Don Martin diary entry for Sunday, September 15, 1918:
Visited various corps and division
headquarters. Went to Thiaucourt. Shells fell while there. Several struck
within hundred feet of us. Decided best thing to do was to leave. Every one
getting into shelters. Risky running through town in auto. Chauffeur who is one
of the toughest of the whole outfit turned pale and didn’t want to take chance.
We made him go. Afterward went to corps headquarters and returned to Nancy at
5. In evening was an alert. Sat around with [Ray] Carroll [Philadelphia Public
Ledger], [Junius] Wood [Chicago Daily News] and [Cameron] Mackenzie [London
Chronicle].
Back at the New York Herald office in New York, ‘Don Martin’ had become a
“by-word”, according to a colleague in a letter dated September 15. Here are
excerpts:
Dear Mr.
Martin,
...
I want to tell you we are all reading your cable and mail stories with a great
deal of interest. It is making a big hit everywhere and Don Martin is a by-word
throughout the office. As you know, I come in contact with the men of the
composing room, where ... the expression of appreciation of your stuff is
universal, “Gee,” one of them said the other day, “did you read Don Martin’s
story this morning—that’s great stuff.” And that is the opinion of all. It is
great stuff. In my humble opinion, it is
the best matter that is reaching this side of the globe. There is a human
interest touch to everything you send which makes it different from the
stereotyped reports of other correspondents ... Last night I ... [saw] Jack
Regan, of the St. Lois Republic, who is now up at the Times. He gave me his
unsolicited opinion that Don Martin’s stuff is superb—that is the word he
used....
Sincerely
yours,
Phil
Dietz Jr., Syndicate Desk
The cable with more details on the success of the St.-Mihiel salient offense success, that Don Martin sent on Sunday,
September 15, to the New York Herald was published on Monday, Sep 16.
200 GERMAN CANNON CAPTURED WHEN PERSHING PINCERS WERE
CLOSED ON ST. MIHIEL SALIENT
Speed With Which The Attack Was Developed On Thursday
Amazed Even The Trained Observers
WINGS JOINED AT MIDDAY ON FRIDAY
Operation Produced Quickest Application
Of Pincers Of
Entire War
PRISONERS OPENLY REJOICE IN CAPTURE
Declare Situation In Central Powers
Even More Serious
Than Allies Believe
By Don Martin,
Special Correspondent of the Herald
WITH THE
AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE, Nancy, Sunday
Having wrested
more than two hundred square kilometres of territory in the St. Mihiel salient
from the Huns, our troops to-day occupy new trenches close up to the enemy’s
new defence line.
The speed with
which the First Army accomplished this important operation is realized
everywhere here, and the haste with which the enemy troops surrendered to the
Americans is in the very highest circles regarded as indicative of the
inability of the Huns to withstand our attacks. Indeed, many close observers
are beginning to be thoroughly convinced that the German morale now is far
below the most pessimistic estimates in Entente circles.
The liaison of
the troops moving northwestward from a point north of Pont-a-Mousson with those
moving southeastward from
Vigneulles-les-Hattonchelle occurred at midday on Friday and marked the
completion of the quickest pincer movement of the entire war.
This afternoon
I saw 2,000 German prisoners who had been captured by our forces in the regions
of St. Mihiel and Thiaucourt, among whom were many of the best so-called shock
troops in the German army. Many of them were more than forty years old and not
a few of them showed streaks of gray in their hair and beard. When I saw them
they were standing in a meadow which only four days ago was well within the
German lines, When one of our officers who could speak German would say a word
to them in their language a smile of gladness would come into the face of every
man of them – a smile and a look that told better than words how glad they were
that there would be no more war for them.
Awake To Their
Officers’ Lies
Many of these
prisoners said they had learned from experience how false were the stories
their officers had told them about American cruelty and how our men never took
prisoners. They said that some time ago they were convinced of the falsity of
this German propaganda, and therefore, they surrendered at the first
opportunity.
They declared
that they now realize that it is impossible for Germany to win the war, and
that German soldiers, realizing the futility of resistance, believe that
surrender is preferable, since in this way they will at least save their own
lives.
Verisimilitude
is lent to these statements by the fact that more than one hundred German
officers are among the prisoners we took in the St. Mihiel salient. After
talking to many of these captives I am convinced that the German troops now
fear to fight the Americans.
Many men
captured by us expressed the belief that the war will not end before late next
year, but they indicated that Germany’s situation is worse than the Allies dare
to believe. They declared that Germany’s troubles are certain to constantly
increase until the war ends.
In their
retreat northward from the Hindenburg line, that runs from just below St.
Mihiel to Pont-a-Mousson, the Hun hordes duplicated so far as possible their
looting operations in the German retreat from the Marne to the Aisne. The story
of their looting of the towns and villages in this salient would be but a
repetition of those, which I have told of their work north of the Marne.
Indeed, in St. Mihiel, which they held for four years, they left nothing of
value. French inhabitants of the towns and villages that we have taken said
their premises were regularly and diligently searched by the Huns, who took
every means to learn if anything in excess of the regular allotment – and
especially of food – had been hidden. Through this scheme they carried out
their systematic work of confiscation.
Taking Food
From Aged
This worked a very severe
hardship on the French, who, to provide for the requirements of their aged,
infirm and infants, frequently were forced to put aside their regular
allotments, notwithstanding the fact that in making such provision they had to
curtail their own individual consumption. Whenever these ‘rainy day’ supplies
were found by the Huns they promptly seized them, and, in addition, levied a
penalty of some kind on the villagers.
Many of the
French who have been rescued from German domination said that the rules which
were laid down by the enemy for their government were of the most rigid kind,
and that while they complied with them in every way, the Huns often compelled
them to act as servants and mistreated them in many ways.
As soon as our
troops took these villages, one of the first things they did was to give food
to the inhabitants. Many of them showed the effects of long deprivations and
their four years of virtual enslavement. American officers were shocked when on
entering these villages they were told that every male from sixteen to
forty-five years old had been taken away by the retreating enemy.
General
Pershing spoke kindly to the aged persons in these villages and petted the
children who crowded around him. He told them all that he hoped the days of
their suffering were passed.
In his
personal trip along the front, General Pershing covered much of the ground our
forces had taken from the enemy and saw the effects of the American artillery
bombardment and also that of our powerful bombing airplanes, which were used
with great effect to increase the enemy’s confusion.
“Paris by
August”
In many of the
villages the few civilians who were left said that during the last few months
the Huns there openly talked of being in Paris by August, but when August
passed and instead of successes they were meeting with nothing but reverses the
enemy troops became moody and gloomy. When the American forces began scoring
victories along the Marne the Germans in the St. Mihiel salient, they said,
became highly excited and increased their acts of spoliation.
Information which has just been received by us
is to the effect that the Germans along the St. Mihiel front were planning a
huge gas projector attack, when General Pershing launched his offensive. In
proof of the correctness of these reports an immense amount of their gas
projector equipment is now in our hands. In addition to this and the large
number of prisoners which we took we
captured a large quantity of clothing and food supplies and many hundreds of
thousands of rounds of ammunition. The materials and prisoners indicate better
than anything else the great confusion that existed in the Hun ranks when our
attack began – a confusion that was greater than that in the enemy ranks during
his retreat from the Marne.
In Pannes,
southwest of Thiaucourt, French civilians described to me the spectacle of our
tanks as they came lumbering into their village, crunching through barricades,
uprooting trees and obliterating the defences which the Huns had erected in the
roads. They described it all as the most weird of scenes and declared that the
enemy had intended resisting our advance until he saw the force of our tanks.
Their appearance, however, immediately discouraged him. As five of these
monsters lumbered through the main street of the village a few Germans blazed
away at them with their rifles and then they fled from the place. American
soldiers following closely behind the tanks, charged the retreating foe,
killing and capturing many of them.
Consolidating Our
Positions
By Friday
afternoon, thirty-six hours after General Pershing’s great offensive was
launched, our units had consolidated their positions and were settling down on
their new line, all their objectives having been won on schedule time. In
another twelve hours, or yesterday, it was possible to announce that the
offensive had succeeded in every way – that our men had in this brief time been
able to wipe out a salient that Germany had vigorously and successfully
defended for four years.
All France
waited with almost breathless expectation to see the result of this, America’s
first great independent military operation. Every one in France knew for some
time that something big was due from the Americans, but in some quarters the
prediction was sadly made that our troops would be disappointed of victory in
their first offensive against the Huns.
To-day all
France is tipping its hat to America twice where she did so by once before.
To-day France has gotten another proof that the American army is here to do
things and that it will do them.
Every one in France – and especially those
persons who were within hearing of our guns last Thursday – knows this. Indeed,
when these guns began to roar it seemed to me that there were thousands of them
in action – all of them engaged in putting down a barrage which was a prelude
to the cheer of our heroes as they went over the top. In the line were men from
every State in the Union. When the barrage started they were in their dugouts
waiting for the word to start ahead – to carry on -- and when it came at the
break of day they went ahead with an irresistible courage.
Simultaneously
thousands of others were marching toward the front line, ready to reinforce
their comrades in the attack whenever it might be necessary.
The haul of
prisoners compares well with other important offensive operations. Two Belgian
civilians were among those taken in the village of Thiaucourt. As yet we have
not been able to learn what they were doing there.
It is now
believed that the Germans are emplacing their artillery, which they have
dragged back, and stiff counter attacks are regarded as likely to occur.
However, we are confidant that the initiative has been permanently wrested from
the Huns and that Marshal Foch will give the enemy no rest.
The rapid
advance of the American artillery has been one of the striking features of
General Pershing’s operation. Yesterday afternoon I saw American artillery
hurling tremendous shells at the foe from territory the Germans has occupied
the day before.
Don Martin sent his daily dispatch to Paris on Sunday, September 15, with the results of his day's reporting activities. It was published in the Paris Herald on Monday, Sept
16.
Germans Deceived By Communiqué
On Army’s Flight
(Special Telegram to the Herald)
By DON MARTIN
With The American Armies, Sunday.
The German counter-attacks
which were threatened on Saturday did not materialize. The Americans went
forward a short distance this morning, and a few more prisoners were taken. The
Germans are digging in in the region of Dommartin, in front of the Hindenburg
line.
Comparatively speaking, it
was quiet all along the new line last night and to-day. The Germans shelled
several villages. In one they dropped half a dozen shells within one hundred
feet of a hospital.
The prisoners are an
odd-looking lot when seen together. Many are young, all are in good physical
condition, but their spirit is unquestionably low. One officer said he had been
in the war four years and had fought all nationalities, but he had never seen
any soldiers start over the top with the coolness of the Americans.
I crossed to-day the salient
between Pont-à-Mousson and Saint-Mihiel, taking in all the places of importance
and several of the smaller villages. Hardly a wall is standing in
Saint-Baussant, Richecourt or Essey. Seicheprey is almost as bad. Loupmont and
Apremont are memories. The roads in the region were ripped up badly, but the
Americans now have them in fairly good condition.
Thiaucourt Is Overjoyed
Thiaucourt, which I visited
this afternoon, is not badly damaged. The civil population which resided there
during the German occupation is overjoyed at the new conditions and wants to
embrace the French and American soldiers for rescuing them.
Mont Sec is a mountain of
underground homes. The trench system of dugouts there is remarkable. They were
electrically lighted in some sections and were furnished with all sorts of
knickknacks, which the Germans in their hasty retreat were unable to remove. It
is evident that the Germans had been making their underground life in that
enormous fortress as pleasant as possible. Its sides were torn by shells, and
some dugouts were smashed by the fire which had been poured into the mountain
for months.
It is interesting to see the
effects of the French and American shelling of the German front and back lines,
which began at one o’clock on Thursday morning. The narrow-gauge lines were
ripped and twisted. There are holes ten feet wide in the roadways. Smashed
trucks may be seen on the roadside. One road over which the Germans had by
necessity to pass is now almost impassable. The bridges over the brooks are
broken, but larger bridges are undamaged. The Germans evidently had not the
time to destroy them.
On some of the roads in the
salient which the Huns occupied for four years the trees are all cut down, and
it looks as if this had been done three or four years. German signs are
everywhere.
Germans Lying Communiqué
From the amount of ammunition
and the number of guns and supplies of various kinds left behind, it is evident
the German communiqué is deceiving the German people when it says the Huns
withdrew from the salient without annoyance from the enemy and in accordance
with plans made months ago. It is very obvious the Germans got out of the
salient with all possible speed, with greater speed even than they withdrew
from the Marne.
A survey of the scene to-day,
coupled with a knowledge of just what was accomplished and how it was done, is
convincing that the first American operation in which the French participated
was one of the swiftest, cleanest operations, small though it be in comparison,
of the entire war.
A prominent British military
expert has looked over the whole situation. He says:--
“I would criticize if I
could, good-naturedly, of course, but I will say there is nothing about this
last operation which can be criticized.”
The man who said this is
considered highly by military men all over Europe.
Top banner headline for Don Martin photos, published in the New York Herald on Sunday, September 15:
DON MARTIN’S THRILLING TRIBUTE
TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
7 Photos by DON MARTIN
No. 1—Shell-shattered buildings in
Fere-en-Tardenois. The sign is German.
No. 2—A glance westward on the principal street in
Vaux, which was taken by the Americans after one of the most violent
bombardments of the war.
No. 3—A public market in Fere-en-Tardenois which
the Germans, during their six weeks’ occupation of the city, used as a
hospital. American soldiers who cleaned up the city are having their mess at
noon time.
No. 4—This is a close range photograph of a shell
hole made by one of the French heavy guns. The hole is about eight feet in
depth and about thirty feet in diameter.
No. 5—Wrecked building in village of Essomes on the
Marne. Shells fell in great numbers here.
No. 6—Here is what an aerial bomb did to a two
story building in Fere-en-Tardenois.
No. 7—This picture gives a good idea of the force
of a high explosive shell.
Comments
Post a Comment