G OUT THE ST. MIHIEL SALIENT
The first major exploit carried out independently by the American army
was the obliteration of the St. Mihiel salient, which had been in
German hands since 1914, a spectacular achievement, carried out in two
days with great brilliance and precision. The picture shows U. S.
troops following the Germans through Thiaucourt, one of the towns on
the salient.

For some months, here and there, on the French and British lines small
detachments of American troops flanked on both sides by the Allied
forces, had been learning the art of war. Here and there they had been
under fire. At Cantigny itself they had resisted attack. On May 27th
General Pershing had reported "In Picardy, after violent artillery
preparations, hostile infantry detachments succeeded in penetrating our
advance positions in two points. Our troops counter-attacked, completely
expelling the enemy and entering his lines." They had also been fighting
that day in the Woevre sector where a raiding party had been repulsed.
There had been other skirmishes, too, in which many Americans had won
honors both from Great Britain and France. But the attack at Cantigny
was the first distinct American advance.

The Americans penetrated the German positions to the depth of nearly a
mile. Their artillery completely smothered the Germans, and its whirr
could be heard for many miles in the rear. Twelve French tanks supported
the American infantry. The artillery preparation lasted for one hour,
and then the lines of Americans went over the top. A strong unit of
flame throwers and engineers aided the Americans. The American barrage
moved forward a hundred yards in two minutes and then a hundred yards in
four minutes. The infantry followed with clock-like precision. Fierce
hand-to-hand fighting occurred in Cantigny, which contained a large
tunnel and a number of caves. The Americans hurled hand grenades like
baseballs into these shelters.

The attack had been carefully planned and was rehearsed by the infantry
with the tanks. In every detail it was under the direction of the
Superior French Command, to whom much of the credit for its success was
due. The news of the American success created general satisfaction among
the French and English troops. The operation, of course, was not one of
the very greatest importance. It was a sort of an experiment, but coming
as it did, in the middle of the great German Drive, it was ominous.
America had