UNITS COMPOSING, AND THE COMMANDING GENERALS OF, THE SECOND
DIVISION—VERDUN OPERATIONS.
THE SECOND DIVISION OF REGULARS.
The first unit which ultimately formed a part of the Second Division
arriving in France was the Fifth Regiment of Marines which landed in
France with the first expedition of American troops in June, 1917.
One Marine lieutenant colonel, who afterwards was the first chief of
staff of the Second Division, and another Marine lieutenant colonel,
who later commanded the Seventeenth Field Artillery of the Second
Division, accompanied Gen. Pershing and his staff when they sailed
from the United States late in May, 1917.
The Second Division was composed of the following units:
Third Infantry Brigade:
Ninth Infantry.
Twenty-third Infantry.
Fifth Machine Gun Battalion.
Fourth Infantry Brigade:
Fifth Marines.
Sixth Marines.
Sixth Machine Gun Battalion of Marines.
Second Field Artillery Brigade:
Twelfth Field Artillery.
Fifteenth Field Artillery.
Seventeenth Field Artillery.
Second Trench Mortar Battery.
Other troops:
Second Engineers.
Fourth Machine Gun Battalion.
First Field Signal Battalion.
Second Headquarters Train and Military Police.
Second Ammunition Train.
Second Engineer Train.
Second Supply Train.
Second Sanitary Train.
On October 26, 1917, Brig. Gen. Charles A. Doyen, United States
Marine Corps, assumed command of the Second Division as its first
commanding general and announced his staff in General Orders, No.
1, with station at Bourmont, Haute-Marne, France. Lieut. Col. Logan
Feland, United States Marine Corps, was the first chief of staff. On
November 8, 1917, Maj. Gen. Omar Bundy, United States Army, assumed
command, published such fact in General Orders, No. 4, November 8,
1917, and was in command of it during the operations in the Verdun
and Chateau-Thierry sectors. Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord, United
States Army, commanded the division in the Aisne-Marne (Soissons)
offensive in July, 1918. Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune assumed command
of the division on July 28, 1918, and retained command until its
demobilization in August, 1919. Many Marine officers occupied
positions of importance and responsibility on the staff of the
commanding general, Second Division. A Marine officer commanded the
Seventeenth Field Artillery during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and
other Marine officers commanded battalions of the Ninth Infantry and
Fifteenth Field Artillery for a time.
Neither the Marine Brigade nor any other element of the Second
Division was the first American unit to enter the front lines since
the First Division enjoyed that honor in October, 1917, when it
entered the line in the quiet Toul sector.
The Fourth Brigade remained in the Bourmont training area, with
headquarters at Damblain, until March 14, 1918, when it commenced
movement into subsectors of the Verdun front, the first units of
the brigade entering the front line during the night of March
16-17, 1918, with headquarters at Toulon. On April 1, 1918, brigade
headquarters was changed to Moscou. The brigade remained on the
Verdun front until May 14, 1918, when it proceeded to an area around
Vitry-le-François for open warfare training, with headquarters at
Venault-les-Dames. In the meantime, on May 6, 1918, Brig. Gen. James
G. Harbord assumed command of the brigade, relieving Brig. Gen. Doyen
who had been ordered to the United States on account of his physical
condition. Brig. Gen. Doyen relinquished command of the brigade
most unwillingly, and the reasons for his relief are best set forth
in the words of the citation of a Navy distinguished service medal
posthumously awarded to him, reading as follows:
By reason of his abilities and personal efforts, he brought this
brigade to the very high state of efficiency which enabled it to
successfully resist the German army in the Chateau-Thierry sector
and Belleau Woods. The strong efforts on his part for nearly a year
undermined his health and necessitated his being invalided to the
United States before having the opportunity to command the brigade
in action, but his work was shown by the excellent service rendered
by the brigade, not only at Belleau Woods, but during the entire
campaign when they fought many battles.
Gen. Pershing in a letter to Brig. Gen. Doyen stated in part:
Your service has been satisfactory and your command is considered
as one of the best in France. I have nothing but praise for the
service which you have rendered in this command.
On May 14, 1918, the brigade left the area around Vitry-le-François
as it was unsuitable and proceeded to an area around
Gisors-Chaumont-en-Vixen, with headquarters at Bou-des-Bois. The
brigade was in this area when sudden orders came to move to the
Chateau-Thierry sector.
On May 27, 1918, Brig. Gen. John A. Lejeune and Maj. Earl H. Ellis
sailed from New York on board the _Henderson_ and arrived at Brest,
France, on June 8, 1918.