There were some tough nuts to crack besides Cantigny itself, such as
the trench system protecting it on the south, also part of the Fontaine
Wood, and some separate houses at the crossroads at the southeastern
outskirts of the town, but all were reduced with bombs, bayonets, or
rifles, while the machine guns which went along with the infantry also
aided.
Besides all this, a heavy smoke barrage was used, not only to screen
our infantry from boche observers, but to blind the boche gunners. The
tremendous effectiveness of the whole thing was shown by the fact that
for nearly a half hour after the infantry went over the top, the German
artillery was practically silenced. This was due especially to the
accurate counterbattery work of the French heavies.
So the Americans in their first attack had the aid of every engine of
modern warfare--tanks, gas, flame throwers, smoke barrage, numbers of
airplanes, machine guns and automatic rifles, while some especially
heavy trench mortars also were concentrated and hurled great bombs into
the German trenches from close range. Reports all agree that the German
defenses were completely leveled, and the smashed up trenches look like
a field plowed by a giant harrow. Our men walked into the trenches
through great gaps torn in the barbed wire, but in many places there
was no wire at all for great stretches. So much for the main outlines
of the attack.