[Illustration: _The Advance from the Vesle to the Aisne_]
Two days later, August 10th, we took transport on an immense train of
motor trucks--"lorries" we called them, after the English. They were
driven by Indo-Chinese serving under the French. After nine cramped but
interesting hours--we passed thru Chateau-Thierry--our trip ended at
Fere en Tardenois. For three days we camped in a small wood and then we
moved to a position supporting the attack on Fismes. We were stationed
in the Bois de la Pissotti, adjoining the Foret de Nesle. While there we
were engaged in digging a series of reserve trenches near
Mont-sur-Courville.
On August 28th the battalion moved around Chery-Chartreuve to a position
east of Le Pres Farm. September 1st we again shifted, this time crossing
the Vesle and relieving the Third Battalion, just east of Bazoches. Here
we repulsed a raiding party, inflicting heavy losses upon the enemy. We
were then moved to a ravine, which gave us the opportunity of taking a
two-day rest.
Our next move brought us to face with the enemy just south of Merval,
where we took a position in an exposed field, our only protection being
the individual "funk holes" which had been deserted by the retreating
German troops.
After three days of little water and practically no food, at 5:30 on the
afternoon of September 8th--still brilliant daylight--we crawled from
our funk holes and, each squad in single file in formation known as
"squad columns", we advanced against German artillery in an effort to
straighten the line. As we reached the outskirts of Merval we were
subjected to an intense barrage of H. E.'s, suffering the loss of four
men killed and five injured.
[Illustration: _Our Path Thru the Argonne_]
No gain was made by this sortie and we drew back to our funk-hole
position awaiting further developments.
Early on the morning of September 14th, supported by a barrage laid down
by combined American, French, and Italian artillery, we attacked the
enemy position that lay on the far side of the Ravine Merval.
The advance was made down the side of the valley in the face of a
withering fire of enemy machine guns. Tho suffering heavy casualties,
our progress was unchecked and we swarmed up the opposite slope with
undiminished vigor. So rapid were our gains that we had to pause to
allow our flanks to catch up. Our Third Platoon was so far ahead of the
line of advance as to be mistaken by the commander of the cooperating
French forces for a body of the enemy and it required considerable
persuasion to correct his misconception. The day's end saw the German
horde driven across the Aisne, and we were well beyond our original
objective. But we had advanced true to form. Commenting on a previous
attack made by another American unit, a French officer had remarked:
"The Americans,--they are fools. Tell them to take one trench,--and they
take _three_!"
We had been operating on the line of the Vesle with several divisions
but the 77th was the only American division to drive its way to the
Aisne.
Our gains were paid for with numerous casualties and when we received
our relief it was thoroly welcome. It had been our longest consecutive
stretch in the front line and we suffered not only from battle losses
but we had also endured the utmost privation. Short rations, little
water, exposed positions, and the constant necessity for watchfulness
had undermined our strength to an unusual degree. We had been operating
on the will to accomplish rather than on food and water.
An Italian unit relieved our Company and we withdrew to a reserve
position in the Vesle Valley, east of Fismes. Here, on the night of
September 16th, our division was relieved by an Italian division and we
pulled out of the sector.
We looked forward to a period of rest, but it was not to be. Twenty
kilometres of hiking brought us to the Arcis le Ponsart Forest, where we
bivouaced for a day. Then into lorries for an all-night ride to Le
Chatelier-sur-Marne, where our losses were replaced by a detachment from
the 40th "Sunshine" Division. Two days of speculating as to our chances
for a rest terminated when on the night of September 20th we were
ordered to roll packs. We stepped off on a thirty-two kilometre hike at
1:00 A.M., _via_ St. Menehould and Florent, and seventeen hours later we
dragged ourselves into the Foret de Maisons Petites where we were
quartered in barracks at the edge of the Argonne Forest.