_Correspondent with the American Army_
_This stirring narrative of the first attack and capture of enemy
territory by the American forces in France was written by a staff
correspondent of The New York Evening Sun. It constitutes a memorable
chapter in our military history, not because of the size of the town
captured, but because the event marks the beginning of offensive
operations in Europe by the United States Army. The brave men who took
Cantigny--at the apex of the German salient aimed at Amiens--continued
to hold it against all counterattacks through the succeeding weeks.
Under date of May 29, 1918, Mr. Johnson cabled from the front:_
The Americans have made their first real attack of the war, and it is
a complete success. Advancing up a wooded slope behind French tanks
and protected by a perfect and annihilating barrage from French and
American guns, our infantry at 7 o'clock Tuesday morning, May 28,
stormed and captured the village of Cantigny, northwest of Montdidier,
and the German defenses to the north and south, making an advance of a
mile on a two-mile front.
The Americans went over in open formation at 6:45 o'clock, advancing
at an easy walk and maintaining intervals as if on parade. The sun
had just risen, and through streaky clouds all about tongues of red
flame were darting from the muzzles of hundreds of massed guns, big
and small, while the air itself quivered with the shock of explosions,
mingled with the deafening yet purring roar that is called drum fire.
Cantigny itself was turned into a veritable hell, a pillar of fire and
smoke, and into it went the crawling, sinister tanks followed by the
American infantry in thin lines or little groups. For a while they
were swallowed up in the great white and brown and black cloud that
enveloped the village, then back to the American line came the first
message: "We're here! Everything O. K.!"
Thus these troops of the New World made their first real entry into the
war. Thus they did what they could to help in offsetting the new German
effort. Compared with the giant struggle going on elsewhere it was
just a little outburst, but we did our best with it and have succeeded.