The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-23

twenty ninth division sector with ~
316th infantry on the right and thu
316th on the left. while the ib7 In
fantry brigade, which did not COM
pletely relieve IN the Twcnty-stxth divi-
sion sector until the night Of October
3l-November /. had the 314th in.
fantry on tho left in the Bots Belleu
and the 31Sth in the right. in the Bots
IdOrmont, with one battalion in the
Bots des Chenes. between the other
two woodlands. The Fifty-second Field
Artillery brigade, under Brigadier-
General George A. Wingatc. was at
tached.
No general attack was attempted I'M
I'll November 4, though strong recon-
noissances pushed out on the 3rd. i'm
tmediately developed heavy resistance.
At o'clock on the morning of the @th.
under concealment Of heavy fog and
preceded by the barrage which waA
laid after a strong artillery prepara-
ton. a general attack was launched.
The 316th infantry, in liaison with the
Fifteenth Colonial division on the left.
assaulted Hill 37s, the westernmost
spur of the Grande Montague. which
was well fortified and desperately held.
After a hard struggle the attack was
repulsed, while the Fifteenth Colonial
division was equally unsuccessful in try
ing to take Villeneuve and Sillon- Fon-
tain Farms, near the crests of the
ridges sloping down into the valley of
the Meuse at Sivry. The 315th in
fantry was unable to advance at all
and the 316th lost some men as pris-
oners in subsequent counter-attack.
Reports OF the rapid progress then
being made by the American divisions
further to the northwest. however.
were very encouraging and when the
316th. supported by three companies
Of the 315th, attacked again at 3
o'clock on the morning of the 9Th, al
though it was at first held back, it per-
sisted grimly and finally conquered
Hill 378, while violent counte attack
made by the enemy from Solferion
Farm and the Canif trench. further
north, failed to recover any OF the
Host ground and was repulsed by artil-
lery fire.
Although the divisions of the Third
United States Army corps got across
the Meuse on the 5th and were slowly
pushing toward the rear of the Can't
trench and the other parts of the
enemy's Kriemhild Stellung system ex-
tending from Damvillers to Vilosnes,
he chung to this line with great determ-
nation. and the efforts of the 313th
and 315th infantry to get beyond Hill
37S during November s were all put
down. But the continuation of the
attack on the 7th brought better re-
suits. After an all-day struggle. the
enemy's works and wire on the ridge
OF Les Glars Chenes and near Sol
ferino Farm were broken through
about p. NJ, and at about the same
time the Fifteenth Colonial division
mastered Nilleneuve and Sillon-Fon-
tame Farms.
The heights along the Meusc.
further west, having been taken by
other divisions. the Seventy ninth was
ordered to divert its offensive on the
morning of the Sth to a direction al
most due east, aiming to conquer the
spurs of the plateau running out into
the Woevre plain. The sharp change
in direction involved making up pro-
visional attack regiments out or the
battal.ons as they lay in position after
the battle of the previous day. This
was accomplished by making up one
regiment of a battalion each of the
81 9Th, 313th and 3l6th infantry, which
was to attack on the left, along the
ridge between the villages ofEcurey
and RevilIe; and another composed
of two battalions of the a1sth and
one OF the 313th, which was to attack
on the right along the ridge between
Reville and Etraye.
With due artillery preparation and
behind a harrage. the attack jumped
of early in the morning. two battalions
of the Twenty-sixth division advar<
ing at the same time in the right sub
sector of the Seventy-ninth. The
tho front had advanced about five kilo-
meters and lay on the eastern edge OF
the heights, from which next day the