On September 26, 1918, the combined attack was launched on either side of the Argonne. At 5.30 a.m., after an artillery preparation of six hours on the French side, and of three hours on the American, the Allied troops advanced to the attack. While the French took Servon, and gained a footing on the low hills which skirt the right bank of the Aisne, the Americans, who did not at first encounter great resistance, seized in a single rush the first German position. The second line was soon reached, and in spite of the increasing resistance, an average advance of about four to six miles was effected. The Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Missouri troops belonging to the 1st Corps (Liggett) took Varennes, Montblainville, Cheppy, and cleared Vauquois. On the right, the troops of the 3rd Corps (Bullard), crossing the Forges stream, entered Malancourt, Béthincourt, Cuisy, Septsarges, Gercourt and Drillancourt. On that day over 5,000 prisoners were captured by the Americans. On the 27th, the advance was slower; the fire of the enemy artillery increased in intensity, and German reinforcements counter-attacked. Nevertheless, the Americans carried Véry, Epinonville, Ivoiry and Charpentry. On the centre, the 5th Corps (Cameron) met with formidable resistance, and in crossing the woods of Malancourt and Cheppy the troops from New Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana suffered very heavy losses. In addition, they had to face numerous German counter-attacks. On the 26th it was impossible to reach the formidable Heights of Montfaucon, but on the 27th the ridge, outflanked on the west by the capture of Ivoiry, and on the east by that of Septsarges, fell into the hands of the 5th Corps which reached Nantillois. On the evening of the 27th, the American spoils included over 100 guns (12 of large calibre), numerous trench-mortars, hundreds of machine-guns, and over 8,000 prisoners, 125 of whom were officers. On the evening of the 27th, the infantry fought fiercely for the last _points d’appui_ assigned to them for that day. In order to prevent a counter-offensive by the Germans, General Pershing rapidly organised, behind the ground already won, a line of defence through Gercourt, Drillancourt, Juré Wood, Dannevoux, Nantillois, Eclisfontaine, Charpentry, Montblainville and Apremont. On the 28th, the resistance of the enemy further stiffened: fresh troops carried out repeated counter-attacks on the French right and against the American centre. The Americans, however, reached the outskirts of Brieulles-sur-Meuse, Ogons Wood, the southern edge of Cierges, and the northern outskirts of Apremont, whilst in the forest, the Franco-American liaison troops occupied the Crochet shelter. On the west the French approached Binarville and reached Ivoy Farm. Up to that point, the American Air Force, fully maintaining its supremacy in the air, had brought down twelve observation balloons and over sixty enemy aeroplanes.