Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-02-05


on the center division of the first
corps. The first division on the left
of the fourth corps was charged with
the double mission of covering it's own
flank while advancing some twenty
kilometers due north toward the heart
of the salient, where it was to make
contact with the troops of the fifth
corps.
On the western face Of the salient
lay the fifth corps, Maj. Gen. George
Fl. Cameron commanding, with the
twenty-sixth division, fifteenth French
Colonial division and the fourth di
vision in line, from Mouilly west to
Les Eparges and north to Wantron-
vile. Of these three divisions the
twenty-sixth alone was to make a
deep advance directed southwark to-
ward Vigneulles. The French division
was to make short progression to
the edge Of the heights in order to
cover the left of the twenty-sixth.
The fourth division was not to ad-
vance.
In the center between our fourth
and fifth army corps, was the second
French Colonial corps, Maj. Gen. E. J.
Blondlat commanding, covering front
Of 40 kilometers with three small
French divisions. These troops were
to follow up the retirement of the en-
envy from the tip Of the salient.
At dawn on Sept. II, after four hours
Of violent artillery fire of preparation,
and accompanied by small tanks, the
infantry of the first and fourth corps
advanced. The infantry of the fifth
corps commenced it's advance at 8 a.
m. The operation was carried out with
entire precision. Just after daylight
on Sept. Ii elements of the first and
tWenty-sixth divisions made a junction
near Hattonchatel and Vigneulles,
eighteen kilometers northeast of st.
Mihiel. The rapidity with which our
divisions advanced overwhelmed the
enemy and all detectives were reached
by the afternoon of Sept. Is. We cap
tured nearly 10000 prisoners, 443 guns
plies. The energy and swiftness with
which the operation was carried out
enabled us to smother opposition to
such an extent that we suffered less
than 1000 casualties during the actual
period of the advance.
The material results of the victory
achieved were very important. An
American army was an accomplished
fact, and the enemy had felt it's power.
No form of propaganda could over
come the depressing effect on the
morale Of the enemy of this demon
stration of our ability to organize a
large American force and drive it sue
cessfully through his defenses. It gave
our troops implicit confidence in their
superiority and raised their morale to
the highest pitch. For the first time
wire entanglements ceased to be re-
garded as impossible barriers and
open-warfare training, which had been
SO urgently insisted upon, proved to be
the correct doctrine. Our divisions
concluded the attack with such small
losses and in such high spirits that
without the usual rest they were inn
mediately available for employment in
heavy fighting in a new theater of op-
eratiOns. The strength of the first
army in this battle totaled approx
mately 100000 men, of whom about
10000 were French.
immovabie Since 1914.
The Meuse-Argonne front had been
practically stabilized in September
1914, and, except for minor fluctuations
during the German attacks on Verdun
in 1915 and the French counter Often
sive in August, 1917, remained un-
changed until the American advance in
1918. The net result of the four years.
struggle on this ground was a German
defensive system of unusual depth and
strength and wide zone of utter dev-
astation, itself a serious obstacle to
offensive operations.
The strategical Importance of this
portion of the line was second to
none on the western front. All sup
plies and excavations of the German
armies in norrnern France were de-
pendent upon two great railway sys-
tems-one in the north, passing through
Liege, while the other in the south,
with lines coming from Luxembourg
Thionville and Metz, had as it's vital
section the line Carignan-Sedan-Mez-
ieres. No other important lines were
available to the enemy, as the noun
famous masses of the Ardennes made
the construction of east and west lines
through that region impracticable.
Begin Victorious Advance.
On the night Of September IS the
nine divisions to lead in the attack
were deployed between the Meuse
river and the western edge of the Ar
gonne forest. On the right was the
Third corps, Major General Billiard
commanding, with the Thirty-third,
Eightieth and Fourth divisions in line;
next came the Fifth corps, Major Gen
eral Cameron commanding, with the
Seventy-ninth, Thirty-seventh and