THE TOUL SECTOR
Orders on the morning of March 30 sent the Battalion to Trampot,
about fifteen kilometers away. There Easter Sunday was spent in the
rain, which had prevailed for two days, as was customary when the
organization moved.
On April 1 the men with their guns and ammunition were loaded into
trains of motor trucks for the trip to the front, the carts and kitchen
having started the journey by road the previous day.
The route of the trucks lay through Neufchateau, center of the 26th
Division training area, Domremy, the birthplace of Joan of Arc, to
Boucq, divisional headquarters for the new area, which was known as the
sector of Boucq, or Foret de La Reine to the French authorities, but
more commonly called the Toul sector because of its location northwest
of that ancient city. In the trenches of this part of the line long,
tedious days were spent, broken by weary hikes through the mud to a
rest camp for a day or so, only to pack and return to another section.
The experience gained in becoming accustomed to shell fire, getting
the most out of meager protection afforded and observation of enemy
tactics, proved its value in the lives it saved when the Company went
into action later in the year.
After landing in Boucq the men were assigned to barracks near the
village. The cooks who had started with the wagon train from Vesaignes
failed to put in an appearance but culinary talent was not lacking, and
Ackerman and Parmalee prepared the meals until the kitchen arrived.
Orders were confused during the following two days and it was not
till the morning of April 3 that directions were received sending
the Company northwest of Broussey at the extreme left of the sector
occupied by the 51st Brigade. Ammunition and equipment were carried to
the front on the narrow gauge railroad from Broussey, to which point
the Company was transported in trucks.
Rain added to the difficulties of finding a way through the heavily
wooded swamp. Confronting the men on their way to the positions
assigned the three mile hike from Broussey was one of the worst trips
in their experience. Continually in the mud, sometimes over their
boots and dropping every few yards into shallow creeks crossing their
path, forcing their way through passages overgrown with underbrush and
stumbling over broken duck-boards, the men, nearly exhausted, finally
reached the wooden shacks used as shelters. Just two days late, they
relieved the 1st Division unit which had been languidly fulfilling the
necessary duties of the sector.
Partly protected wooden and iron huts described by Lieutenant Nelson as
being "shell-proof until a shell hits one of them," were distributed
about a central point in the Bois de Besombois and here the entire
Company, with the exception of "mule-skinners" and other members of the
train section, was quartered. Two hundred yards distant was the front
line located in another wood designated Bouqueteau. To the right of
these positions in the direction of Pont à Mousson for a distance of
fourteen kilometers the 51st Brigade held the line, while to the left
for ten kilometers the 52d Brigade with the remaining units of the 26th
Division occupied the trenches, its left resting within a comparatively
short distance of St. Mihiel.
In this sector there were but few trenches, as the character of the
ground made it impractical for the enemy to attempt much of an advance
in this direction. It was protected on the right by marshy lakes and
on the left by strong defenses on higher ground. To the right could
be seen the forbidding German stronghold of Montsec, with Xivray and
Seicheprey in the distance, later the scenes of the earliest actions in
which American units participated, while on the left was the Apremont
region, where the 104th Infantry Regiment won distinction repulsing a
German raid.
Expressing contempt for the "Malishy" the men of the 1st Division left
the sector with the apparent feeling that it would soon be overrun by
the Boche, but before going they transmitted more faithfully than they
did many of their orders stories about American raids on the Hun lines
which had penetrated through the last defense and had netted but one
prisoner, a decrepit pensioner who travelled with the aid of a wooden
leg and carried flares which he set off at intervals throughout the
system of trenches. In spite of their feeling in the matter the Hun
continued quiet for several days, using vari-colored lights and machine
gun bullets to while away the long hours of darkness. A gas alarm broke
the stillness on the 5th and the following night brought action for
Gould's and Hunihan's guns, who fired on signal from the infantry, but
nothing further developed.
Almost incredible news was received on the night of the 9th, when
orders came sending Sergeant "Tom" Reilly home as one of the fifty
men selected to represent the American Expeditionary Force during the
campaign for the Second Liberty Loan. When he left he had more messages
for the home folks than he could have delivered personally in a month.
[Illustration]
Although a certain amount of shelling by both sides had occurred
periodically ever since the Company entered the lines, the heavy
bombardment which began early on the morning of the 20th betokened
action in some part of the Brigade sector. Later news showed this
activity to have taken place preceding and during the German attack on
Seicheprey. There a battalion of picked shock troops had pierced the
lines held by the first battalion of the 102d Infantry Regiment and
A and B Companies of the 102d Machine Gun Battalion, finding its way
through a mist which filled the low ground in front of Jury Woods. The
enemy had surrounded certain units, including a platoon of B Company
of the Battalion and most of D Company of the infantry, nearly all of
whom were carried away prisoners. After inflicting damage as far as
they could they were forced to retire before a counter attack, leaving
hundreds of dead in their wake, while their wounded in unknown numbers
had been carried off in the retreat. This was the first engagement of
its size fought by American troops.
Just previous to this attack, Major John D. Murphy, formerly a captain
in the 101st Infantry Regiment, was placed in command of the Battalion
and Captain Gallup, who had been acting major, returned to lead C
Company.
The air was filled with rumors which gain headway when there is a
dearth of subjects to be discussed. One said that the Company was to
be withdrawn and the personnel used as instructors, another that the
unit was on the verge of being sent home for some hazy purpose and a
trip to Italy was even invented. All were discredited however, when,
after thirty days continuous duty in the lines C Company, 103d Machine
Gun Battalion, completed its relief of the Company during the night of
May 2 and the men hiked westward along a road screened with camouflage
to Girauvoisin, whence three sections went forward to Fort Liouville
and relieved part of B Company, 101st Machine Gun Battalion, taking
positions which seemed ideal. With beds and good rooms on the very
front line, the men rested until relieved on the 14th by B Company of
their Battalion, when they hiked the eighteen kilometers intervening
between their position and La Rehanne Woods, the location of the train.
La Rehanne Woods, located on the road running from Toul north through
Menil la Tour and Ansauville, Battalion Headquarters, to Beaumont
and Seicheprey, served as the rest camp for the Company during the
remainder of its stay in the Toul sector, being comparatively free from
shelling and therefore largely used by all units in that area.
Under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A., the Herron sisters provided
entertainment Sunday, the 19th. In the afternoon of that day Art
Parmalee fought six rounds with Jensen of the 163d Infantry, winning
the honors with ease and adding considerably to the wealth of his
backers,—practically the entire Company. The following days were filled
with the usual explorations of surrounding villages and pay for March
and April on the 21st would have given more latitude to these trips had
not the Company departed for positions in Jury Woods that night when
units of the 162d French Regiment were relieved.
Accommodations were available for only half the Company in these
positions so the rest of the men returned to La Rehanne to await
their turn. In Jury Woods men on the guns had considerable practice
in barrage work, for on two occasions the signal was sent up by the
infantry and promptly responded to by all guns on the line. It was
learned afterward that German raiding parties had been repulsed both
times without gaining a foothold. Outdoor quarters selected in the
woods were abandoned after these occurrences, however, for the safety
of the dugouts was thoroughly appreciated, the number of shells falling
into the woods making their use imperative. Wortenko proved the first
casualty of the Company, sustaining a slight injury to one of his
fingers when a shell burst near as he was filling canteens at the
kitchen.
Preparations for the raid executed by the third battalion of the
101st Infantry Regiment early on the morning of the 30th northeast
of Seicheprey, in the general direction of Richecourt in the enemy
line, included a distracting fire which was furnished by D Company
guns in order to keep the attention of the Boche from the point to be
raided. This barrage started at 2:25 A. M. and was followed at 2:30 by
a concentration of American artillery fire which paralyzed the enemy
batteries for a time. On an east and west line just to the rear of
Beaumont nearly four regiments of artillery opened fire at the zero
hour and aided by twenty-three machine guns of the Battalion spread a
protecting screen of fire over the raiders.
After the men had returned in safety to our lines with one prisoner,
dubbed "the million dollar kid" because of the expense of the
undertaking, some of the Hun batteries went into action and it was 3:35
when an enemy shell struck the emplacement occupied by Corporal Dowers'
squad in the north side of Jury Woods, killing Jestin McAviney and
wounding Bussiere, both of whom were on duty at the gun.
The following day McAviney was buried in the American cemetery at
Mandres with Chaplain Petty of the 102d Infantry officiating. He was
the only member of the Company to lose his life during three months of
more than ordinary dangers.
Exciting times were in prospect, for according to information received
at Divisional Headquarters, the enemy was massing troops at Metz,
only twenty miles distant, and there was considerable speculation as
to where he would strike, his drive on the British front having been
halted through lack of momentum and the interposition of new units in
that sector by the commander-in-chief of the Allied armies. Ever since
the Toul sector had become the official American sector early in the
year, defensive preparations had been going on with the building of
pill boxes which would shed most enemy shells as steel helmets shed
hail stones. Reserve trenches protected by wire were prepared and
machine gun positions all along the line in the direction of Toul put
in order for occupancy. Orders were issued concerning the defense of
the sector with the plan of backing up the troops in front by organized
lines which were, in important places, three miles in depth, carried
out in all particulars except the actual operations.
It was during the excitement of these activities that Company D was
relieved by the machine gun company of the 102d Regiment and returned
to its quarters at La Rehanne on the morning of June 4, where it was
under instructions in the event of a break through by the enemy to take
positions in the forward edge of the woods and hold off the Hun forces
while the troops in front retreated to cover.
This was a critical period in the history of the war. French and
British were sustaining severe losses, morale was weakening in the
Allies' forces and each day brought news of the unbroken advance of the
Teutons. Appealing to the patriotism of soldiers which had withstood
reverse after reverse for four years, with few of the crumbs of
success, General Petain, commanding the armies of France, sent out the
following:—
"Men!!
The enemy is striking another blow,
Outnumbering us, he has been able, during the last few days, to
throw confusion into our front lines.
But our reserves are rushing up!
You are going to shatter his thrust and return it!
Stand up, Heroes of the Marne!
For your hearths and homes!
For France!
Forward!
Petain."
The luxuries of baths and new clothing were arranged for the Company
at Menil la Tour, the divisional supply base four kilometers south of
La Rehanne. The following days were filled with the usual occupations
of resting troops,—baseball games and concerts at the Y. M. C. A. hut
by the 101st Regiment band. Local talent of all kinds was plentiful
and with the assistance of Johnson and Hine the Salvation Army workers
sold cocoa and doughnuts to lines of men which lasted as long as the
supplies held out.
The dearth of company officers was felt when Lieutenant Nelson left for
the school at Gondrecourt, Lieutenant Carroll having been previously
called to Battalion Headquarters to act as gas officer.
Moving to the east the battalion sector embraced positions near the
village of Flirey. It was to relieve a French unit in some of the
new territory that the third platoon left on the night of the 12th.
The balance of the Company moved out the following night to take up
positions in the ruins of Seicheprey and on the ridge just to the
southwest of that place, protecting Beaumont, which place had served
successively as a post of command for the 102d and 101st Infantry
Regiments. Passing safely through the perils of "Dead Man's Curve," the
Company completed the relief under the protection of midnight darkness.
[Illustration: _Upper, left to right_—Capt. Frank E. Wolf, Lt. Ludz
(French army, instructor), Capt. George D. Condren.
_Center, left to right_—Lt. John C. Dolan, Lt. John C. Carroll, Lt.
Barry Keenan, Lt. Sidney Bacharach.
_Lower, left to right_—Lt. C. Lyon Rogers, Lt. Gustaf A. Nelson, Lt.
John C. Carroll.]
[Illustration: _Top_—Company D starting out from Niantic expecting
to leave for France, Sept. 23, 1917.—Barracks, winter of 1917,
Certilleux.—Sgt. Fred Klaussner teaching a mule its manners, machine
gun ammunition cart to the right.—Dugout in the Ormont.—Loading the
train, Lizy-sur-Ourcq, August, 1918.—Capt. Paton's dugout in the
Ormont.—Main street in Seicheprey.]
Subject to a heavy share of artillery activity at all times, this
sector proved comparatively quiet until early Sunday morning, June 16,
when the Hun laid down a barrage indicating he was about to attack.
Centering to the left of the Seicheprey positions, the enemy assault
was directed against the village of Xivray-Marvoisin, held by units of
the 103d Infantry Regiment and D Company, 103d Machine Gun Battalion.
The nucleus of the latter was made up of former members of Troop A. The
efforts of the Germans met such determined resistance that the lines
remained intact and the invaders were hurled from their slight foothold
with severe losses. Artillery fire continued intermittently during the
rest of the day, but good dugouts afforded shelter for the men.
[Illustration]
Favored by a fog in the early morning hours of June 19, the enemy
prepared an attack which was to destroy the lines at Seicheprey and
menace the positions in Jury Woods, the key to a ridge which would have
been of military importance to him; but shortly after his barrage had
covered our lines, with his men concentrated in thick woods covering
his first defenses, he met the full force of the first projector gas
attack launched by the American army. Sixteen hundred projectiles
were used in the operation and they were thrown from a point in front
of Jury Woods. Rage at these tactics was expressed in the terrific
bombardment during the ensuing day of all our forward positions and
communicating areas, but for some reason, supposedly because of the
use of new artillery which had not become accustomed to the positions,
most of the projectiles landed in places where little harm could be
done. Results of the gassing were apparent from artillery observation
posts, which reported the departure of several hospital trains from
stations in the rear of the German lines. Ackerman and Barry, slightly
gassed, were the only members of the Company to suffer from the fury of
the Hun.
Relief by the French, taking over the sector in conjunction with the
82d American Division, came on the night of June 25, when the Company
returned to La Rehanne Woods. Continuing the journey on the 26th, the
men hiked twenty-two kilometers to Lay St. Remy, four kilometers west
of Toul, where barns were assigned as billets and a long sleep was in
order for the morning of the 27th.
Prompted by desire more than by information, the men eagerly followed
the will-o'-the-wisp of a furlough or a short rest at the least,
and arguments occupying the intervals when sight-seeing through the
munitions factories and other points of interest nearby was not in
progress bore heavily on the point that the Division had seen more
than four months of front line service and was due for a rest. Force
of circumstances, however, refuted this logic, and orders came for the
Battalion to entrain for another part of the front.
Although eager to see new parts of the line, there were signs of
genuine regret among the men when they knew they were to leave the
sector with which they had become so familiar during the past three
months. It had been the scene of their first real taste of duty as
independent units, it held the grave of the first of their number to
give his life, and they had watched it as the warm of spring days
transformed its fields from bleak vistas of mud to living green dotted
with the white and yellow of the early spring flowers, followed by
the period when whole areas were covered with the brilliant hues of
blooming poppies. Bound for an unknown part of the country, with the
probability of finding most of their previous training discounted by
new conditions, it was only the buoyant spirit characteristic of the
Company throughout the most trying times, which, added to the thirst
for adventure, prevented depression and sent them on their way singing
and whistling.