[Illustration: Photograph]
Copyright Committee on Public Information from Underwood and Underwood.
AMERICANS ATTACKING A GERMAN TRENCH POSITION
Company M and Company K of the 336th Infantry, 82d Division, advance
on Germans entrenched at the edge of a woods. The 307th Engineers, 82d
Division, clear the way by blowing up wire entanglements. The
attacking companies can be seen rushing for the point where the breach
in the wire obstacles has been made.
[Illustration: Photograph]
Photo by International Film Service.
AMERICA GETS INTO THE WAR AT CANTIGNY
On the morning of May 28, 1918, the 1st Division, A. E. F., launched
its first attack, which took place at Cantigny. Within 45 minutes all
objectives had been gained, serious losses inflicted on the enemy, and
200 prisoners taken. General Pershing personally directed operations.
This picture shows American troops going forward under support of
tanks.
A general order of the War Department providing for the consolidation of all branches of the army into one army to be known as the "United States Army" was promulgated by General March on August 7th. The text of the order read:
1. This country has but one army—the United States Army. It includes all the land forces in the service of the United States. Those forces, however raised, lose their identity in that of the United States Army. Distinctive appellations, such as the Regular Army, Reserve Corps, National Army, and National Guard, heretofore employed in administration command, will be discontinued, and the single term, the United States Army, will be exclusively used.
2. Orders having reference to the United States Army as divided in separate and component forces of distinct origin, or assuming or contemplating such a division, are to that extent revoked.
3. The insignia now prescribed for the Regular Army shall hereafter be worn by the United States Army.
4. All effective commissions purporting to be, and described therein, as commissions in the Regular Army, National Guard, National Army, or the Reserve Corps, shall hereafter be held to be, and regarded as, commissions in the United States Army—permanent, provisional, or temporary, as fixed by the conditions of their issue; and all such commissions are hereby amended accordingly. Hereafter during the period of the existing emergency all commissions of officers shall be in the United States Army and in staff corps, departments, and arms of the service thereof, and shall, as the law may provide, be permanent, for a term, or for the period of the emergency. And hereafter during the period of the existing emergency provisional and temporary appointments in the grade of second lieutenant and temporary promotions in the Regular Army and appointments in the Reserve Corps will be discontinued.
5. While the number of commissions in each grade and each staff corps, department, and arm of the service shall be kept within the limits fixed by law, officers shall be assigned without reference to the term of their commissions solely in the interest of the service; and officers and enlisted men will be transferred from one organization to another as the interests of the service may require.
6. Except as otherwise provided by law, promotion in the United States Army shall be by selection. Permanent promotions in the Regular Army will continue to be made as prescribed by law.