History of the 151st field artillery, Rainbow Division, by Louis L. Collins, lieutenant governor of Minnesota. Edited by Wayne E. Stevens, PH. D. Pub. by the Minnesota War records commission.

REDUCTION OF THE ST. MIHIEL SALIENT

117

Champagne, as a single American division in the Fourth French
Army, it had played a minor defensive r6le. During the pursuit
of the Germans from the Marne, it had been assigned to an American army corps, but this corps had belonged to a French army.
Now the division was to participate in the first offensive of the
newly organized American First Army.
For months General Pershing had been looking forward to
the time when an American army might be created. Although he
had never lost sight of his object, one emergency after another
had delayed the fulfillment of his hopes. But now, as a result of
the failure of the fifth German offensive and the tremendous success of the allies in the Marne salient, the situation became more
favorable. At last the allies were able to assume the offensive.
General Pershing seized the opportunity to insist that he be permitted to forge a new offensive weapon which he believed might
be a decisive factor, an American army. Marshal Foch gave the
necessary assent and on August 10 announcement was made of
the formation of the First American Army, under the personal
command of General Pershing. Nominally this army took over
a portion of the Vesle front, but actually orders directed that it
be secretly concentrated in the St. Mihiel sector.
At this point in the line a deep salient, which had originated
when the Germans had endeavored to isolate and capture Verdun
in 1914, extended almost thirty kilometers into the allied front.
Probably the best description of the region is that given by General Pershing himself:
The salient had been held by the Germans since September,
1914. It covered the most sensitive section of the enemy's position
on the Western Front; namely the Mezieres-Sedan-Metz Railroad and the Briey Iron Basin; it threatened the entire region between Verdun and Nancy, and interrupted the main rail line
from Paris to the east. Its primary strength lay in the natural
defensive features of the terrain itself. The western face of the
salient extended along the rugged, heavily wooded eastern heights
of the Meuse; the southern face followed the heights of the Meuse
for 8 kilometers to the east and then crossed the plain of the
Woevre, including within the German lines the detached heights
of Loupmont and Montsec which dominated the plain and afforded
the enemy unusual facilities for observation. The enemy had