y took up the pursuit of the enemy, now retiring behind the Aisne.

[Sidenote: Steady progress in the Argonne Forest.]

[Sidenote: The terrain favors the defense.]

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 any progress according to previously accepted standards,
but I had every confidence in our aggressive tactics and the courage of
our troops.

[Sidenote: Strong enemy counterattacks.]

[Sidenote: First Corps takes Chatel-Chehery.]

[Sidenote: Argonne Forest is cleared.]

On October 4 the attack was renewed all along our front. The Third Corps
tilting to the left followed the Brieulles-Cunel road; our Fifth Corps
took Gesnes while the First Corps advanced for over 2 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 First Corps
captured Chatel-Chehery and continued along the river to Cornay. On the
east of Meuse sector one of the two Divisions cooperating with the
French captured Consenvoye and the Haumont Woods. On the 9th the Fifth
Corps, in its progress up the Aire, took Fleville, and the Third Corps
which had continuous fighting against odds was working its way through
Brieulles and Cunel. On the 10th we had cleared the Argonne Forest of
the enemy.

[Sidenote: The Second Army is organized.]