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5. The 192d Division will occupy the Spada sector.
6. The Michel position, including the outpost zone and outposts, will be occupied and held according to plan.
7. The change of location of division headquarters will be communicated to the group at once.
8. One officer will be stationed at Xylanderkreuz to regulate the march through the place.
(Signed) LEUTHOLD.
The 192d Division was advised by telephone of the contents of the Army Order.
EVENTS UP TO 5 A. M., SEPTEMBER 13, 1918
About 6.30 p. m. the commander of Assault Battalion 14, Major von Puttkammer, arrived at Corps Headquarters at Lachaussée and reported that his companies would reach Xonville between 9 and 10 p. m.
The aerial reconnaissance made in the evening brought in no fresh information.
About 2 p. m. the orderly officer who had been sent from Corps Headquarters to the 5th Ldw. Division returned and reported that the 1st Battalion of the 65th Ldw. Regiment of the 5th Ldw. Division was already occupying the left half of the Apremont sector of the Michel I Zone, and that the right half would be taken over by the Assault Battalion. As for artillery, a mixed battalion of field artillery and the 3d Battery of the 129th Foot Artillery were already in the Michel Zone and ready for action. The enemy had taken Beney and was feeling his way forward with patrols in the Xammes and Dampvitoux Woods. The three companies which had been at Sevastopol Farm were acting as outposts south and eat of St. Benoit. Southwest of Marimbois Farm liaison had been established with the unit on the left.
No troops of the 192d Division had reached the Michel I Zone up to 9 p. m. The headquarters of the division was at Jonville.
Hostile artillery fire had completely subsided on the entire front of attack.
At 2.30 a. m. the 192 d Division reported that the headquarters and the 3d Battalion of the 183d Regiment had arrived in Jonville. This report was supplemented at 2.50 a. m. by the announcement that the withdrawal of the division along the Roumanian Road was in full progress.
The Assault Battalion reached the 5th Ldw. Division after midnight and was sent into the right half of the divisional sector. Otherwise nothing new had happened there. The enemy had not followed up.
ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION BY CORPS HEADQUARTERS AT 5 A. M., SEPETMBER 13
From the reports of the divisions the Corps Commander formed the opinion that the greater part of the troops, who had to execute the difficult and at times apparently very dangerous withdrawal, had reached the Michel I Zone by the morning of September 13. Under the protection of the u nits which had been first to arrive and of the Assault Battalion, which units had occupied the Michel I Zone ready for defensive action, the divisions were arranging their elements and organizing the artillery for the defense.
The very great danger which had been continually threatening during the afternoon and evening of September 12, namely, that the enemy would advance from Dampvitoux Woods into the Michel I Zone and break through at that point before forces were available for itis defense, was obviated. The enemy had not followed.
After it had been ascertained on the morning of September 13 that the divisions were holding their sectors in the Michel I Zone ready for the defense, as far as the prevailing conditions permitted, and after liaison had been established with the neighboring groups, Corps Headquarters left Lachaussée and moved to Homécourt.
The losses on September 12 amounted to:
5th Ldw. Division: casualties: 1 officer, 25 men killed
3 officers, 65 men wounded
7 officers, 523 men missing
material: 15 '08 machine guns
36 '08/15 machine guns
13 light minenwerfer
2 guns (on account of burst in bore).
192d Division: casualties: 21 men killed
71 men wounded
14 officers, 609 men missing
material: 25 '08 machine guns
49 '08/15 machine guns
10 light minenwerfer
2 medium minenwerfer
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