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
With ample artillery and fresh reserves at our command we were
determined to gain the summit of the whaleback in a final drive. This
was the third phase of the battle, the second having been the long
merciless hammering throughout the month of October, 1918, in which
the endurance, the nerves and the aggressive spirit of American
soldiers were tested as they never were before. Every day we were
becoming more skillful in combat and our traffic arrangements were
improving in their organization. The line from left to right on the
morning of November 1, 1918, was: the 78th, 77th, 80th, 2d, 89th,
90th, and 5th Divisions. Our infantry, protected by the best artillery
service which it had ever had, with the exception of some delay at
certain points, irresistible in its sweep everywhere, gained its
objectives, mastering the heights for which it had fought for six
weeks. On November 2, 1918, the German communiqué made its confession
to the German people that the American army had broken the German
line.
The battle now became one of skillful maneuvers and rapid pursuit down
the apron of lesser heights and slopes toward the Meuse. Behind the
1st Corps in reserve was the 42d Division; behind the 5th Corps in the
center the 1st; and behind the 3d Corps on the right the 32d. These
three veteran divisions, after their rest from the fearful fighting of
the second phase of the battle, now had the opportunity finally, as
the movement spread, to join in the glorious final phase which saw
that army of regulars, guardsmen, and draftmen, the strongest force
America had ever had under arms, as citizens victorious in the cause
of democracy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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