ther portions
of the American 93rd Division were a part. This army was holding a line
50 kilometers long, stretching between Rheims and the Argonne Forest. It
was the intention of the Germans to capture Chalons and then proceed
down the Marne Valley to Paris. It was expected that the big German
drive would begin on July 4th, but as it turned out it did not begin
until the night of the 14th--the French national holiday.

On July 1st, the 369th had been moved from its sector further toward the
east where the center of the attack was expected. Upon the 14th of July
the French made a raid for the purpose of getting prisoners and
information. This had a tremendous effect upon the whole course of the
war, for through it General Gouraud's staff learned that at midnight the
Boche artillery preparation was to begin, and at 5:25 o'clock on the
morning of the 15th the Germans were coming over the top.

This phase of the operation is described by Col. Hayward as follows:

"This is what Gen. Gouraud--Pa Gouraud we called him--did: He knew
the Boche artillery would at the appointed hour start firing on our
front lines, believing as was natural, that they would be strongly
held. So he withdrew all his forces including the old 15th, to the
intermediate positions, which were at a safe distance back of the
front lines. Then, at the point where he expected would be the apex
of the drive he sent out two patrols, totalling sixteen men.

"These sixteen had certain camouflage to perform. They were to set
going a certain type of French machine gun which would fire of its
own accord for awhile after being started off. They were to run
from one of these guns to the other and start them. Also the
sixteen were to send up rockets, giving signals, which the Germans
of course knew as well as we. Then again they were to place gas
shells--with the gas flowing out of them--in all the dugouts of the
first line. Meanwhile the French artillery had registered directly
on our own front trenches, so that it could slaughter the Germans
when they came across, believing those trenches to be occupied as
usual.

"Everything worked out as expected, and as luck had it, most of
those gallant sixteen Frenchmen got back safely.

"Five minutes before the Germans started their artillery
preparation for the drive Gen. Gouraud started his cannon going and