The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-01-02

organized for the command OF our
divisions with the British. which were
held back In training areas Or as
signed to sccond.line defcnses. Five OF
the ten divisions were withdrawn from
the British area In June, three to re-
lleve divisions In Lorraine and the
Nosgcs and two we're sent To the Paris
area To join the group Of American
divisions which stood between the city
and any further advance Of the enemy
In that direction"
by that time the great tide of Amer
lean troop movements to France was
In full swing and the older divisions
could he used freely. The F~orty.scc-
ond, In line east OF Iteims. faced the
German assault Of July II and held
their ground uuilinclingly :" on the
riel flank four companies of the
Twcnty.clghth division faced "nd.
vancing waves Of German Infantry"
and the Third division held the Marine
line, opposite Chateau Thierry. against
powerful artillery and infantry attack.
Single Regiment Checks Enemy.
" FhiiEl' t'kllllNNl VI wv ihll'
wrote u Of the most brilliant pages
In our military annals on this occn.
sion,' General Pcrshing says. ut pre-.
vented the crossing ut certain points
on It's front while, on either flank.
the Germans who had gained a foot
ing pressed forward. our men. firing
In three directions, met the German
attacks with countcr-attacks nj criti-
cal points and succeeded In throwing
i've German divisions into complete
confusion, capturing GOO prisoners"
Thus vas the stage set for he
countcr.ofrcnsive which, beginning
with the smashing of the cncmy's
Marine salient, brought overwhelming
victory to the allies and the United
States In the cventful months that
have followed. The intlmation Is
strong that General pcrShing'S advice
helped Marshal l'och to reach his de.
cision to strike.
Counter.O Offensive Opens.
General P%ershing continues:
"The great force Of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
the deep Marine salient, but the enemy
was taking chances, and the %vulnern-
bility Of this pocket to attack might
be turned to his disadvantage.
"Scizing this opportunity TO support
my conviction, every division with my
sort Of trimming was made available
for use In n count r-ofTenSivc~ The
place Of honor In the thrust toward
scissors on July Is was given to u
First and Second divisions in com-
pany with chosen French divisions.
"Without the usual brief warning Of
Il preliminary bombardmcnt. the
massed French and American artillery.
firing by the map. laid down its rolling
barrnge at dawn while the infantry be-
gan It's charge. The tactical handling
Of our troops under these trying cOndi.
tons was excellent throughout the nc.
ton.
"Thc encny brought up large mum.
bers Of reserves and made n stubborn
defense both with machine guns and
artillery, but through five days fight
Ing the First division continued to ad.
vance until It had gained the heights
above scissors and captured the vii
lage OF Berzy.le-Sec.
''The Second division took Beau Re,
paire farm and VierZy In n very rapid
and reached n position In
front Of Tigny at the end of It's second
day. These two divisions captured Z.
600 prisoners and over 100 pieces OF
artillery"
First American Army Formed.
The report describes in some detail
the work of completing the reduction
OF the salient, mentioning the opera
lions of the T~wenty-sixth, Third
Fourth, Forty-second, Thirty"second
and Twenty-eighth divisions. witt
the situation on the Marine front thu
relieved, General Pcrshing writes, h
could turn to the organization of tn
First American army and the reductioI
Of the 81. Mihicl salient, long planne'
as the initial purely American enter
prise.
A troop concentration. aided by ger
crous contributions of artillery and al
units by the French, began. involvin
the movement. mostly ut night, q
6OO,OOO men.
A sector reaching from Port su
Seillc. east Of the Mosclle, eastwar
through ST. Mihiel to Nerdun and late
enlarged To carry II to the edge of In
forest OF Argonne was taken over, tn
Second Colonial French, holding IN
tip Of the salient opposite st. Mihie
and the French Seventeenth corps, o
the heights above Verdun, being tran
ferrcd to General Pershing's cOmman'
The comhined French, British. nm
American mir forces modified for ia
battle. the report says, was the large,
aviation assembly yer engaged on III
western front up to that time In II SIT
gle operation.
Battle OF ST. Mihiei.
OF the reduction Of the st. Mini,
salient General Pershing says:
"After four hours artillery prepf
! ration the seven American division
In the front line advanced M 2 n. n
] on September IL, assisted by n limit
cd number of tanks manned pnrtIy IA