Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1919-05-23
Brief History of
the Ninetieth Division

7 L.
the advance would push forward the
farthcst and by meeting the Fifth
Corps cut off the salient
The S2nd Division on the extreme
right was not to advance at all, and
the Goth Division on its left was CIV
EN- the mission of protecting the right
flank of the advance and seeing that
the hinge on which the yhOle attack
pivotcd was not broken OF. Thts
was an extremely important ana del
icate mission, as with the S2nd d.
vision standing fast 1t was obvious
that the Goth Division. when 1t ad-
vanced, would have its whole right
flang open to the enemy.
The Attack-Sept- 1910.
The front of the division was mar
rowed for the attack by three kilo-
meters, which were taken over by
the 5th Division. On the three nights
before the 18th patrols we're busy all
along the front cleaning out the old
trenches and cutting wire so that ev-
orything would be ready for the
jumping- off on the morning OF the
18th. For the attack the division
was lined up with the regiments side
by side in the same order that they
held the sector The infantry was
supported by the l53rd Artillery
brigade (7Sth Division). The plan
for the first dav was that the divis-
ion, like the Corps, would advance
farthest on the left and pivot on the
right.
a terrific artillery preparation OPP
ened at o'clock on the morning of
the 18th. AT : o'clock the infantry
went over the top under IA rolling
barrage, and by o'clock in the ar
ternoon all ubjectives had been
reached and the enemy completely
disorganized, in spite of the i'm
menscly difficult country through
which the advance had been made.
The 357th Infantry. on the left, had
advanced "A maximum distance of
four kilOmetrrs through dense wood
wire and trench defenses of every
description All OF the other regi-
ments, while their advance was not
as deep as that Of the 357th lnfan-
try, and accomplished their missions.
During the night strong patrols were
sent out all along the front to ex-
plot the success of the day.
On the 18TH the 1S0th Brigade
captured the Bois le Petre with its
maze of barbed wire entanglements
, and innumcrable machine gun en-
placements The French are said to
have had over 100000 casualties in
1915 in attempting to take this
piece of ground. On the same day
the 179th Brigade cleaned out the
Vcncheres woods and advanced their
line to the vicinity of St. Marie Farm.
One Of the battaliOns of the 357th
Infantry encountered two enemy
regiments moving across our front
to counter attack the 5th Division
and completely broke up their ad-
vance
On the 14th the 10th Brigade
pushed forward on the left into the
Bois des Rappes to the vicinity of
La Souleuvre Farm. while the lS0th
Brigade captured Preny
and established foOthold on the
heights beyond.
On the 18th the advance was con.
tinued. Wanderers taken, the BOis de
IFilliers and the Bois des Rappes
| cleaned up and the line established
| along the HUT Chemins (''Whitn
Chimney") road.
On the 18th the front line was
pushed forward to the edge of the
woods in front Of Preny. where it re-
manned until the division was re-
lieved in October.
While the Goth Division was car
rying all objectives, the rest of the
First Army was equally, successful.
Within "a hours after the attack
started, divisions from the 4th and
5th Corps had met at Vignuelles in