[Illustration: FIRST STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE, SHOWING THE
ALLIES’ PROGRESS FROM SEPT. 26 (26/9) TO SEPT. 30 (30/9), 1918]
(_September 20--September 30, 1918._)
On September 26, 1918, the combined attack was launched on either side
of the Argonne. At 5.30 a.m., after an artillery preparation of six
hours on the French side, and of three hours on the American, the Allied
troops advanced to the attack. While the French took Servon, and gained
a footing on the low hills which skirt the right bank of the Aisne, the
Americans, who did not at first encounter great resistance, seized in a
single rush the first German position. The second line was soon reached,
and in spite of the increasing resistance, an average advance of about
four to six miles was effected. The Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Missouri
troops belonging to the 1st Corps (Liggett) took Varennes,
Montblainville, Cheppy, and cleared Vauquois.
On the right, the troops of the 3rd Corps (Bullard), crossing the Forges
stream, entered Malancourt, Béthincourt, Cuisy, Septsarges, Gercourt and
Drillancourt. On that day over 5,000 prisoners were captured by the
Americans.
On the 27th, the advance was slower; the fire of the enemy artillery
increased in intensity, and German reinforcements counter-attacked.
Nevertheless, the Americans carried Véry, Epinonville, Ivoiry and
Charpentry.
On the centre, the 5th Corps (Cameron) met with formidable resistance,
and in crossing the woods of Malancourt and Cheppy the troops from New
Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana suffered very
heavy losses. In addition, they had to face numerous German
counter-attacks. On the 26th it was impossible to reach the formidable
Heights of Montfaucon, but on the 27th the ridge, outflanked on the west
by the capture of Ivoiry, and on the east by that of Septsarges, fell
into the hands of the 5th Corps which reached Nantillois.
On the evening of the 27th, the American spoils included over 100 guns
(12 of large calibre), numerous trench-mortars, hundreds of
machine-guns, and over 8,000 prisoners, 125 of whom were officers.
On the evening of the 27th, the infantry fought fiercely for the last
_points d’appui_ assigned to them for that day.
In order to prevent a counter-offensive by the Germans, General Pershing
rapidly organised, behind the ground already won, a line of defence
through Gercourt, Drillancourt, Juré Wood, Dannevoux, Nantillois,
Eclisfontaine, Charpentry, Montblainville and Apremont.
On the 28th, the resistance of the enemy further stiffened: fresh troops
carried out repeated counter-attacks on the French right and against the
American centre. The Americans, however, reached the outskirts of
Brieulles-sur-Meuse, Ogons Wood, the southern edge of Cierges, and the
northern outskirts of Apremont, whilst in the forest, the
Franco-American liaison troops occupied the Crochet shelter. On the west
the French approached Binarville and reached Ivoy Farm.
Up to that point, the American Air Force, fully maintaining its
supremacy in the air, had brought down twelve observation balloons and
over sixty enemy aeroplanes.
The next day, the Germans, throwing fresh reinforcements into the
battle, counter-attacked furiously.
Between the Valley of the Aire and Cierges, the Americans had to fight
hard for several days, in order to resist the pressure of the enemy and
to hold the ground they had gained. On the 29th and 30th violent
fighting took place round Apremont. The Germans, reinforcing their
artillery, fired great numbers of gas shells. They stubbornly defended
the approaches of the “Kriemhilde” position, which from Champigneulle to
St. Juvin, through Cornay, Fléville, and the woods of Gesnes,
Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Cunel and Fays, reached the Meuse in the
Brieulles district.
Thus the first stage of the attack was over. The Americans had forced
the Germans to abandon their first and second lines and had captured
9,000 prisoners and more than 100 guns.