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

division (French). which continued
the attack eastward on the left Of the
Twenty ninth and, later, of the
Seventy-ninth United States division,
The Fifteenth COLONEL division was
in contact on It's left with the Amer
lean troops near Erieulles, and when
the latter, Their right flank at last
secured by The results of the whole
offensive east of the Meuse, also
crossed thc river abou. November S.
re whole front straightened out and
advanced northeast ward toward the
Metz M ezieres railway Threatened
ON the north the strong points at
ilahas ana 0rncS, which had held out
stubbornly, began to give way, and
the Twentv-sAth United States divi-
sion, which hac relieved first, the
Eighteenth French division for an at
tack late In october in the terribly
diTcult country south of Grande
Montague. an,'. second, in Novem ber,
took the sector opposite Ornes under
command of the Second Colonial
corps with the Seventy ninth United
states division on its left and the
Tenth Colonial division on its right,
was moving eastward close to Ornes.
in the direction Of Etain and Briey,
when the armtstice came into effect.
/ Such, in brief outline, was the fan
shaped development. after the first
days attack. Of an offensive operation
which was decidedly complicated in
detail since 1t called for the constant
Introduction into line of naw units rs
I the front advanced and spread out
ward
Work NJ American Divisions.
With an understanding of the gen
eral objects ana development of the
attack. II is possible to touch uron
the work performed by the different
American DIVISIONS participating in
Il. The Fifty-eighth brigade of the
+ Twen;y-ninth division lay on it's line
( through the Rnis de Consenvoye or
! October ., because the Eighteenth
division, In It's right. was not fal
enough advanced to warrant further
ottack. Consequently, when the at
tack WITS RESUMED on the Tenth tn
enemy was thoroughly prepared, ant
I efforts, in conjunction with tn,
T'hirty-third division on the left. to Sc
cure the whole of the Eois de Chaum,
ana the Sois Plat Chene. were re
pulsed until toward evening, whel
part Of the aforementioned wood wa
secured Next day against a fire
ENltIly from tDe fT0nde MCntaEn
and the Bois d'Etrayes so terrific tina
it eventually cut down all the thicl
underbrush in the Bots de Consen
vove, the Fifty-eighth brigade, nov
under its own division command
7 pushed up to the south edge Of tn
MOlleyile farm clearing and consoli
dated positions thence west through
the Bois Plant Chene which wer
held until the 18Th. Meantime. o,
the 12th, tho Fifty-seventh brigade
with the Hath infantry on the RICH
and the 18Th on the left. endeavore,
to clear the Bois de la. Refine and tn
Bois d'ormont, in liaison with tn
Eighteenth division. hut the resistanc
was very violent and little progress
was made.
+ Attack With 2Gth.
Fly the o3ra of October the divi
sion front. under very heavy losses
had struggled ahead to positions ii
the Rois de Ia Grande Montague an,
southeast fFaia there around IA
Molleville lTarm clearing. and tina
morning at 6:15. after strong artil
lery preparation, attacked eastwar'
simultaneously with the Twenty-s ixtl
United state division. which was nov
on the right The ridge IN the Roi
q EStrayts and the important obscr
-
held against determined counter at
tacks. the twenty sixth division
which Was uow lighting eastwar
against Ia" maze of enemy defense
In the diret ti9n of Crepion. at III
same time getting q footing in III
'Eelleu rois. tho Bots ,,es Chenes ant
the Bots d'ort1ont. Consolidation o
the positions Coined occupied most o
the succeeding five deNs. and on tn
4Sth of Octobtr the Twenty n int
division. which had here fought it
first great battle, was relieved by tn
Seventy ninth division and retired
having lost 5.796 officers and enlisted
men in casualties ana having cap
tured 2,14S prisoners aud much artil
lery and material and gained seyel
, filometers of ground in twenty day
of Az hitter fighting AS troops wer'
4 ever called uron to endure.
/ After its first days advance into til,
4 northern part OF the Bots dc Chaum,
and the edge OF the Bcis Plant Chenc
the Thirtythird division did not regis
ter much further progress, for tn,
reason that in It's position an advanc,
could only be made ncrthward ant
this was ,npracticabte while tn,
troops Of the Twenty-ninth division
and those further TO the right wer,
obliged to direct their efforts north
( east and east. Movement north from
the front OF the Thirty-third coult
j not be made without exposing tn,
right flank Until the Grarde Montagn,
and the ravinas and woods south of il
should be cleared. SO, although tn,
bank of the Neuse was occupied W
10 Sivry by the 131st infantry and
J although parts of this regiment ans
Of the i2sth made several tentative
advances northward through tn,
I woods, they were obliged to res
/ finally on an entrenched line through
the northern part of the Bots d,
/ Chaume, where, on October Fl, thu
last elements of the division were re
! lieved by the Fifteenth Colonial divi
4 sion and proceeded to the Troyon sec,
! tor, where. in turn, thay relieved the
Seventy-ninth United States division
The losses OF the Thirty-third division
1 had been GGa officers and enlisted
men, while the prisoners taker
amounted 10 about 1900.