The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
World War, 1914-1918
October 11, 1918, was memorable in the history of the organization of
the American Expeditionary Force, as, on that day, General Pershing
appointed Major General Hunter Liggett our pioneer corps commander, to
command the 1st American Army, and appointed Major General Robert L.
Bullard to the command of the 2d Army which was operating on the Saint
Mihiel salient. Both were veterans who had won the additional star of
a lieutenant general which they now received for long service in
France. General Bullard had commanded the 1st Division; and two other
men who had been trained in that veteran school also received
promotions. Major General John L. Hines, who had come to France as a
major, succeeded General Bullard in command of the 3d Corps and Major
General Charles F. Summerall was given command of the 5th Corps in
place of General Cameron. Major General Dickman, who had commanded the
3d Division in the Château-Thierry operations, succeeded General
Liggett in command of the First Corps.
On October 14, 1918, another general attack for the length of the main
battle front took place. The Germans could not afford to lose any
great depth of ground or their main positions defending the crest of
the whaleback would be in danger. All their skill was applied in their
maze of machine-gun positions, to utilize every detail of advantage of
that monstrously favorable ground of slopes, woods, and ravines. The
American divisions, steeled now to this ruthless fighting against a
hidden enemy, took machine guns only to find that there were machine
guns behind them; they took woods, ravines, and crests only to find
that there were more woods, ravines, and crests yet to be conquered.
They made vital gains and fought off fierce counterattacks to hold
them. And the Germans brought in still more divisions and still more
artillery and machine guns in their desperate determination which they
set against that unremitting offensive spirit and unyielding will of
the Americans. Under cold rain and mist in the soaked earth the
grinding continued.
After the 77th Division had come out victorious from its long fight in
the Argonne Forest, McCrea's 78th "Lightning" National Army Division
had relieved it in that inconceivably hard and thankless task of
cleaning up the town of Grand Pré and the positions north of the gap
of Grand Pré. Day after day it kept on attacking even when there was a
lull in other parts of the line. When Wright's 89th Division came into
the line we had in these men of the Middle West, well drilled and in
fine fettle, another new force in the battle which was to bring honor
to the National Army and the nation. The 89th and the 90th and 5th
Divisions and other divisions improved their opportunities in the
final week of October, 1918, by taking positions which were valuable
for the general attack, now in preparation, which was to take place on
November 1, 1918.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account