The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-04-02
American Subalterns' Trick Kept
Five German Divisions on
the Qui vive.
ENEMY Deceived BY RADIO
Telephone Squad Also Conducted Mis-
leading Conversations for German
Listeners Benefit Staff
Worked Overtime on Game
Of camouflaqe.

With the American Forces In Ger
many.-Tricks Of the game OF war are
coming to light from time to time as
each side tells It's story. One Of the
most successful Of them was practiced
by American forces in the Meuse-Ar-
COME battle last fall when the last
great allied offensive was at it's
height. from Switzerland to the sea.
An imaginary army. conceived by Il
handful Nf American junior officers.
was ''throwr into the field" overnight.
and for days five crack German divi-
sionS just east Of Verdun. in the
E1ain region, We're kept on their toes.
nipmentarily expecting an attack
which never came.
At dinner table in a Coblenz cnfe
overlooking the Rhine an American in
telligence officer recently told the
story of the creation of the mythical
IN army as it was called. 1t APP
pears that the Germans were expect
ing an attack in the Etain sector Mt
any time. and the Americans knew It !;
hut ut that stage OF the game the First
American army was devoting its ener-
gies to driving the enemy out of the
Argonne forest and the hill country on
either side. SO the mythical army was
created. in preference to Il real diver
sion. requiring many men. to convince
the German commander that it would
not be wise to weaken the Etain front
for the benefit of the Meuse- Argonne
front.
Commanded by Captain.
Five fresh divisions had been placed
by the Germans on the Etain line.
These constituted their last and finest
reservoir Of available divisions. The
realized that the minute
the Germans decided that this was not
Il danger point any or all Of the five
divisions could be withdrawn. re-
placed by exhausted and fra.mentary
divisions coming from the hattie
fronts. and THAT the appearance OF the
fresh troops in the line west Of the
Nfeuse would have Il tremendous effect
IN the American offensive
The ~ army" was assigned to
front from Bezonvaux to Fresnes.
From the morning Of October % until
Just before the armistice this army
Capt. Charles H. Matz
Df Hubbard Woods. H.. was command.
er in chief: Capt. William Fl. Dear.
den Of Springfield. Mass. and Wash.
Ington. d. G., was chief Of staff: Lieut..
John H. Graham Of Lexington. Va.
was chief of "trOop movements: :" Capt.
q. w. Neidert was in charge Of GIL,
nr administration. and Lieut.. HI. T.
Griswold of Old Lynn. Conn. was
chief of artillery. The staff Of the N
army" were all members of the in.
telligence section Of the First army.
and. Of course. before beginning Oper-
atoms, had obtained the consent Of
their chief. Col. Wiley Howell.
The wireless and the telephone were
freely used to convince the Germans
that the Americans We're prepared for
m attack in the Etain sector. To
make sure that the Germans would
~ uDIe w luNo Tue NVuC uSCus
The Americans furnished them with a
key.
Funetioned Until End.
One wireless station of the N
army" was established in clump Of
woods near Verlun and was called
headquarters "f the Y army" This
station func' ed until the end Of the
game. all "or.lers" for the army going
out from this place by wireless. Soon
after the station began working the
Germans located its whereabouts and
frequently shelled the woods and VI
entity. ii parently in hope of breaking
up the radio Of the latest Of annoy
nnces. The tx army" also had q port.
shlv radio station. which moved about