
the casualties of the division amounted
to thirty-one men killed, wounded and
missing.
Upon being relieved by the Nineteth
American Division the infantry pro.
ceeded by marching and trucks to the
Vaucouleurs area for training in open
warfare and for receiving replace.
ments and equipment. The ARTILLERY
remained in the sector to support the
Ninetieth Division. At this time Gen
Buck and Gen. Hines were promoted
to be Major Generals and were as.
signed to the command Of other divl-
sions. Brighten. Frank Parker. who
had been in command Of the Eigh-
teenth Infantry. and Brig Gen. Frank
NJ. Bamford, who had been In com
mand OF the Sixteenth Infantry, were
assigned to the command OF the First
and Second Infantry Brigades respec.
lively.
Ready for st. MihieI Attack.
After training for one week the di.
vision left the Vaucouleurs area on
September and marched to the Foret
de la Refine, in the rear area OF the
Ansauville SECTOR. where the infantry
was Joined by the artillery brigade,
which had previously been relieved
from the Saizerais sector. Here prep.
arations. were made for the attack on
the st. Mihiel salient.
NATURALLY the First Division was
''in on the st. Mihiel show" the first
of major proportions which the Amer
lean Army. as such. staged under its
own management. Easier to imagine
Hamlet" played without the title part
'than to conceive of a great American
battle in the world war without the
enthusiastic participation of our hero,
this crack outfit of our Regular Army,
As every school child knows, the al
tack on the st. Mihiel salient was
complete success, resulting, ahead Of
scheduled time, in the obliteration Of
the formidable German position. Here
Is the First Divisions modest account
of its part in this show;
The division was attached TO the
Fourth American Army Corps, which
was to attack along the eastern side Of
the salient. in a northerly and western
direction. The Fifth American Army
Corps was to attack from the western
side OF the salient, in an easterly d.
rection. The junction of the two corps
was to cut Off the st. Mihiel salient
The First Division was placed on the
left OF the Fourth Corps. 1t was re
CURED to attack on a front OF three
kilometers, extending from Seicheprey
to Xivray, and to protect its own loi'
flank. The Second French Colonls
Division, on its left, was to follow The
movement, and the Forty-sccond
American Division, on It's right was 10
advance in liaison with the First DlVi-
sion. The Eighteenth Infantry was
assigned the mission of covering We
left flank and the Sixteenth lnfantrN
the Twenty-eighth Infantry and me
Twenty-sixth Infantry, in the order
named. from left to right, were to drive
for the detectives.
The artillery of the division was IL
creased to include 100 76milllmeter guns
forty 1855 millimeterO howtzers ana
eight s inch howitZers. The infanu!
entered the trenches during the nlsh'
of September II and -. The artillery
preparation consisted OF four hours OF
slow fire, from l o'clock to O'CLOCK
At 8 o'clock September IL the infantry
presided by heavy rolling oarrass
and a smoke screen and accompanied
by tanks and engineer troops VII.
passerelles, heavy wire cutters ana
bangalore tubes, advanced against ts
position which they had faced durim
their first months in the Ansau''"
sector.
Weather Added to obstaclo"
The terrain wass completely DOM,
mated by Mont Sec. Heavy rains mao
made the marshy ground dlhicuN
! cross. Inc Hrbt part ol '"' =
traversed was cut up by trenches snu
wire, constructed during the previous
four yeaHs. Two streams, tho kup' w
Madt and the Nadine River, were sen,
Gus obstacles. The thick woods OF Wv
Quart de Reserve and tho BoIS W
Vigneulhes were defended. and II "ss
necessary for the troops TO march "
compass bearing when passing thF0ueD
them.
The will to advance carried the mo.
along close TO their barrase' ana ~
detectives or the day weio i"-s"
cording 10 schedule. -
During the night the troops p"'"d
on through the Bots dc NignenI'' p,I
by 22 o'clock (French time e'Non,"n.
elements OF the Twenty-eightH mo q,
try had reached the NigneulIesin"oTr
Bsnoit road. At $50 on sep'enlYS,
10 a scout platoon OF the Twet,T ,;.
eighth Infantry entered Hatto 2',nn'
and at 7:l6 A. NJ. It reached Ha''O'