obvious reasons,
a distinct American sector; but, in view of the important parts the
American forces were now to play, it was necessary to take over a
permanent portion of the line. Accordingly, on August 30, the line
beginning at Port sur Seille, east of the Moselle and extending to the
west through St. Mihiel, thence north to a point opposite Verdun, was
placed under my command. The American sector was afterward extended
across the Meuse to the western edge of the Argonne Forest, and included
the 2d Colonial French, which held the point of the salient, and the
17th French Corps, which occupied the heights above Verdun.

The preparation for a complicated operation against the formidable
defenses in front of us included the assembling of divisions and of
corps and army artillery, transport, aircraft, tanks, ambulances, the
location of hospitals, and the molding together of all of the elements
of a great modern army with its own railroads, supplied directly by our
own Service of Supply, The concentration for this operation, which
was to be a surprise, involved the movement, mostly at night, of
approximately 600,000 troops, and required for its success the most
careful attention to every detail.

The French were generous in giving us assistance in corps and army
artillery, with its personnel, and we were confident from the start of
our superiority over the enemy in guns of all calibers. Our heavy guns
were able to reach Metz and to interfere seriously with German rail
movements. The French Independent Air Force was placed under my command
which, together with the British bombing squadrons and our air forces,
gave us the largest assembly of aviation that had ever been engaged in
one operation on the Western front.

From Les Eparges around the nose of the salient at St. Mihiel to the
Moselle River the line was roughly forty miles long and situated on
commanding ground greatly strengthened by artificial defenses. Our 1st
Corps (82d, 90th, 5th and 2d Divisions), under command of Major-Gen.
Hunter Liggett, restrung its right on Pont-a-Mousson, with its left
joining our 3d Corps (the 89th, 42d and 1st Divisions), under Major-Gen.
Joseph T. Dickman, in line to Xivray, were to swing toward Vigneulles on
the pivot of the Moselle River for the initial assault. From Xivray to
Mouilly the 2d Colonial French Corps was in line in the center, and our
5th Corps, under command of Major-Gen. George H. Cameron, with our 26th
Division an