jumped off in the direction of Bapaume. Tanks and armored car batteries kept pace with the infantry and mobile artillery swept a hurricane of shells into the ranks of the retreating Germans.

All along the line German snipers and isolated machinegun billets were extremely busy, but these were silenced one by one as the advance proceeded. The Germans made an extraordinary effort to blow up with field-gun-fire ammunition and other dumps which they had to leave. They abandoned

an enormous quantity of stores and ammunition. Allied cavalrymen operated for more than twenty-four hours for the first time in four years. They rode through great holes torn in the German line by the infantry. Allied airmen blew up many of the bridges over the Somme river. The British cavalry rounded up many prisoners, but the most of those taken in the early stages of the fighting were captured by Australians and Canadians.

The scene at Bayonvillers was typical of the rest of the battle area, broad fields of crops or brown grass fringed the

town and spread for miles over the surrounding country. Abandoned German field guns with little piles of empty shell cases and the bodies of Germans lay here and there, telling the story of what had happened. Lying off on the side of the road were enemy motor trucks, one of them with a trailer filled with artillery maps-some the headquarters staff could

not save.

The guns abandoned here, as elsewhere, were in shallow pits three feet deep. Little holes nearby, covered with curved iron slabs, showed where the German gunners lived before they were killed or ran to save themselves. Harbonnières was shelled to pieces. The walls showed the accuracy of the British artillery fire. Débris lay all over the streets, which bore little signs upon which German names had been written. Here the allied forces found the house which the German mayor of the town had occupied. The whole top had been knocked off and several shells had hit the walls, but there were evidences that the mayor had stayed until the last moment in a room on the ground floor.

Montdidier, an important supply center for the Germans, was captured on August 10th. When the French troops entered, the Germans had not yet completely evacuated the town, clinging to the outskirts of the place with the help of machine guns. Some of these were being served by officers of the detachments, all the men having been killed or wounded. Following up this victory, the French cavalry, pushing far ahead, threw the Germans into disorder as they sought to fall back. In the wake of the cavalry came the armored cars with automatic guns, which scattered terror and destruction among the retreating foe.

The 2d Corps, comprising the 27th and 30th Divisions of the American Army were assigned by General Byng to a position of high honor in co-operation with the Australian Corps during the assault upon the Hindenburg line. This attack was made from September 29th to October 1st inclusive at a point where the St. Quentin Canal passes under a ridge of hills through a tunnel. The 27th Division won glory for American dash and soldierly qualities when it smashed the Hindenburg line and pushed on beyond its objective until it

occupied the town of Gouy, back of the line. The 30th Division also smashed through the German defenses and captured all its objectives speedily. This assault was delivered through a maze of barbed wire entanglements, heavily fortified trenches and shell craters and through a scientific cross-fire from machine guns.

The 30th and 27th Divisions remained in action on this front until October 19th. In that period they captured more than 6,000 prisoners, sustained heavy losses and advanced more than thirteen miles.

Albert, Thiepval, Bapaume, Croisselles, Peronne, Pozieres and a "switch line" at Droucourt-Quéant all fell. Tanks and mobile artillery kept pace with the advance of the infantry and fast motorized machine gun battalions ranged ahead of the British, Australian, Canadian and American wave. Airplanes swooping like corsairs of the air attacked German infantry and supply trains, creating panic wherever they appeared. In the town of Doury a number of German officers were captured with their battalions. Mont Doury was

taken after a terrific assault.

In this advance, the Americans and Australians formed a friendship founded upon mutual admiration of soldierly qualities.

E

CHAPTER XIV

AMERICAN ARMY ORGANIZED

VENTS marched so swiftly that the American forces in
France were now ready to act independently. True

they had lacked the intensive training in battle areas that had been given to the soldiers of the French, British, German and Austrian Armies, but their vigor, athletic habits and mental initiative and resourcefulness had fitted them for the gigantic offensive which had been planned by Marshal Foch.

General Pershing to whom America had committed the direction of its forces in the field, after consultation with his associates in the American, British and French Armies, planned five army corps welded together in one great army under his command. His chief-of-staff was Major-General James W. McAndrew.

Organization was upon the most modern lines with all battle services represented in units proportioned to the duties encountered in a warfare which combined aviation, poison gas, flame throwers, trench mortars and other destructive agencies unknown in previous wars.

The arrangement by army corps as made just before the grand assault in the St. Mihiel salient follows:

1ST ARMY CORPS

Major-General Hunter Liggett, commanding.

1st and 2d Divisions, Regular Army; 26th, (New England), 32d, (Michigan and Wisconsin), 41st, (Washington, Oregon, North and South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Minnesota), and 42d (Rainbow, troops from twenty-six states) Divisions, National Guard.

1ST DIVISION-Major-General Charles P. Summerall, commanding; Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell King, Chief-of-Staff; Major H. K. Loughry, Adjutant-General.

1st Brigade, Infantry-Major John L. Hines; 16th and 18th Regiments; 2d Machine Gun Battalion.

2d Brigade, Infantry-Major-General Beaumont B. Buck; 26th and 28th Regiments; 3d Machine Gun Battalion.

1st Brigade, Field Artillery-(Commanding officer not announced); 5th, 6th, and 7th Regiments; 1st Trench Mortar Battery.

Engineer Troops-1st Regiment.

Signal Troops-2d Battalion.

Division Units-1st Machine Gun Battalion.

2D DIVISION (U. s. M. c.)—Brigadier-General John E. Le Jeune, commanding; Brigadier-General Preston Brown, Chief-of-Staff.

3d Brigade, Infantry-Brigadier-General Hanson E. Ely; 9th and 23d Regiments; 5th Machine Gun Battalion.

4th Brigade, Infantry (Marines)-Brigadier-General John E. Le Jeune; 5th and 6th Regiments; 6th Machine Gun Battalion.

2d Brigade, Field Artillery-Brigadier-General A. J. Bowley; 12th, 15th, and 17th Regiments; 2d Trench Mortar Battery.

Engineer Troops-2d Regiment.

Signal Troops-1st Battalion.

Division Units-2d Division Headquarters Troop; 4th Machine Gun Battalion.

26TH DIVISION-Major-General Clarence R. Edwards, commanding; Lieutenant-Colonel Cassius M. Dowell, Chief-of-Staff; Major Charles A. Stevens, Adjutant-General.

51st Brigade, Infantry-Brigadier-General George H. Shelton; 101st and 102d Regiments; 102d Machine Gun Battalion.

52d Brigade, Infantry-Brigadier-General C. H. Cole; 103d and 104th Regiments; 103d Machine Gun Battalion.

51st Brigade, Field Artillery-Brigadier-General D. E. Aultman; 101st, 102d, and 103d Regiments; 101st Trench Mortar Battery. Engineer Troops-101st Regiment.

Signal Troops-101st Field Battalion.

Division Units-26th Headquarters Troop; 101st Machine Gun Battalion.

32D DIVISION-Major-General W. G. Haan, commanding; LieutenantColonel Allen L. Briggs, Chief-of-Staff; Major John H. Howard, AdjutantGeneral.

63d Brigade, Infantry-Brigadier-General William D. Connor; 125th and 126th Regiments; 120th Machine Gun Battalion.

64th Brigade, Infantry-Brigadier-General E. B. Winans; 127th and 128th Regiments; 121st Machine Gun Battalion.

57th Brigade, Field Artillery-Brigadier-General G. Le Roy Irwin; 119th, 120th, and 121st Regiments; 107th Trench Mortar Battery. Engineer Troops-107th Regiment.

Signal Troops-107th Battalion.

Division Units-32d Headquarters Troop; 119th Machine Gun Battalion.

41ST DIVISION (Sunset)-Major-General Robert Alexander, com