Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-03-12

events they could be used Ia hettar
advantage under allied command rho
suggestion was accepted In principie
ana my estimate of their offensive
ngh'ihg qualities was soon put to the
test.
The enemy had encouraged his sol.
dlers to believe that the ,Inlv II at.
TACK would conclude the war with q
IerInan peace. Although he made eloh.
crate plans for the operation. ne failed
to conceal fully his intentions, and the
front OF attack was suspected at least
one week ahead. On the Champarne
front the actual hour for the assault
was known and the enemy was checked
with heavy losses. The Fortv.secopd
.lVlSlon entered the line near Somme
Py Immediately. and five of its infnn.
try battalions and all of its artillery
became engaged. Southwest of Rheims
ana along the Marine to the east of
Chateau-Thierry the Germans were
at first somewhat successful meme.
tration of eight kilometers beyond the
river being effected against the French
Immediately to the right OF our Third
division. The following quotation
from the report Of the commanding
general gives the result of the fighting
on his front:
None Crossed but Prisoners.
Although the rush Of the German
troops overwhelmed some of the 'front.'
line positions, causing the infantry and
machine gun companies to suffer, in
some cases so per cent loss, no Ger.
man soldiers crossed the road from
Fossoy to Crezancy except as a pris-
oner of war, and by noon the following
day July 16) there were no Germans
In the foreground Of the Third division
sector except the dead"
On this occasion single regiment
of the Third division wrote one of the
most brilliant pages In our military
annals. 1t prevented the crossing at
certain points on its front, while on
either flank the Germans who had
gained footing pressed forward. Our
men, firing In three sections, met the
German attacks with counter attacks
at critical points and succeeded in
throwing two German divisions into
complete confusion, capturing 600
prisoners.
The selection by the Germans Of
| the Champagne sector and the east
ern and southern faces of the Marine
pocket on which to make their often.
sive was fortunate for the allies, as II
| favored the launching of the counter
attack already planned. There were
now over 100000 American troops In
France, which provided a considerable
force of reserves. Every American d.
vision with any sort of training was
| made available for use In counter
| offensive.
General Petain's initial plan for the
counter-attacks involved the entire
western face of the Marine salient.
| The First and Second American divi-
sions, with the First French Moroccan
| division between them, were employed
| as the spearhead Of the main attack,
driving directly eastward, through the
most sensitive portion of the German
lines. to the heights south of scissors.
| The advance began on July H. without
the usual brief warning of prelim.
mary bombardment, and these three di.
| visions at single bound broke through
| the enemy's defenses and overran
his artillery. cutting or interrupting
the German communications lead
ing into the salient. A general
withdrawal from the Marine was imme-
diately began by the enemy, who still
| fought stubbornly TO prevent disaster.
Took Berzy-le-Sec.
The First division. throughout four
days of constant fighting, advanced IL
kilometers. capturing Berzy-leSec
and the heights about Scissors and
taking some $500 prisoners and 68
field guns from the seven German d.
visions employed against 1t. 1t was
relieved by a British division. The
Second division advanced eight kilo-
meters in the first &c hours, and by
the end of the second day was facing
Tigny. having captured 5000 prison
ers and &C field guns. 1t was relieved
the night of the 10th by French divi-
| sion. The result Of this counter-of-
fensive was of decisive Importance.
Due to the magnificent dash and power
displayed on the field of Scissors by
our First and Second divisions, the
tide of war was definitely turned in
favor of the allies
Other American divisions partici-
pated In the Marine counter-offensive
A little TO the south the Second divi-
sion the Fourth was in line with the
French. and was engaged until July
%. The first American corps, Maj
Gen. Hunter Liggett commanding
with the Twenty-sixth division and
French division. acted as pivot OF
the movement toward Scissors. cap
turing Torcy on the 18th and reaching
the Chateau-Thierry-So road on
the 21st. AT the same time the Sec
ond division crossed the Marine and
took the heights Of Mount ST. Pere
and the villages of Charteves and
| JaulCOnne.