New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
Imaginary * Force Keeps
Five German Divisions
Away From Argonne in
Closing Days of the War
Young Officers Plan Trick
Radio and Phone Stations
Do a Lot of Talking in
Code Opponents Know

WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES in
GERMANY, Oct. By The Associated
).-Tricks of the game of war are
coming to light from to time as each
side tells its story. One of the mos.
successful of them was practiced by
American forces in the Meuse-A -Argonne
battle last fall. when the last great
Allied offensive was at its height from
Switzerland TO the sea An Imaginary
army. conceived by handful of Amer
ican junior officers. was thrown into
the field" over night and for days five
crack German divisions. just east of
yerdun in the Etain region, were kept
on their toes, momentarily expecting
an attack which never materialized.
At dinner table in a Coblenz cafe,
overlooking the Rhine, an American
Intelligence officer recently told the
story Of the creation of the mythical
Y army" AS it was called. II appears
that the Germans were expecting an
attack in the Etain sector at any time.
Five fresh divisions had been placed
by the Germans on the Etain line
These constituted their last and finest
reservoir Of available divisions. The
Americans realized that the minute the
Germans decided that this was not
danger point any or all of the five di-
visions could be withdrawn, replaced
by exhausted and fragmentary di
visions coming from the battlefronts.
and that the appearance OF the fresh
troops on line west of the Meuse would
have tremendous effect on the Ameri-
car offensive.
The army was assigned to front
from Bezonvaux to Fresnes From
the morning OF October % until just
previous to the armistice this army
."functioned' Captain Charles H.
Matz. Of Hubbard " oods. H., was
commander in chief. Captain William
H. Dcarden, of Springfield. Mass. and
Washington. d. c.. was chief of staff.
Lieutenant Jonu II. Graham, of Lex
ington Va. was chief of troop move
IN charge Of Gil. or administration.
and Lieutenant H. I. Griswold, Of Old
Lyme, Conn, was chief Of artillery
The staff Of the X army were all mem
hers of the intelligence section Of the
lst Army and, OF course, before be-
ginning operations had secured the
consent OF their chief. Colonel Wiley
Howell
The wireless and the telephone were
freely used to convince the Germans
that the Americans were preparing for
an attack in the Etain sector. To make
sure that the Germans would be able
to "hreak into the code used the
Americans furnished them with a sat
isiactorv key.
One wireless station Of the x army
was established in clump OF woods
near Nerdur and was christened "head
quarters of the X army" This station
func;lored until the end Of the game
re rll-
this pace By wireless. Soon after the
station began working the Germans
located l.s whereabouts and frequently
shelled the woods and vicinity. appar-
entity IN hopes OF breaking UP the radio
Of this latest Of annoyances.
Portable Radio Used
The army also had portable radio
station, WI ch moved about and repre-
senied itsel as q different station
every day or TWO
The sector In which the X army was
at worn vas directly under command
o. the ed French Corps. and the ROY
'ng wireless station caused consider
ao'e excitement among ehe French SOL
aiers, as u sent messages TO make the
enemy believe that several fresh
american divisions had moved into the
area. Inc French. unaware Of the
pans o; the \ army staff, at times
'Aougnt the Americans had lost all
sense Of reason and on several occa-
Sons 50 reported the wireless plants.
ne Irst message from the X army
Aeaaauari'fs VAS a general dispatch to
a. ".rele5s stations in the army area
none q walCr actually eXisted) IN
zoe new code, of Course. directing that
none Of the stations answer or make
any usc O. the sending instruments,
ior fe1r q the enemy locating them,
wv 10 &c OF the alert at fixed points
70 receive MESS ages. The effect was to
warn tae Cermaas that largge num-
per . wireless stations must have
peen set IN and 20 advise them of the
npsss WREN Ire enemy interce pting
s2oona should be on the alert for
me American messages.
In addition 20 the wireless, the K
amy also had in operation, on the
'front.' between Bezongaux and Fresnes
telephone squad-a careless squad
"alen vet up telephone stations here
~hq there and sent messages and
~iHed snop and gossipcd at night about
me arrival of some old friend from
America with such and such an outfit
INC \ army telephone squad took nc
,b@Ncfs fnat the Germans might not
.eaf f0c conversations the Americana
NsH'fea inem TO record. They dellb
t'stsly grounded their wires so the
enemy could listen in and crawlcc
out INTO 10 Man's Land in the dark
n@ts and hooked one Of the American
<tfes @fer On 70 German barbed wire
tem.
f~o days after the K army bcgar
.u'rtion,ag the results began to bs
"pucs@ble, the nervousness on the par
tne Germans being exhibited ir
many rays, the enemy first sending
Y,sf large number of airplaues tc
@a~e rsconno.s3anees. The Germans
~" began series of trench raids tt
.ssNl'tyiug units o. the forces opposite
.nsn German prisoners captured b.
ne french told of Wild alarms in ths
,,''Rbt on the part Of the German forces
"effied rc3ntorcements Of the main lin.
" Fesistance and various other move
.''s"ls which indicated that The enemj
as e1efting extreme ~atchfuincss OF
eNeooet Of the activity Of the litti'
aa'Hy being operated by handful o
Ainerieans
=, asn the armjatice became effective
1ofr1necr l, the little American myth
- = army stiil held its ground in IN.
m near Yerduu, and opposite fiY,
a'afs ber'nan divisions stood thei
raSg' not even suspeeting that the.
a9 vefn tricsed by handful of in
xeIisbs yopnx Yankees, who were de
'Y11ed ~ the sts obtained by theI
'seo'efop1 ssbemt>. WHICH had worke.
y saeeeasfullS in ieeeiTing the wis.
eSf4eFt3faas sufrraus az ff.s,. ana. :. ..,a :