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 26th, 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 co-operating
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 32d. The 42d and 32d undertook
the task of conquering the heights beyond Cierges, the 42d capturing
Sergy and the 32d 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 42d was relieved by the 4th, and
the 32d by the 28th, while the 77th Division took up a position on the
Vesle. The operations of these divisions on the Vesle were under the 3d
Corps, Major Gen. Robert L. Bullard commanding.

With the reduction of the Marne salient, we could look forward to the
concentration of our divisions in our own zone. In view of the
forthcoming operation against the St. Mihiel salient, which had long been
planned as our first offensive action on a large scale, the First Ar