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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FIGHTING YANKEE DIVISION

by JOHN NELSON

Page 10

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neighboring villages, in the suburbs of the French capital—so Gen. Edwards states. Furloughs were to be expected. But there was no rest for these war-worn soldiers. They did get to Panton, in sight of the Eiffel Tower, but never detrained. The trains reversed their direction, and proceeded back, eastward, to the Marne front at Chateau-Thierry. They were to relieve the 2d Division, including the Marines, which division at Bois Belleau had won immortal glory by breaking the impact of perhaps the most menacing of all the German drives.

'THE SAVIORS OF PARIS'

The world knows what the Yankee Division did at Chateau- Thierry; how it earned from the French the name of Saviors of Paris, and from the famous Gen. Degoutte of the Sixth French Army the thrilling words: The 26th Division alone is responsible for the whole Allied advance on the Marne. They are shock troops, par excellence! Sweet words these must have been to those brave soldier boys.

The division took its position on July 9. It relieved the 2d Division, which had hurled back the German advance on the his­toric June 2. The 2d Division fought the first battle of Chateau-Thierry, the Yankee Division fought the second battle of Chateau-Thierry. The New England boys broke the final thrust of the last German drive, and their counter-attack was the initial impact of the series of giant blows which for four months kept the Hun reeling backward, until, beaten, he surrendered.

When the 26th went into position at Vaux there was not even a territorial between it and Paris. The German armies were mass­ing for the fourth great drive of the series which started in March. The sector had been comparatively quiet, but almost immediately upon the arrival of the Y. D. the enemy artillery fire became intense: The Yankees had no trenches, nor shelters of any kind. The forest, including Belleau Woods, was shattered to pieces.

On the 15th, following a bombardment which was described as more severe than the war had previously known, deluging the Allied lines even to the rearmost positions with gas and high explosives, the Germans struck in massed formation and in over­whelmingly superior numbers. The French were forced back across the Marne.

THE Y. D. TURNS THE TIDE OF WAR

The artillery of the 26th was placed with orders that an attack in force against their positions was inevitable; that they must meet the onslaught with the most intense fire possible and keep firing

 

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