Preparation for Battle
We were billeted at Novient for three days in wrecks of buildings that
had been ruined by Hun shells. At first we did not do much work
because it was not definitely known whether or not we were to remain
there.
Although we were in the war zone and under shell fire at all times, we
were amazed when we learned that there were still a few French
peasants in the vicinity. These were mostly old men and old women, and
a few, but very few, children. These peasants would not leave their
old homes, though requested to do so by the French Government. They
preferred to remain there and be killed by a Hun Shell, if that was to
be their fate, than to leave the spot that they so dearly loved. The
young men of these towns were all fighting at the front and the young
women had gone to the larger cities, farther from the front, where
they found employment at good wages.
Most of these old peasants kept a cow or two and a few chickens and
they sold milk and eggs to the American soldiers, thus realizing a
small profit for their great hazard. We paid seven francs or about
$1.35 for a dozen eggs and four francs or about 70 cents for a gallon
of milk. We were indeed glad to get these luxuries, even at these
prices and considered ourselves fortunate. In Novient two beer shops
were also conducted and sold the soldiers light wines and beers, the
prices being one franc or nearly 20 cents for a small bottle of beer,
five francs for a bottle of red wine and from seven to ten francs for
a bottle of white wine.
After three days at Novient, we moved forward toward the trenches,
where we were to complete our training for work in the Flash Service.
At this time we were divided into small detachments, there being
fourteen men in the detachment to which I was assigned. We were taken
to a woods about a mile and a half from Novient, and there had our
first introduction to the French S. R. O. T., or service similar to
our Flash Service.
In this woods we were billeted underground, where we were protected
from shell fire. Each detachment was billeted with an equal number of
French, and it was from the fourteen French in our detachment that we
were to complete our education for the special work for which we were
preparing. In other words, we were to learn the practical application
from the French of the knowledge that we had learned in the school at
Fort St. Menge.
Our first experience in actual war work was in an observation tower in
this woods. This tower was 65 feet in height. It was cylindrical in
form and built of steel about half an inch in thickness. The interior
was about five feet in diameter. In the tank (so-called) was a lookout
post for observation work. It had small slits on all sides that could
be readily opened and shut, through which we were to take our
observations. We entered the tower through a trap door in the bottom,
and the men working at the post locked the door while they were at
their duty. The tower was erected in a thick growth of tall trees, and
was well camouflaged. It was securely hidden from Hun eyes, yet gave
us a full view of the Hun trenches in that vicinity. It was from this
tower that I first saw the enemy, and got my first glimpse of the Hun
lines and got my first full view of a modern battlefield.
The French outer trench was only one-quarter of a mile from this
tower. The German trenches were just a little way beyond those of the
French, the distance varying from fifty yards to a quarter of a mile,
according to the terrain. With our strong glasses, we could get an
excellent view of everything that Fritz did in this part of the line.
In this tower the French taught us their secrets of observation in
modern warfare. They showed us how to locate German batteries, machine
gun nests, railroads, troop movements, supply trains, aerial activity,
observation balloons, etc. We paid particular attention to watching
how often Hun airplanes arose, where they crossed our lines, whether
or not they were fired on by our anti-aircraft guns, the number of Hun
planes in the air, the purpose of their flights, etc. It was
particularly important to get the point where the German aviators
crossed the Allied lines. Their planes followed a system in this so as
to try to avoid our anti-aircraft guns. They would cross at a certain
point for one or two days, then, believing that if they attempted to
cross there again they would meet with a warm reception, they would
change the location, thus keeping the Allies guessing all the time.
The French remained with us about ten days, during which time we
acquired sufficient knowledge to take up the work ourselves, and the
American troops then took over this section of the line.
Our conveniences while here were not good, but they were as good as we
expected. We accepted our lot without protest. All our provisions had
to be carried in at night on our backs, as it would have been
dangerous for a supply train to attempt to bring anything in during
the day. There was no water at all in our immediate vicinity. That
which we used for cooking and drinking purposes had to be carried from
a spring about three-quarters of a mile distant. While going to this
spring on one occasion, we located a blackberry patch, which gave us a
little diversion. We conserved our flour for several days, and then
picked enough blackberries for pie. On two occasions we had blackberry
pie and it is no exaggeration to say that it was absolutely the best
morsel of food that any of us had ever tasted. It was a luxury, I
venture to say, that but few soldiers in the extreme front line
trenches were privileged to enjoy.
A few days after the French left this front to us, we became aware
that we were preparing for some big military manoeuver. What it was,
of course, we were not told; we knew, however, that it was to be on a
gigantic scale. It subsequently developed that we were preparing for
the great St. Mihiel drive, that wonderful independent plunge into
German lines by American troops, which straightened out the St. Mihiel
salient and showed definitely to the Germans that ultimately they were
to be defeated.
A brief description of this preparation may be of interest. Our first
intimation of this manoeuver was the bringing up of great quantities
of ammunition. This was placed in the woods and well camouflaged.
Next, heavy artillery came up in greater quantities than we had any
idea that the American army had in France. Then light artillery was
brought up in numbers proportional to the heavy guns. Then thousands
of fresh troops were marched up and placed under the cover of the
woods. These men marched up at night, so as not to be seen by Hun
airplanes. It should be stated here that during this preparation
Allied air machines had complete mastery of the aerial situation and
as soon as a Hun plane appeared on the horizon, it was pursued until
it either was brought down, or it escaped back to its lines.
While the infantry was stationed in these woods, no time was lost. The
men were given their final instructions in fighting Bosch. They were
drilled hard every day and they became particularly efficient in the
use of the bayonet, a weapon that in the hands of a Yank the Germans
fear worse than anything else that I know of. Rifle practice, of
course, could not be indulged in while in these woods, because the
noise might attract German attention, but bayonet drills never
ceased. Thorough drilling was also given in the use of machine guns.
Men were instructed how to repair guns, were told what to do in case
certain parts of the gun were injured, were shown how to take guns
apart and put them together again, and before the end of the drilling,
these men became as efficient in machine gun work as Fritz himself.
The last step of the preparation was the bringing up of the tanks.
These came up at night in great numbers. There were tanks of all
kinds, from the huge British machines to the "petite" or little French
tank. These were also camouflaged and concealed in the woods. After
the tanks were brought up, their gunners were given a final thorough
drilling in the use of their guns, their machines, etc. We had never
before seen such a vast equipment of war material.
It is difficult to express my feelings during the final days of this
preparation. I knew that something of a gigantic nature had been
planned and that the time was close at hand. I also knew that whatever
it was it would surely succeed, for nothing could resist the combined
force of all that preparation when the final word was given. I cannot
but admit that enormous quantity of ammunition, the vast number of
light and heavy guns, the thousands of men ready for the fray, caused
me to feel a certain indescribable sadness, for I knew, that although
success was sure to follow our drive, some of these brave boys were to
pay the price with their lives. On September 11th, the boys were
drilled for the last time. We were then required to strip our bodies
of all our clothes and to smear ourselves with a salve. This was a
preparation that was designed to protect the body from burns in case
we encountered the deadly mustard gas.
After dark and all during the night there was a steady stream of men
going to their positions in the trenches. They knew that the time for
the manoeuver to start was near, but whether it was to be 24 or 48
hours, they did not know. But we of the Flash Service did; we knew
that at one minute past midnight on the morning of September 12th, the
zero hour, the Germans were to be given their great surprise party,
and we counted the minutes as they were ticked off the watch until
that time arrived.