NY Soldiers Led Attack That Broke German Lines 100 Years Ago

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the start of a World War I battle that saw New York National Guard soldiers lead the way in breaking German defenses known as the Hindenburg Line.

Historians at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs say the pre-dawn attack on Sept. 29, 1918 was led by the New York National Guard's 27th Division. The division had been called up for federal service the previous year.

The 27th Division had about 18,000 soldiers from around New York state when the attack began. It lost more than 3,000 killed or wounded in just the first two days of the assault, which captured the leading German positions in northern France and allowed the British army to go on the offensive.