The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-17
HISTORY Of ARMY
DIVISIONS IS NOW
BEING COMPILED
Story OF Thirtieth With Boys
From Tennessee Forms One
Brilliant Page in Exploits Of
ExpeditiOnary Force.
BY cHAs. S. HAYDEN.
staff Correapondeut.)

AShuAN E9hNANANNNNf
WASHINGTON, Feb, IA chrono"
logical history of the various divisions
comprising the American eNpeditionafy
forces in france Ia being complied, rms
work L. being lone under the direction
OF the historical division Of the general
staff. which has been assigned quarters
for this purpose at the war college,
The officers and men IN duty in TINS
division are busy collecting all data ana
pictures which show In detail how this
country not only fought in ne great
war but how II prepared as wen:
Preliminary to writing the history,
short sketches have been prepared
showing, in q rough way, the part which
each OF the divisions played during the
war. Those have been compiled from
c~ablegraIns as ent by Gen. Pershing
and the official communicates as issued
from day to day. This work has been
performed by Marlen Pew, director OF
! publicity under Secretary OF War Baker.
Although these sketches. are avail
able for publication said Mr.. Pew,
they should not be viewed in the light
Of official announcements from the war
department, II is not Improbable that
there are Inaccuracies In them, but, III
the main, ] am sure they Will form the
basis for the histories which Will ne
written. They give what we may term
the high spots in the service OF these
divisions in France"
The sketch as compiled and dealing
with the mon of the s0th division Is as
follows:
This division arrived in France during
the latter part OF May, 1918. They re-
ceived their preliminary training at
NordausQues in Flanders, under the
direction OF the British,
On July 1 the division was b%rigaded
with the Second British army In line
between Ypres and KENNEL hill. The
headquarters OF the division were at
Watou, Belgium. The enemy got the
range of this town and bombarded 1t
Internationally with a SO gun from a
distance OF seven miles, destroying many
buildings and intlicting casualties on
the civil and military population.
The commanding position Of the enemy
on the top OF KENNEL hill, which gave
them an e%nfilading view Of the entire
British positions, made this period OF
| training unusually hazardous, and the
division suffered a large number Of
the division launched an attack against
tho enemy and captured VoormeEeele,
| Lankhof farm and lock No, 7. King Al
bort stated that this was the first
American division to shed blood on Bel
gian soil.
The division was then moved to the
Bellioourt sector, midway between Cam
brai and st. quentin. An enemy at
tack on Sept. %, east OF HargtCourt
was rcpulsed by rifle and machine gun
| IRE with llRnt CASUALTIES,
on Sept. 20, in connection with the
plan of the Fourth British army to
break the famous lIindenhurg line, the
division launched a powerful attack
against Bellicourt and Naurcy, Sup
ported by tanks they crossed the under
ground ST. Quentin canal. captured Bel
licourt and Naurcy and took over 1900
prisoners and much material.
They penetrated to a depth Of about
1000 yards and completely smashed the
supposedly impregnable Hindenburg
line at this point.
On Oct. s the division attacked to the
east and north Of Montbrehain, captur-
ing all detectives on a front OF 5000
wards and 1880 prisoners. on the same
day a strong hostile counter attack was
Tepulsed.
On oct. 0 the division continued its
advance and captured the villages Of
Fremont, BrancouCt, Busigny and st,
Souplet. capturing prisoners, % guns
many machine gun and other material
on Oct. 10 one Of the brigades Of this
division made an advance OF SIX kilo'
meters. reaching the Selle river.
on oct, is the division launched Al
attack on its entire front advanced
1000 yards against stubborn resistance
capturing II officers and over 800 men
ON Oct. 10. after three weeks Of al
most continuous fighting over terrain
covered with formidable defenses, of the
Hindenhurg line, the division was taken
out Of the line for r much needed rest,