The three corps of the American First Army, after the promotion of Generals Liggett and Bullard, were commanded as follows: The 1st Corps by General Dickman, the 5th Corps by General Summerall, and the 3rd Corps by General Hines. This was the state of affairs on October 14, when the general attack was launched. The 1st Corps captured St. Juvin and reached the outskirts of St. Georges. In the centre the 5th Corps passed Cunel and Romagne, and reached the outskirts of Landres-St. Georges village. Along the Meuse, the 3rd Corps passed Forêt Wood, while on the east of the Meuse the French 17th Corps fought a violent engagement in the woods of Coures and Ormont. The fight waxed furious. On the 16th, the Americans took the Hill of Châtillon and the village of Champigneulle, while on the following day they were definitely masters of Grandpré. To the west of the Argonne the French, who had entered Vouziers, on the 12th, after a very hard struggle and in spite of several counter-attacks, cleared Termes and entered Mouron. On the 14th, they drove the enemy back beyond the Grandpré--Vouziers road, and two days later took Talma and Hill 222 to the north-west. The Germans, whose resources were fast diminishing, made a desperate but unsuccessful resistance, and there was much confusion among the enemy units engaged in the valleys of the Aisne and the Aire. The battalions withdrawn from the firing line were hastily reorganised at the base, and at once despatched to the most critical points. The main positions were held by picked troops and especially by machine-gunners, whose numbers and stubbornness caused great ravage in the Allied ranks. From Grandpré to Rethel the country had been inundated. Apparently, the enemy were constructing a new line (the “Freyastellung”) to the north of the “Kriemhilde” position. The new line passed north of Landres and Bantheville, through Hazois Wood, the Farms of La Dhuy and Grand Carré, and along the northern slopes of the valley of the Andon, between Bantheville ad Cléry-le-Petit. [Illustration: VARENNES. RENAULT TANKS WITH 1-1/2-IN. GUNS, USED BY THE AMERICAN FORCES] On the 17th, fierce fighting took place between Olizy and Grandpré; the French advanced north-west of Olizy, but after a violent bombardment were forced back from Talma by a counter-attack. On the 18th, they crossed the Aisne to the north-east and east of Vouziers, capturing Vandy and Pissois Farm and reaching the western outskirts of Chestres. Meanwhile, American patrols entered Loges Wood, Landres-St. Georges and Bantheville Wood, all of which had been abandoned by the enemy.