The German counterattack had shattered so much of the 35th Division—a poorly led division, most of whose key leaders had been replaced shortly before the attack, made up of National Guard units from Missouri and Kansas—that it had to be relieved early, though remnants of the division subsequently reentered the battle. Part of the adjacent French attack met temporary confusion when one of its generals died. Nevertheless, it was able to advance , penetrating deeply into the German lines, especially around Somme-Py (the Battle of Somme-Py ()) and northwest of Reims (the Battle of Saint-Thierry ()). The initial progress of the French forces was thus faster than the gained by the adjacent American units, though the French units were fighting in a more open terrain, which is an easier terrain from which to attack.