The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-02-06

tent artillery preparation the infantr
advanced. closely followed by "accuA
panNing guns.
l'r nightfalI the Fifth corps in tn
center. had rcnlzrd an advance of al.
most nine Kilometres to the Bots d"
II tolie. and had completed the ca
ture of the heights of BHrricof
while the Third corps on The rich
had captured AncrcVille and Au,r
VHnne, our troops hand broken throu2a
the enemN'S last defense. captured hi
artillery positions ana had prccipi
tatcd a retreat of the German force,
about To be isolated In the fores
north of Graudpre
The following day the advance con
tinurd toward Sedan with increasin-
sWiitness.
Munitions
Our entry into The war found us
with few of the auNiliarcS necessary
for lis conduct in the modern sens,
The task of the ordnance deparlmen
IN supplying artillery was especially
difficult. In ord,r Ia meet our require
ments as rapidly rs po>sihle we ac
ceptcd the offer of tn" French govern.
mcnt to supply us with the artillery
equipment of Us Ia MN. hoWitzer'
and 100 G. K. + guns from their OWL
factories for 80 divisions The wis
dom of this course was fully demon
Stratcd by the fact that although w"
soon began the Manufacture of Ties
classes of guns at homo there were
no guns of American manufacture o
the calibers mentioned on our front nj
the date of the armistice.
The only guns of these types pro
duced at home which reached Franc"
before The cessation of hoStlitieS We're
100 % mn. guns,
In addition 81 S-inch hoWitzers from
the United States reached our front
and We're in use when the armistic"
was signed. Eight l4-inch naval gum
of American manufacture We're set up
on railroad mounts. and most of thes,
were successfully employed on the
MeuSe- Argonue front under the elf
cent direction of Admiral rlunkett o.
the navy.
In aviation we were entirely dc
pendent upon our allies. and here
again the French government came t.
our aid until our own program could
he set under WAY Without going int"
complete discussion of aviation ma.
terial it will be sufficient 10 st te tina
it was with great difficulty tn we OH
ia; i,,it
AS for up-to-daie combat planes, the
development III home was slow and
we had to rely upon the French who
provided us with II total of 261G pur-
suit observation and bombing ma
chimes
The first airpane received from
home arrived in May and altogether
we received 1879 planes of the De
IIaviland type. The first American
squadron completely equipped by
American production. including air
planes, crossed the German lines Oh
August I. 1918. As to our aviators
many of whom trained with our allies,
It can be said that they had no supe
riors in daring and in fighting ability,
During the battles of St Mihel and
Mouse Argonne our aviatorS exCellcd
all others. They have left record
OF courageous deeds that will ever re
main brilliant page in the annals Of
our army.
Tanks Made Fine Record.
In the matter of tanks we were
compelled to rely upon both the
ever. we were less Fortunate for III
reason that our allies barely had suf-
ficiont tanks 10 meet their require
ments. While on" tank corps had linn.
tied opportunity. lis fin" personnel re
sponded CALAMITY on every occasion.
and showed courage of the highest or
der
The chemical warfare service -rpre-
scented another entirely new depa ture
I'm this war. Whether ar not gas will
he employed in future wars Is mat
ter Of conjecture. but the effect IS So
deadly 10 the unprepared that We can
never afford 10 neglect the question.
The general health of our armies
under conditions strange and adverse
In many WAYS to our American expert
ence and mode Of life was marvellous
~ good. OF all deaths IN the Ameri-
can eXpcdltionary forces (to Septem-
Der /, 1870. totallng s1.l41. there were
killed IN action 1850; died NJ wounds
received IN battle. 1870; other
wounds and injuries 1868: and died
OF diseases. "a 7S6