try around Fismes and near Soissons. On August 29th after a furious
battle they captured the plain of Juvigny, north of Soissons.

In all these battles the Americans were doing their part at difficult
points, during the great French drive which was clearing out the Marne
salient.

On the 12th of September, the first American army, assisted by certain
French units, and under the direct command of General Pershing, launched
an attack against the St. Mihiel salient. This was the most important
operation of the American troops in the Great War. It was a complete
success. September 12th was the fourth anniversary of the establishment
of the salient, which reached out from the German line in the direction
of Verdun.

The attack was fighting on a grand scale, and that such an operation
should be intrusted to the American army indicated an entirely new phase
of America's participation in the war. It was preceded by a barrage
lasting four hours. The German troops, though probably suspecting that
such an attack was coming, were nevertheless surprised. The American
attack was on the southern leg of the salient along a distance of twelve
miles. The French attacked on the western side from a front of eight
miles. Each attack was eminently successful. On the southern front the
Americans reached their first objectives at some points an hour ahead of
schedule time. Thiaucourt was captured early in the drive; later the
Americans gained possession of Nonsard, Pannes, and Bouillonville.

[Illustration: Map: Verdun in the Northwest corner, St. Mihiel in
Southwest, Metz in the Northeast]
THE GREAT ST. MIHIEL SALIENT ESTABLISHED IN 1914 WAS OBLITERATED BY
THE AMERICANS IN SEPTEMBER, 1918

At first the resistance of the Germans, without being tame, was not
actually stiff, and the doughboys were able to sweep toward the second
line of any position without difficulty. There, however, the Germans
began to defend themselves sharply, which delayed, but did not stop the
American advance. The attack was made in two waves and carried the
American forces a distance of about five miles.

The next day the attack continued, and General Pershing's dispatch
stated: "In the St. Mihiel sector we have achieved further successes.
The junction of our troops advancing from the south of the sector with
those advancing from the west has given us possession of the whole
salient to points twelve miles northeast of St. Mihiel, and has resulted
in the cap