The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-02-25

egion around scissors.
In this battle the French and
American divisions weres under tht
command of General Mangin. Al
Mayense, after the armistice, Mangin
declared that this battle was the de-
cisive battle of the war.
The Seconds casualties totaleG
| 3,942 men in the two attacks. Only
| 481 were killed on the field. Among
the killed. wounded and gassed were
154 officers. The captures included
66 officers, 2,S99 men, Is guns and
much )ther booty
The next action of Importance was
the battle of ST. Mihiel, Americas
/ first offensive effort as an army
In seven days of fighting the division
advanced more than five miles
against resistance, with 1851 casu-
alties. Over $500 prisoners and 121
guns were taken.
|
shifted TO the Blanc Mont sector BY
an impetuous attack the Germans
were showed back and the martyred
city of Rheims relieved. In an ad-
vance nearly $500 prisoners were
taken. The losses aggregated 4,975
men, of which about half were only
slightly wounded. The dead num-
bered 7O2, while 977 were severely
wounded.
Shortly afterward the attack in the
Argonne was launched. In this fight
the Second drew from the Germ M
the first admission in their COM
munique during the war that then
line was broken The Americans
smashed through the Hi1denburg
line and the Freya Stellung-both
/ formidable systems of successive
i wide belts of barbed wire and con
creted strong points. In spite of the
difficult terrain and stubborn resist
once the division crashed through
and started the Germans on the run
BY this time the whole German mill
tary machine was going to pieces. III
the ten days fighting before the ar
mistice they advanced nearly 2C
miles on the heels of the fleeing
Germans, mopping up machine gun
nests left to slow up the pursuit
The Ninth infantry accomplished a
unique moev. During the night il
marched five miles straight ahead
into the enemy lines. At dawn the
Germans found the Americans lehind
them, and a panic ensued. T. ma
neuver f,as repeated several times
On the Night before the armistice
bridge across the Meuse under heavy
: fire and the Fifth corps occupied a
bridgehead on the heights across the
river. The Second was still fighting
! when hte armistice was ordered.
, During the advance the men suf
| fered many hardships, owing to the
rapid movement in cold rain over
roads ankle deep with mud. Some
times the supplies failed to come uI
and the men went hungry-but al
ways ahead.
In the Argonne-Meuse fighting the
division lost 999 men. Only 4Oa
: were killed on the battlefield Mos
of the others were slightly wounded
| The captures were big-1O5 guns, SOC
: machine guns and II trench mortars
: The divisional total of prisoners
during the war Is POPS.
When the march toward the Rhine
started, the Second was given. [
: place of honor. 1t is one of the three
, divisions holding the bridgehead.
That, briefly, is the record of the
; Second division. The men and off
GERS are more proud of the "Star ant
Indian symbol of the division, thar
l they would be of any decoration
| More decorations and citations have
J been awarded the Second than to any
other division In the records there
, is whole sheaf of citations and tel
t egrams from generals, field marshals
! presidents and kings.
The division is composed of the
Ninth and Twenty-third infantry-or
ganizations with records from the
) war of 1S12-the Fifth and Sixth
/ marines. the "Fighting" Second en-
| gineers and the 18th, 18th and 1t1h
| artillery regiments.