The 2d conquered the complicated defense works on their front against a
persistent defense worthy of the grimmest period of trench warfare
and attacked the strongly held wooded hill of Blanc Mont, which they
captured in a second assault, sweeping over it with consummate dash and
skill. This division then repulsed strong counterattacks before the
village and cemetery of Ste. Etienne and took the town, forcing the
Germans to fall back from before Rheims and yield positions they had
held since September, 1914. On October 9 the 36th Division relieved
the 2d, and in its first experience under fire withstood very severe
artillery bombardment and rapidly took up the pursuit of the enemy, now
retiring behind the Aisne.

MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE, SECOND PHASE

The allied progress elsewhere cheered the efforts of our men in
this crucial contest, as the German command threw in more and more
first-class troops to stop our advance. We made steady headway in the
almost impenetrable and strongly held Argonne Forest, for, despite this
reinforcement, it was our army that was doing the driving. Our aircraft
was increasing in skill and numbers and forcing the issue, and our
infantry and artillery were improving rapidly with each new experience.
The replacements fresh from home were put into exhausted divisions with
little time for training, but they had the advantage of serving
beside men who knew their business and who had almost become veterans
overnight. The enemy had taken every advantage of the terrain, which
especially favored the defense by a prodigal use of machine guns manned
by highly trained veterans and by using his artillery at short ranges.
In the face of such strong frontal positions we should have been unable
to accomplish and progress according to previously accepted standards,
but I had every confidence in our aggressive tactics and the courage of
our troops.

On October 4 the attack was renewed all along our front. The 3d Corps,
tilting to the left, followed the Brieulles-Cunel Road; our 5th Corps
took Gesnes, while the 1st Corps advanced for over two miles along
the irregular valley of the Aire River and in the wooded hills of the
Argonne that bordered the river, used by the enemy with all his art and
weapons of defense. This sort of fighting continued against an
enemy striving to hold every foot of ground and whose very strong
counterattacks challenged us at every point. On the 7th the 1st Corps
captured Chatel-Che