The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-03-06
PERSHiNG'S OWN WAR STORY
Continued from Page u

and build bridges. Dur gunners, with
no thought Of sleep, put their shout
ders to wheels and dragropes to bring
their guns through the mire in sup
port of the infantry now under the in
creasing fire of the enemy's artillery.
Our attack had taken the enemy by
surprise, but quickly recovering him
self, he began fierce counterattacks in
strong force. supported by heavy bonn
bardments with large quantities of
gas. From Sept % until Oct. 4, we
maintained the offensive against
patches of woods defended by snip
ers and continuous lines of machine
guns, and pushed forward u guns
and transport Selling strategical
points in preparation for further at
tacks.
The Allied progress elsewhere
cheered the efforts of our men in this
crucial contest as the German com
mand threw in more and more first
class troops to stop our advance. We
made a steady Roadway in the almost
impenetrable and strongly held Ar
gonne forest, for, despite his rein
forcements, it was our army hat was
doing the driving. Our aircraft was
increasing in skill and numbers and
forcing the issue, and our infantry
and artillery were improving rapidly
with each new experience.
The requirements fresh from home
were put into exhausted divisions with
little time for training, but they had
the advantage of serving beside men
who knew their business and who had
almost become veterans overnight.
The enemy had taken every advant.
age of the terrain, which especially
favored the defense, by a ~prodigal use
of machine guns manned by highly
trained veterans and by using his ar
tillery at short ranges. In the face
of such strong frontal positions we
should have been unable to accom-.
plish any progress according TO pre-
viously accepted standards, but l had
every confidence in our aggressive
tactics and the courage of our troops
On Oct. 4. the attack was renewed
all along our front. The Third Corps
fitting to the left followed the Brieul
les-Cunel road, our Fifth Corps took
Gesnes. while along the irregular val
ley of the Aire river and in the wood,
ed hills of the Argonne that border
the river, used by the enemy with all
his art and weapons of defense, the
First Corps advanced for owe two
miles. This sort Of fighting continued
against an enemy striving to hold
every foot of ground and whose very
strong co~unterattacks challenged us
at every point. On the It'll, the First
Corps captured Chatel-C hehery and
continued along the river to Cornay,
On the east of the Meuse sector, one
of the two divisions cooperating with
the French captured ~Consenvoye and
the Haumont woods. On the 9th, the
Fifth Corps in its progress up the
Aire, took Fleville, and the Third
Corps which had continuous fighting
against odds was working it's way
through Brieulles and Cunel. On the
10th we had cleared the Argonne for
est of the enemy.
1t was now necessary to constitute
a Second Army, and on Oct. 10 the inn
mediate command of he First Army
was turned over to Lieutenant General
Hunter Liggett. The command of the
Second Army, whose divisions occu-
pied a sector in the Woevre was Civ
en- to Lieutenant General Robert i.
Billiard, who had been commander of
the First Division and hen on the
Third Corps. Major General Dickman
was transferred to the command of
the First Corps, while the Fifth Corps
was placed under Major General Chas.
p. Summerall, who had recently COM
manded the First Division. Major
General John L. Hines, who had gone
rapidly up from regimental to divi-
sion commander, was assigned to the
Third Corps. These four officers had
been in France from the early days
Oh TIE expedition anu udu ledTHeu tnelT
lessons b. he school of practical war
fare.
Dur constant pressure against the
enemy brought day by day more pris-
oners. mostly survivors from machine
gun nests captured in fighting at close
quarters. On Oct. IS, there was very
fierce fighting in the Caures woods
east of the Meuse and in the Ormont
wood. On the 14th the First Corps
took Saint Juvin. and the Fifth Corps,
by hand to hand encounters, entered
the formidable Kriemhilde line where
the enemy had hoped to check us in
definitely. Later the Fifth Corps pen
ertated further the Kreimhilde line,
and the First Corps tool Champig-
~neulles and the important town OF
Grand Pre-. Our logged offensive was
wearing down the enemy. who con-
tinued desperately to throw his best
troops against us. thus weakening his
line in front of our Allies and max
ing their advance less dificult.