THE BATTLE OF CANTIGNY, THE FIRST OPERATION OF
OUR TROOPS.
Wilbert Murphy
(pp. 55-56)
The sector that the First Division occupied extended from
a point about four hundred kilometers west of Montdidier on
the highway between that city and Rouen, and thence northward
for five kilometers to the Montdidier-Amiens road at Hill 112.
The front line that we took over ran over rolling ground and
generally commanded lower ground in front of it, excepting near
the center of the sector where a sharp pocket existed across
a valley.
On the ridge northeast of this valley lay the little village
of Cantigny, occupied by the Germans and surrounded by their
strong points and their trenches. Behind the village were
woods which afforded them cover for troops and artillery positions.
A valley, three kilometers east, gave further good artillery
and reserve positions. Situated thus, the Germans were in a position
to make further attacks westward.
To remove the danger of attack the American command had planned
a local offensive to straighten out this sector and to
secure the hill on which was situated the village of Cantigny
that they might use it for its observations.
We were relieved from this sector on the 24th of May and
moved to the training area at Maisoncelle-St. Eusoye. Here
upon a territory exactly duplicating the terrain at the front,
we rehearsed the attack for three days. The night of May 27th
saw us again enroute to the lines, rested somewhat, and ready
for anything that might come our way in the attack.
By 3:30 the next morning we were in position in the front
line. At 5:45 our artillery brigade, in conjunction with
considerable French Corps Artillery, was to open the bombardment
and continue a fire of destruction and neutralization for an
hour. The plan of attack had been carefully worked out, three
battalions were to attack, of which one was to strike due east,
clearing the top of the hill crest north of Cantigny, and keeping
in touch with the 152nd French Division on the left.
The center battalion with twelve French Tanks and a platoon
of French flame-throwers, was to mop up the village with
its right companies, while its left companies kept on crossing
the plateau. Regardless of any fighting in the town, they were
to keep on and consolidate on the objective line in conjunction
with the left battalion.
At 5:45 with terrific force the bombardment opened. The valley
reverberated to the roll of the heavies and the drum fire
of the 75's. On the hill the village crumbled to a mass of
rock and stone. The trenches were obliterated and the hill and
valley were cloaked in a fog of smoke and dust from the bursting
shells. For an hour this continued. Then at 6:45 while the French
artillery continued its fire of neutralization, the American
gunners pulled their fire back to the initial barrage line, and
300 American machine guns let loose with a monstrous clatter,
a hail of bullets and added their voices to the tumult of the
barrage.
Then the barrage began its advance and at the signal we were
up and following that protecting curtain of death. To any-
one left behind, or any observers, it must have been a wonderful
sight to see the village crumble from the explosions and the
very ground upheave. Then the line of O. D. passed through the
valley, ascended the hill and passed on to the objective up the
hill.
In less than forty minutes we had covered the distance to
our objective and had flattened ourselves out on the ground
and commenced the work of digging in and consolidating our
position. This we accomplished in a very short time.
Shortly after we reached our objective, the Germans commenced
a heavy shelling of the whole sector. For 72 hours a
perfect deluge of German shells fell in the sector. Late
in the afternoon of the 28th, we repulsed the first counter-attack
and during the next two days successfully broke up six attempts
by the Germans to dislodge us from our lines either by infantry
attacks or machine gun or tank attacks.
We were relieved on the night of May 31, tired, hungry and
worn out by the strain of three days and nights of anxious,
watchful waiting.
This local offensive proved that American troops were to
be reckoned with, and that in the face of overwhelming odds,
they would not retreat but they would hold on to their positions
with the intensity of a bulldog.