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I with the Meuse as his pivot, and that j it the allied armies could continueI their offensive, and particularly if |;hey could break the enemy's pivot onII he Meuse, a decision might be reach-led. With this in view the great at*I tack of Sept. 26, which developed riuto I the battle of the Meuse-Argcrane, was I planned, nnd the First American I Army was given the honor position on I the Meure with the all-important tasn.I of breaking the pivot of the enemy’s j retreat. The part which the Ninetieth I division played on Sept. 26 has al-I ready been described The first tit-I tack ieat with great success on (the en*I tire front of the army. The advance I was rapid. Then as the divisions be-Icame exhausted, communications and Uupply becaane extremely niff (cult, land the enemy threw in great num-Ibers of reserve divisions, the advance plowed down and the first stage of the I battle was concluded. During the sec* lond sttage there was continual flght-[iug along the line, but no concerted I attack was launched by the entire I army. The effort was rather on the j part, of individual divisions and corps I to straighten out itfce line and reach, a Ipofrllion from which a second great I attack could be launched.I Capture of BanthevHicj The Ninetieth Division went into I the line near the end of the second I period. The 179th brigade relieved I the Tenth Brigade of the Fifth Division on the night of Oct. 21-22. The 1130th' Erigade was held in division re-Is-erve. The Third Division was on (the right and the Eighty-Ninth Divtv I ion on the left. At this lime the front I lino ran from ju?t north of Roman gn* land Cunel around the northwestern I edge of the Bois de Jlappes. The I Eighty-Ninth Division had pushed for (ward and occupied the Bois de Ban-Itlievillo on the left, so that the line of I the Ninetieth Division formed a pock ot a little over two kilometers in slttppth in the front of the corps. In 21 this pocket were the villages of Banal tbevillo and Bourrut, The first mis-11 slon of .the division was to straighten 11 cut the Bne. The 257th Infantry at* i I lacked at 2 o'clock on the afternoon of (October 22. capturing Bantheville and lithe high ground north and northwest ■J j of that town. and established a line* I from the northeast corner of the Hoi ;* I north of Bourrut to the northeastern .-(corner of the Bois de Bantheville a (where the line Joined with the Eighty|.Nfir?1h Division. The 358th Infantry. -Iin the Bois Des Rappes, af the same 31 time extended its left to connect with v* I tbr» 258th infanry north of Bourru*.’•land the same night two companies of 31 the 258th infantry crossed the Andon a I Brook and established a line from a 31 point about 500 meters couth west of* I Aincreville, a3ong the Alncrevtlle-Ban-titbeviUe road, to the line held by the ;,lcr»7th infantry. This extremely successful operation, upon which the division was highly complimented by the army and eorpa commanders, resulted in giving the division an excellent position from which it could jump off in case of a great attack. This advanced position «u held until Nov. 1, despjio many counter attacks and continuous intense shelling. Attack of NovemberWith the capture of Bantheville by the 170th 8rigade everything was in readiness for the great attack by the First American army and the French armies on its left, by which it was hoped to finally break the enemy’s lust line of resistance and change hiu retreat inrto a rout. This attack was ordered for Nov. 1. On the night of Oct. 30 the 180th Brigade relieved the ]79th Brigade which had Buffered heavy casualties during its eight days in iine, and was withdrawn into division reserve. The 180th Brigade went into the line and attacked with the cduth Infantry on the left and the M*9lb on the right. The 345th Ma, chiTve Gun Battalion and the 313d Machine Gun Battalion were in position on the front line, from which they could cover the advance with overhead fire. On the morning ot Nov. I, these companies fired more than 1,200,000 rounds and contributed largely to the very great success of the at-tack.The p'an of the attack was that the 3M»lh infantry on the left on a narrow front and assisted by a concentration c.f all available artillery, should drive forward (through the Carre farm and the* i*trong wooded position on the left of the hector, up to and beyond An-deVanne. With this attack a success •the 359rh infantry on the right, would bo able to advance across the open ground west of Aincreville without disastrous losses. An extremely heavy art- Ilery preparation opened at 5.30 a, m. on Nov. 1, and at 5*20 a. m., the infantry went over the top. From the outset the fighting was desperate. The beat veteran troops available in the German Army wore thrown in to stop the advance of the division. Machine gun nents were everywhere,the 'runners sticking to their nest un til wined out The 360th and 259th infantry, splendidly supported bv the 155th Field Artillery Brigade (Eightieth Dlt;\is1on), idvaneed practically without halt. Grande Carre farm was taken and mopped up. The woods to the north were cleaned out, And e van* ne and Cote 243 captured and th*» line pushed a kilometer beyond the 360th. (‘hHKFOgn* farm ard St Marguerite farm were captured by tho 359th In faivtry, and by bate afternoon our troops were on or beyond their objectives. The Freya Stellung, the las*, known enemy position, was definitely and completely broken.On Nev. 2 the advance was continued against desperate resistance. Vit-lers Dun was taken and passed, HIU321 was occupied and tho Bois deHaux was pul within our lines before night. On the right the 359th Infantry advanced tnoro than (three kilo-meters, and one battalion extending over into the sector of the Fifth D.t-wsion, on the right, advanced through lIk “Punch Bowl tU the way to the Meuse.On Nov| 3 the 179th Brigade passed through the. 180th Brigade and at h o’clock attacked with the 358th in-faiKry on the left and the 357th infantry on the right. It was evident after a few hours that the attacks of the preceding days had broken the enemy’s esiwUmce and that he was completely disorganized. By night tho brigade had penetrated the dense woods of the Bois de Tailly and occupied the towns of Montigny, Saul-maury, Sassey and Mont devt. Sassey.On November 4 and 5 the exploitation was continued and the hold on the river towns was ^strengthened, llalles, Wisenpe and baneuviile wers occupied.Tho divisions on tho left of the Ninetieth were meeting with equal Miccess and were driving the enemy bank to the Meuse River. With the breaking of the Freya Stellung by tho Ninetieth Division the vitally important railroad from Sedan to Mont me dy was brought under our artillery fire and the enemy’s hold on the riyer was brc-ken under our artillery fire and the enemy’s hold on the river was 1 rnken. The Fifth liv*sion on our right succeeded m crossing the Meuse a* Dun-sur-Meuse and was forcing the enemy up the right bank of the river. I*, was evident that the enemy’s retreat was becoming complete *y dis-| organized and if our pressure could be continued he would break.On Nov 9, ifie 179th Brigade oross-ilt;d tho Mouse at Sassey and by all-night marching occupied Mouzny ,on Die right bank of the river. The next ('ay tho 358th Infantry captured Blanc Fontaine, and after de«neraM fighting tecured a foothold in Stenay. At the * am- time the -’57th Infantry rm the Might had advanced over rolling .‘oun try. swept by the machine gun and artillery fire, and reached tho neighls overlooking Baahm and later occupied tiie lt;cwn. On tnis day the enemyMHrew into line aeaitwt »he Ninetieth his last reserve division on the Western fi out.Tho Eighty Ninth Division on our '.eft hand in the meantime, f ireed a crossing of the river at Pouiily and was ordered to send trcops to protect the left flank c-? the Ninetieth Pi* is-lion north of Stenav. When these troops were in position. It was planned to \pass the 180th Brigade again through the line a of the 179th Brigade land to continue the attack in tho direction of Montmedy.The Armistice.Early on the morning of Nov. 11 word was received that the greatest battle in whrfch American troops had ever been engaged was ended by Germany's acceptance of the allied terms and that hostilities would cease at 11 o'clock. Before that hour patrols from the 358th Infantry forced their way into Stenay and completely occupied the town, the enemy having evacuated after tho desperate fighting of .he previous day.From the armistice untilthe division started its march Into Germany, the only activity was patrolling along the old front line to collect returned prisoners of war and civilians and to locate* and guard abandoned and surrendered material of war.Shortly after tho conclusion of the ? nil 1st ice Major General Henry T.Allen -left the division to take command of the Eighth Corps. Command passed to Brigadier Generay J. P. O’Neil, who continued in command during the march into Germany and until De?. 30, when Major General C. 11 Matlin assumed oiromand.March to GermanyCm Nov. 23, the Ninetieth Division, have been designated as on© of the nine divisions of the Army of Occupation tcf which only one other, the Eighty-Ninth was a National Army Di-virion), moved forward toward Mont* medy. Tho divirion marched fromfderay across Luxembourg to Rhenish Prussia, where, as a (parr of tho 9ev-enih Corps, it shortly before Christinas seeled into winter quarters along the Moselle River in the vicinity of | T.erncaslJe, Germany, occupying the Kites cm of Daun, WiGJich and Born-I east el. Here it was joined by the '365th Field Artillery Brigade.The average advance made by the id*vision in the St. Mihiel operation was six kilometers in the Meune-Ar-gnnr.o twenty-two kilometers. The 'ni vision was under fire from Aug. 20 t-» Nov. n, with tho exception of seven days occupied in changing sectors: seventy fivo days without a relief j During this time it went over the top in two major offensives and seven minor operations and was still advancing when baited by tho armistice.Piano benches, stools and scarfs. Southwestern Music Co.FOUNTAIN PENS. Be sure It Is L. E. Waterman's IDEAL, ths best snd oldest. There are Imitations.CITY BOOK STORE.New Overland Au.o-mobiles at Factory Cost; going out of business.AUTO SALES CO.
Newspaper Details
Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana, Texas, US
Mon, May 05, 1919
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 25 Sep 2019
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