The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-28
VETERANS TELL HOW
AMERICAN STRATEGY
BALKED GERMAN PLAN

Stt hA1 III iItbtitII ! Etth
v----as City. Mo- Sept. 27.-How
American strategy frustrated defense
plans of the German high command
was retold Saturday in many parts of
the middle west by veterans Of the
divisions which took part in the great
Argonne Meuse offensive that ended
the war with Germany This was the
first anniversary Of the great drive
The German command had long eX-
pected an American attack on the for
titled city Of Metz and on September
26 had six divisions in the city for
its defense Plans for am attack on
Metz from the direction Of Nancy
were worked out by an American staff
and then, purposely, these plans We're
permitted to fail into the hands of the
Germans, former army men said. 81.
multaneously, plans We're consummated
for the gigantic American offensive in
the Argonne.
Midnight of September % found the
American troops of the S9th division
in the Thiacourt sector Of France near
Metz, where they had drawn up lines
of fertilization following the success
of the st. Mihiel drive, "alerted' and
ready for action. according to stories
told by veterans of that division. That
afternoon orders had been received to
be ready for an emergency. What
would be the eventually no one knew.
An advance was rumored; A German
attack talked Of.
Midnight had passed and the new
day had its inception in a French night
OF crisp, September air ana heavy,
damp mist that hung white and low
over the wartorn waste Of rccunquered
countryside that night. I'VE had
sat in our dugOuts swapping stories,
for sleep was impossible because of
the crowded condition of the place.
Without warning there broke loose
from all sides the dun thud, thud,
thud of artillery and we knew the
fun was ON. our dugout was in
high bank in "a railroad cut near the
village of Bouillonville, and in order
to witness better the action of the
artillery some left the dugout and took
up a position on a stone railroad bridge
across a deep ravine several hundred
yards away Here we could discern
the scope of the movement. our ar
tillery was located mostly to our right
and ready and hundreds of guns Of all
calibres were in action, as could De
ascertained by the myriad flashes Of
the pieces as they sent shell after shell
hurling through the air into the foes
lines.
Hour after hour, the artillery kept
up its hammerngs of the German po.
sitions. The barrage was second on
" to that of the great st. Mihiel drive
And still no orders to advance. To the
east, the flush Of approaching dawn
suggested the fast waning night, Wheh
far to the northwest an unmistake'
able rumble became audible. The lar-
away booming of great guns tod ol
the birth Of another battle The sick
" light of waning night gave way
to rosy tints of the new day. AS the
sun bobbed up above the horizon oil
shell-swept hill and gasfilled vale the
two barrages continued with unabat-
ed fury. The German was uneasy
for at the break of day the drone or
his scout planes could be heard as
they appeared over the American lines
in an endeavor to feel out the sltua- |
ton. The stutter of machine guns ana /
the sharp crack of anucrait artillery .
proved the American gunncr's wake /
fulness There were intermittent /
flashes of the rose-rcd rays of the sun .
from the wings of a plane as another |
i,a,r.r of the Maltese cross plunged IN /