THIRD ARMY CORPS

3d (Regular Army) Division, commanded by Major-General Joseph T. Dickman.

5th (Regular Army) Division, commanded by Major-General John E. McMahon.

78th (National Army) Division, commanded by Major-General J. N. McRae, composed of troops from Delaware and New York.

80th (National Army) Division, commanded by Major-General Adalbert Cronkhite, composed of troops from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

33d (National Guard) Division, commanded by Major-General George Bell, composed of troops from Illinois.

27th (National Guard) Division, commanded by Major-General John F. O'Ryan, composed of troops from New York.

The total number of officers and men in the army about the middle of July was approximately 2,200,000, distributed as follows:

At the front with General Pershing...

700,000 Training in France and England, or en route to Europe... 400,000 Training in the United States and stationed at army posts. 1,100,000

Total.....

2,200,000

The Germans launched their final attack in the Marne salient on July 15th. It was a simultaneous effort directed against Gouraud with the cutting of the French lines at Châlons and Epernay in the Champagne region as an objective. The other phase of the attack was as has been said, directed against the Marne salient.

But Gouraud was wide awake and waiting. By a miracle of intelligent efficiency the one-armed hero knew exactly the minute when the German assault would be launched. Notwithstanding the utmost secrecy with which the German artillery and infantry were made ready, and massed against Gouraud's front the French were prepared with a preponderance of men and munitions. With Gouraud was the spectacular 42d (Rainbow) Division of Americans.

At the same time the attack against Gouraud was launched, the Germans smashed in the direction of Dormans and Château-Thierry. Here the Americans were massed in force. Pershing was as well informed and as ready as was Gouraud. The gigantic German effort, like a huge tidal

wave, advanced behind an artillery barrage, skillfully laid and of intense fury. To the dismay of the German High Command there came an instant reply from the French and Americans. The artillery answer completely destroyed the effect of the German fire. Virtually every German gun was located and every mass of German infantry that swept forward behind the German barrage encountered a withering blast of machine gun and artillery fire.

The experience was unprecedented in the history of the German troops. They faltered, wavered, dug themselves in, and retreated. Here and there small advances were made, but the effort was checked in its tracks. The plans of Ludendorff, Von Hindenburg and the Crown Prince were dashed to fragments and the back of Germany's last great offensive was broken.

T

CHAPTER XII

AMERICA'S COUNTER-OFFENSIVE

HE Germans were held in their tracks on the MarneAisne drive. There wasn't the slightest doubt about that. Two great objectives lay immediately before the Germans; Soissons and Rheims. Before Rheims the enemy's advance was broken off as a lance is splintered when it encounters a stone wall. In other directions the Germans encountered the same dauntless spirit. Here for the first time the citizen soldiers of the American Republic received their baptism of fire in the Great War. L and M Companies of the 109th, and B and C Companies of the 110th Regiments of the 28th Pennsylvania National Guard Division were in the very forefront of the allied defense south of Dormans. With them in the line of the Marne from Château-Thierry to Dormans were the 3d Division of American regulars and the 125th Division of French poilus. The Pennsylvania guardsmen had been prepared for battle by being brigaded with the British for two weeks. The four companies named with a combined strength of a thousand men were put into the front line with French units separating them.

The tremendous German barrage preceding the enemy's advance commenced at midnight of July 14th. German shells poured like hailstones into all the front-line trenches of the Allies. Back of it came the infantry in a desperate effort to break through. Held along most of the line, the Germans managed to swing their pontoons across the Marne at Dormans and to send their hosts across and down the south bank at Château-Thierry.

A terrific attack was immediately launched upon the 125th French Division which included the American National Guard units. More experienced and prudent in battle, the French units retreated in good order, leaving the four Pennsylvania companies isolated to hold the front line.

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As one

man the gallant one thousand fought to hold back the oncoming tide of invasion. Outnumbered fifty to one with no supports and with no lines of communication for food or munitions four companies stood like rocks in the path of the German host. Each little band of two hundred and fifty men acting individually and without communication with any other group determined to fight it out on that line, let come what may. When that bloody first battle of American militia in the World War was done, less than four hundred of the thousand came back. Those who remained were for the most part either wounded or sustained severe shell-shock.

In L Company Captain Cousart was captured, as was Lieutenant Abraham Mildenberg, while Lieutenant William Bateman was killed and Lieutenant James Dyer was reported missing. Lieutenant James Schock brought off a platoon of survivors.

Captain Mackay, of M Company, also managed to escape with ten men as did Lieutenant Thomas B. W. Fales with a whole platoon, while Lieutenants William B. Brown, Walter L. Sworts and Edward Hitzcroth were captured.

In B Company, of the 110th, Captain Fish, Lieutenant Claude Smith and Lieutenant Gilmore Hayman brought off about 123 men, while Lieutenant James Gus Graham and Lieutenant Bert Guy were taken prisoner, the latter being so badly wounded that he died shortly after reaching a German prison camp in Bauthen, Silesia.

Captain Truxal and Lieutenants Wilbur E. Schell, C Company, 110th, were taken prisoner, as was James Gee, of A Company, who had been temporarily assigned to C, while Captain Charles L. McLain, of F Company, also assigned to C, was gassed, and Lieutenant Samuel S. Crouse killed.

On the left the 3d American Division held intact, but the collapse of the French and the isolation and ultimate destruction of the four companies of the 28th Division endangered the entire right flank of the American forces and at the same time formed a pocket which began at Mezy and continued westward to Dormans. In this extremity the 38th United States Infantry, the most eastern unit of the 3d Division, swung its right wing down the course of the Sumerlin River as far as

Connigis, where a portion of the 125th French Division, reorganized, maintained a front extending southeasterly to Monthurel.

From Monthurel due eastward ran the line of the 109th Infantry, thus suddenly thrown from support to a front line

position. To the right of the 109th lay the 20th French Division, a shock unit which had been hurried up when the 125th collapsed. The 110th American Infantry, west of the Sumerlin, while exposed to the Hun bombardment was protected by the French line between Connigis and Monthurel, from direct attack.