with chosen French divisions.  Without the usual brief warning of a preliminary bombardment, the massed French and American artillery, firing by the map, laid down its rolling barrage at dawn while the infantry began its charge.  The tactical handling of our troops under these trying conditions was excellent throughout the action.  The enemy brought up large numbers of reserves and made a stubborn defense, both with machine guns and artillery, but through five days’ fighting the 1st Division continued to advance until it had gained the heights above Soissons and captured the village of Berzy-le-Sec.  The 2d Division took Beau Repaire farm and Vierzy in a very rapid advance and reached a position in front of Tigny at the end of its second day.  These two divisions captured 7,000 prisoners and over 100 pieces of artillery.

The 26th Division, which, with a French division, was under command of our 1st Corps, acted as a pivot of the movement toward Soissons.  On the 18th it took the village of Torcy while the 3d Division was crossing the Marne in pursuit of the retiring enemy.  The 26th attacked again on the 21st, and the enemy withdrew past the Chateau-Thierry-Soissons road.  The 3d Division, continuing its progress, took the heights of Mont St. Pere and the villages of Charteves and Jaulgonne in the face of both machine gun and artillery fire.

On the 24th, after the Germans had fallen back from Trugny and Epieds, our 42d Division, which had been brought over from the Champagne, relieved the Twenty-sixth, and fighting its way through the Foret de Fere, overwhelmed the nest of machine guns in its path.  By the 27th it had reached the Ourcq, whence the 3d and 4th Divisions were already advancing, while the French divisions with which we were cooperating were moving forward at other points.

The 3d Division had made its advance into Roncheres Wood on the 29th and was relieved for rest by a brigade of the Thirty-second.  The Forty-second and Thirty-second undertook the task of conquering the heights beyond Cierges, the Forty-second capturing Sergy and the Thirty-second capturing Hill 230, both American divisions joining in the pursuit of the enemy to the Vesle, and thus the operation of reducing the salient was finished.  Meanwhile the Forty-second was relieved by the Fourth at Chery-Chartreuve, and the Thirty-second by the Twenty-eighth, while the 77th Division took up a position on the Vesle.  The operations of these divisions on the Vesle were under the 3d Corps, Maj.-Gen. Robert L. Bullard commanding.

BATTLE OF ST. MIHIEL