The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1920-01-09

suggestion WAS accepted in principe
and nay esSimate of their oreasiv,
lighting qualities was soon put To- IN,
test.
The enemy had encouraged lis sol
diers 70 believe that the July 10 nj.
lack would conclude the war with a
German peace. Although he. made eIab.
crate plans tor he operation. ne faile,
to conceal fully bis intea1iouS. and the
front Of attack was suspected NJ leust
one week ahead. on the Champagne
front the actual hour tor tl,e assault
was known ard the enemy was checked
with heavy losses. The F-orty-second
division entered the line near Somme
Py immediately. and 1--WE OF it's infan.
try battaliOns and Aii of It's artillery
became engaged Southwest Of Rheims
and along the Marne 10 the east OF
chatead.T hierry the Germans were
at first somewhat successful. . pene.
tration Of eight kIlometers beyond the
river heihg effected against the French
immediately 70 the right OF our Third
diyiSicn. The following quotation
from The report os the e~ommunding
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 trout.
line positions. causing the Infantry and
machine gun companies to sufrer. in
some cases a 80 per cent loss. no Ger.
nun soldiers crossed the road from
Fossay 10 Crezancy except rs 4 pris
oner Of war. and by noon the following
dizzy CInly 100 there were no Germans
in the foreground Of the Third division
sector except the dead"
On 'his occasion = single regiment
Of the Third division wrote QUE Of the
most brilliant pages IN eur military
annals. u prevented The croseing NJ
rertain prints on rs fro.t, while on
either flank the Germms who had
gained q foofine PRESSED forward. Or
men firing in three - tions. met the
German attacks with counter attacks
At critical points and succeeded in
throwing iva 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 Marue.
pockel on which TO make their ofen,
sive was fortunate for the allies. rs Il
favored the launching of the counter
attaeX already planned. There were.
now over l.ot0GOO American troops in
France, which provided a considerable
force Of, reserves. Every American d.
vision with any sorI Of training was
ma,le available for use IN a counter.
of ensive.
General Peiain's initial plan for the
couDier-auncks involved tie entire
western face Of tho Marne salient.
The First and Second American dlvl.
sions. with the Firsi French Moroccan
division between Them. were employed
as the %spearhead of the main attack.
driving directly eastward. through the
o sensitive portion OF the German
lines. 10 the heights south OF Scissors.
The advance began on July rs. without
the usual brief warning Of q prelim.
mary bomhardment. and these three-di i.
visions nj q single hound broke through
the enemy's defenses and nverran
his artillery. cutting or interrupting
the German communications lead.
ing into The salient. A general
Withdrawal from the Marne was imme.
dlately began by tile enemy. who still
fought stdbhornly 10 prevent disaster.
Took Berxy-ie-see.
The First division. throughout fonr
days Of constant fighting, advanced II
kilomelers. capturing Berzy-leSec
and the heights about Scissors and
taking some $500 prisoners and IS
field guns from the seven German d..
visions employed against IL. 1t was
relieved by a British division. The
Second division advanced eight kIlo.
meters in the first 26 hours. add by
the end NJ the second dny was facing
Tigny. having captured 1900 prison.
ers and G6 field guns. II was relieved
the night Of the 18th by a French dlvi.
sion. The resul. Of this c0unter-Of.
fensiye WIS Of decisive Importance.
Due 10 the magnificent dash and power
displayed on the field Of Soissons by
our First and Second divisions. the
tide OF var was definitely turned In
favor Of the allies.
Other American divisions partci-
pated In the Marine counter-ofrensiye
A little TO the south The Second divi.
sion The Fourth was 10 line with the
French and was engaged until July
%. The hrst American corps. Mai.
Gen. Hunter liggeit commanding.
with the Twenty.sixth division and a
French division. acted MS q pivot Of
the movement toward Scissors. can
turing Torcy on the 18Th nnl reaching
the Chateau-T hierry- Scissors road on
the 2lst. Al The same time the See,
ond division crossed the Marine and
took the heights Of Mount st. Pere
ard The villages OF Charteves and
Jaulgonne.
IN The First corps the Foriy-second
division relieved the Twenty-sixih on
luly % and extended rs front. on the
26th relieving the French division.
From this time until August . II
fought lis way through the Forest dc