Class USnti Book - 'i&.^ Ms- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD i\ETILLERY LIEUTENANT MORRISON Second Lieut. John Morrison was detailed on liaison duty with the advanced battalion of the 116th Infantry under command of Major Oppie. Lieutenant Morrison kept continual liaison between the artillery and the infantry under the most difficult circumstances. He crawled forward on his hands and knees beyond our front line with a telephone strapped to his back and conducted the fire of his artillery, preparatory to the attack which took place the following day, October 15, 1918. He completed this mission, thus displaying extraor- dinary bravery and calmness under heavy shell and machine-gun fire. On October 15, at eight o'clock in the morning, he went over with the front- line battalion and sent back information to the artillery which was invaluable, and without which the artillery would have been helpless. He kept this work up under the greatest danger from shell and machine-gun fire, until he was killed near Molleville Farm about ten o 'clock in the morning. On the recommendation of Colonel Warfield, Lieutenant Morrison was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross ' ' For Extraordinary Heroism in Action. ' ' SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN MORRISON KILLED IN ACTION, OCTOBER 15, 1918 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY NEW HAVEN PRIA^ATELY PRINTED UNDER DIRECTION OP THE YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS MDCCCCXX COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS ©CI,A576295 ..SEP -7 id'-iO TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Day-by-Day Chronicle of the 322d F. A. . . . ' . .19 The Editors Summary of Unintelligence ....... 162 Lieut. E. F. Streeter History of Battery A ....... . 167 Editors for Battery A Ralph B. Clemens. A Poem 218 Sgt. Maj. H. J. Nichols, Hdq. Co. Reminiscences of Battery B ...... . 221 Editors for Battery B Dugouts. A Poem ........ 231 Anonymous Battery C 232 Editors for Battery C Before and After . . . . ' 265 Col. Sgt. F. E. Gray, Hdq. Co. History of Battery D : . . 268 Editors for Battery D Shattered Ideas 287 1st Sgt. C. J. Goldrick, Hdq. Co. Battery E 289 Editors for Battery E How Did You Feel? 310 Col. Sgt. F. E. Gray, Hdq. Co. Extracts from the Log Book of Private William Dill, Battery F 311 Lieut. E. F. Streeter Supply Company ......... 315 Editors for Supply Co. The Bursting Bomb ........ 351 Ordnance Detachment Regimental Order No. 1000 361 One Who Has Received Them HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY PAGE Headquarters Company WhoWoiitlie Wart— The Band 365 Band Cpl. H. E. Lucas, Hdq. Co. "TheMonday Line Is Out Again" 381 Lieut. P. A. Parker A Few Minutes with the Radio . . . . . .385 Lieut. F. L. Purdy Autobiography of the Personnel Department . . . 390 Capt. Gr. A. Watson Gas 393 Lieut. H. N. Findley Three Views of the First Battalion Detail : 1. Training in France ....... 397 Pvt. Buck, Hdq. Co. 2. "This is Hoboken Talking" 399 Col. Sgt. F. E. Gray 3. A Letter from the Front 401 Sgt. J. M. Crocker, Hdq. Co. The Story of the Homeless Six or Shaw's Little Army . . 407 Pvt. C. E. Watson, Vet. Det. Athletics in the 322d Field Artillery 410 Col. Sgt. L. S. Woodrow, Hdq. Co. Where Do We Go from Here? 418 Cpl. W. B. DeGree, Hdq. Co. The Baggage Detail ........ 424 Lieut. G. F. Lane Crossing the Channel ........ 425 Sgt. Maj. H. J. Nichols, Hdq. Co. "Battery A, Chiefs of Section, at Ease!" . . . .428 Sgt. H. 0. Norwiek, Btry. A The Advanced Detachment at Coetquidan or Five Weeks ' Vaca- tion with Pav . . 430 Col. Sgt. F. E. Gray, Hdq. Co. That First Night . ' 432 Sgt. W. E. Clevenger, Btry. D My First Night Under Fire— September 23, 1918 . . .435 Cpl. F. J. Steffen, Btry. D A Day on Liaison with the Infantry ..... 439 Lieut. G. C. McConnaughey Camp Gallieni ......... 441 Lieut. P. A. Parker HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Hearts of Steel .... 1st Sgt. C. J. Goklrick, Hdq. Co. To the Driver. A Poem Sgt. Maj. H. J. Nichols, Hdq. Co. Points of View .... Sgt. H. 0. Norwick, Btry. A Life in the Army of Occupation Anonymous Songs ...... Tipperary Brother Noah Ohio In My Castle on the River Rhine Pack Up Your Troubles Tickle Toe 83d Division Song Religions Aspects of the Regiment 's Life Chaplain H. A. Rinard Le Retour. A French Poem ...... Adolphe Gysin, French Army Appendix Casualty Lists ........ Rosters ......... PAGE 443 445 447 448 450 455 459 463 468 FOEEWORD (How THE History Was Weitten) From the first day of his association with the Regiment, which is the same as saying from the day the Regiment was organized, Col. Warfield had in mind the future preparation and publica- tion of its history. To this end he directed the regimental adjutant, first Capt. J. A. Garfield and later Capt. G. S. Webber, to keep daily notes and records of the happenings in Section Q. This was faith- fully done, not only in Camp Sherman, but throughout the whole existence of the Regiment. These notes were typewritten and kept constantly up to date, in a loose-leaf cover, and from time to time were supplemented by pictures as these became available. Compiling Eegimental History Shortly after arriving in Germany, the Colonel, realizing that the main events of the Regiment's life were past and that it was destined to come to an end before many months, decided that the time was ripe to start work on the history. Accordingly the following order was published to the Regiment : 12 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Hq. 322d Field Artillery, American B. F., 21st December, 1918. R. 0. 1 No. 219 1. The following- officers are appointed as Editorial Board for compiling and publishing the Regimental History of this Regiment : Editor-in-Chief Capt. Philip R. Mather Organization Capt. George S. Webber Operations ^ ~ _ Capt. Eugene C. Noyes Information 1st Lieut. Templeton Briggs Publication 1st Lieut. Edward F. Streeter Musical and songs 2d Lieut. Fernand Veevaert Mothers, fathers, wives and sweethearts 1st Lieut. Charles L. Reed Killed, wounded and missing Chaplain Herbert A. Rinard Recreation and athletics Col. Sgt. Lloyd S. Woodrow Assistant editors Major Harry J. Repman Capt. Christen Dissing Capt. Henry A. Marting Capt. Wm. McK. Green Capt. Rutherford Fullerton Capt. Newell Garfield Capt. Wm. R. Englehart Capt. Malcolm W. Thompson 2. The following enlisted men are appointed as representatives of their respective organizations : Headquarters Company 1st Sgt. Campbell J. Goldrick Sup. Sgt. Russell P. Huls Sgt. Maj. Harry E. Small Sgt. John 0. Driver Supply Company Cpl. C. H. Dorsey Pvt. Null M. Hodapp Pvt. David Barrar Pvt. G. J. Hogelucht Battery A Sgt. Henry 0. Norwick Sgt. Lawrence J. Eyler Sgt. William E. Trautman Cpl. Phillip H. Moore Battery B Sgt. William H. Frantz Cpl. Willis E. Stauter Cpl. Joseph W. Steiber Pvt. William A. Spalding HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 13 Battery C Sgt.. Fred B. Wallace Sgt. Charles W. Keiter Cpl. Albert J. Burgmeier Hsli. Simeon "W. Pheanis Battery D Sgt. William E. Clevenger Sgt. Cyril B. Hochwalt Sup. Sgt. Sylvester J. Bimis Cpl. Frank J. Steffen Battery E Sgt. James F. Fluker Cpl. James W. McGrail Cpl. Charles A. Gnlling Pvt. Robert F. Sheets ' Battery F Sgt. Robert M. Keogh Sgt. Charles Jacobs Cpl. Arthur J. Marsden Cpl. Ralph Gross Medical Detachment Sgt. Amadeus Shank Pvt. Otto E. Newton Veterinary Detachment Pvt. (1st cl.) Clarence E. Watson Ordnance Detachment Pvt. (1st cl.) Ernest H. Huston Pvt. (1st cl.) Lewis E. Limbert 3. First Lieut. Charles L. Reed, 322d F. A., is assigned to Headquarters Company and appointed Assistant Editor Regimental History. Lieut. Reed is excused from all other duty. By order of Colonel Warfield. George S. Webber, Captain and Adjutant, 322d F. A. From a glance at this order it can readily be seen that such a large board could not possibly do any editorial work together. Indeed, such Avas not the Colonel's intention. The battery and com- pany representatives, who were appointed on the recommendations of their respective Commanding Officers, were simply asked to write histories or chronicles of their own organizations. This was done in most cases with the advice and collaboration of the Battery Com- mander concerned. These battery histories form the main part of this book and are by far the most interesting part of it. They are rich in memories and in the little episodes Avhich furnished the real spice and enjoyment of army life. 14 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY The real work of collecting and editing these fell on Lieut. Reed, who was able to devote practically all of his time for several months in Germany to this task. At the same time he was working on the notes of Capt. Garfield and Capt. Webber, mentioned above. These furnished invaluable facts and dates for the "Day-by-Day Chronicle" of the Regiment, but a great deal was cut out, especially during the Camp Sherman period, in order to allow the description of the opera- tions at the Front to be put in with the fullest details. The task of preparing this portion of the history fell to Capt. Noyes, who, as Operations Officer at Regimental Headquarters during the entire period, was thoroughly familiar with this phase, and had preserved a number of actual operations orders and maps. Unfortunately, Capt. Noyes was transferred to the 323d F. A. before he had a chance to finish this account, and the duty of completing it fell to Lieut. Briggs, who, as Intelligence Officer, had also been at Regimental Headquarters during most of the fighting, and was probably, next to Capt. Noyes, more familiar with the battle operations than anyone else. Too high praise cannot be given to the care and thought which Lieut. Briggs gave to this work. Every day is described accurately to the most minute detail, and on the accompanying map, traced by Cpl. W. B. DeGree of the Headquarters Company, each village and each road mentioned in Lieut. Briggs 's account is shown in red. Bat- tery positions and all places in which any part of the Regiment was, are shown on this tracing. Meanwhile, at the suggestion of Lieut. Reed, a number of short articles on special features of our career were prepared by various men and officers of the Regiment, in order to fully round out the general history and neglect no detail. Several poems were contrib- uted, especial attention being attracted by the French poem, "Le Retour," by M. Adolphe Gysin, the French interpreter attached to the Regiment for several months while in Germany. M. Gysin is a poet of recognized merit and has written a poem for every regiment of infantry in the French Army, recounting its glory and achieve- ments. "Le Retour" is dedicated to the 322d F. A. and expresses the gratitude of France to the American soldier, and her joy in seeing him able to return at last in safety to his beloved home. The history could not have been what it is without the constant and untiring efforts of Null M. Hodapp of the Supply Company, who not only contributed the great bulk of the photographs, but also type- wrote the larger part of the history itself, preparing it for the printer. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 15 He compiled also the rosters in the back of the book which give, as far as information is available, all members of the various organiza- tions of the Regiment, during the entire period of their existence. From this brief outline it can be seen that a number of men not on the editorial board at all were of invaluable assistance in prepar- ing the book. Among these should be mentioned Lieut. Parker, Sgt. Maj. Nichols, Col. Sgt. Gray, Lieut. Purdy, Sgt. Crocker, and Cpl. Herrnan E. Lucas of Headquarters Company; Capt. Watson and Lieut. McConnaughey of the Regimental Staff; Lieut. Pindley of Battery E, and Lieut. Lane of Battery A. Besides these there were a great many others throughout the batteries who gave assistance in the preparation of the battery histories. Every member of the Ord- nance Detachment, for example, had a share in its contribution. So this history is a history of the Regiment in the truest sense of the word, for it is a composite picture made by many hands. Every viewpoint is expressed and every group is described by some of its own members. The history is not the work of any one man, but of the whole Regiment, and as such it is of the most vital interest. Perhaps no one will care to read it from cover to cover, but every- one will find some parts of it that will strike a familiar chord, and bring back some incident which he himself witnessed. This was the aim from the beginning — to make the history personal — a friend which one will wish to keep on the table and not put away on a shelf and forget. It is to be the reminder of the great experience which comes to most men but once in a lifetime, which none wish repeated, but Avhich none can forget. Acknowledgment is made to Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Morrison for the photograph of Lieut. Morrison, appearing as frontispiece. The Editobs. DAY-BY-DAY CHKONICLE OF THE 322d F. A. DAY-BY-DAY CHEONICLE OF THE 322d F. A. Jung 15, 1917. The original nucleus of the organization which later became the 322d Field Artillery was formed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, when the first four weeks of the course given at the first Officers' Training Camp came to an end, and those who elected the Field Artillery were separated from the common herd of doughboys. Three provisional training batteries were formed and those who belonged to the old "First Battery" under the never-to-be-forgotten Major Taylor realized on that day that they were starting military associations which would endure throughout their entire army life. Right on that day began the cus- tom which later became a tradition in the Regiment, of taking the lead in whatever lay before us, and not wait- ing for others to show us how. The embryo officers in this battery formed during the next two months firm friendships which bound them to- gether for all time, and learned to know each other's abilities with an in- timacy which later led to the strong- feeling of confidence in the power of the group to excel in whatever it ^-:^-- attempted. June 16-August 14. During the remainder of the Training Camp days, hard work and study were the constant program. Although slightly handicapped in having a Com- manding Officer from the Judge Advocate General's Department, the battery was fortunate in having as assistant instructors, Lieuts. Hoagland, Nichols, Lane and Garrett, all of whom had seen several years ' service in field artillery or cavalrv, and in addition there were Everyone Out 20 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY about a dozen candidates who had served in field artillery units of the National Guard. From time to time during the summer a man dropped out or was transferred to aviation, but the biggest losses came when fifteen of the best lieutenants volunteered for service overseas immediately after getting their com- missions. It has always been a matter of regret that we could not have had these officers with us in the 322d. A few also left for the regu- lar army, including all of our instructors, ex- cept Lieut. Lane, who elected to remain with Bakkacks, Camp Sherman US. Capt. Watson came to US here, in the role of a sergeant-instructor with the Ohio National Guard Field Artillery, whose equipment was at our disposal for instructional purposes. He was quickly commissioned second lieutenant, and made a captain not long after. Capt. Dissing, too, arrived just in time to help with the final pay I'oll. A word of reminder will not be out of place, and it seems wrong to pass over this early period with no mention of the original "Imperial Quartet," composed of Bush, Post, Collins and Barker, who charmed all with their rendition of "Apple Blossom Time"; or without some thoughts on the great flood of speak- ers, mostly governors, which General *" " " - " ' ~ -^ Glenn unfeelingly turned loose on us. colonel warfield Who can forget Kentucky's "Beloved Heroes"! Nor should the famous Major Koehler's remarkable gymnastics be allowed to sink into oblivion, especially as they were the real root of much of the "Arms Forward Raise" and "Full Knee Bend" stuff later perpetrated on the Regiment. During these months also were born several of the most popular HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 21 those slated for commissions and unpopular songs which we have learned to consider as regimental property. August 15. Beginning 12.01 a.m., were duly sworn in, donned their bars, collar ornaments and hat cords, and went down town to receive their first salutes. Before the day ended every one was home or on his way there. AugiTst 16-28. This was the short vacation granted by the War De- partment for the purpose of allow- ing its Newest Officers to "Purchase uniforms, equipment, etc." Needless to say, most of them found time for a great deal else as well, and this, our first and last real vacation in the army, was fully appreciated and enjoyed. August 29. Reporting to the Com- manding General, Camp Sherman, for duty, officers of the First Battery were informed that they had all been assigned to the 322d Field Artillery, and were told to report to its Com- manding Officer, Col. A. B. Warfield, for duty. Our Colonel's name was new to us, he not having been at Fort Harrison, but it did not take long to become ver3^ familiar with his face and his energetic manner. Although our assign- ments did not techni- cally take effect until the following day, that did not prevent the Colonel from putting us to work. Capt. J. A. Garfield was appointed adjutant, and the other officers assigned to batteries. Each battery commander conducted study hours for his Halloween Feed loRSE Stable 22 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY Grooming Horses lieutenants ; discussions were held and the system of daily officers ' meetings was inaugurated. August 30-September 4. The morning report for this period still showed only officers with the exception of Sgt. Maj. W. W. Criley, and Regt. Sup. Sgt. Roger Enwright who had enlisted and come with the officers from Fort Harrison. Daily school with a little calis- thenics continued to be the program. September 5. It is hard to say who was more scared that eve- ning, the eighty newly arrived recruits or the sixty officers who received them. Neither knew what to expect from the others, and it is safe to say that both were pleasantly surprised. When American young men are thrown together in some piece of work, they just about always seem to get along pretty well. The Regiment at this time was just in the process of moving from Section B to the newly completed Section Q, which was to be our permanent home. Sup- per that evening was in the old place and the re- cruits got their first experience with night fatigue by carrying the kitchen equipment bod- ily across the mud to the proiaer side of Colum- bus Avenue in order that breakfast might be served in the imme- diate vicinity of our new sleeping quarters. September 26, 1917- May 21, 1918. No at- tempt will be made to carry on a day-to-day account of the long- training period at Camp Sherman. That will come only with the Officers at Eakge HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 23 more momentous clays of journeying overseas and fighting at the Front. The Camp Sherman period will be covered Avith a general survey only, with reference to those special incidents most worthy of note and brief accounts of the most important episodes. Nearly every battery goes into the details of this period in its own chronicle, and a general recapitulation is all that is necessary for the Regiment as a whole. September 19 brought the first large acquisition of men to the Regiment when about six hundred came from Montgomery and Preble counties. As usual in the army, drill and fa- tigue took precedence over the issuing of equipment, but thanks to the efforts of Capt. Dissing, the 322d was the first organization in Camp Sherman to fully uniform its men, an achievement which the Colonel celebrated with a parade around the camp for the benefit of our more civilly clad brethren. On October 3 enough more men were received to bring the Regiment up to full "Tables of Organization" strength, a condition which lasted but a day or two and was not reached again until the eve of our de- parture from Camp Sherman. From October to May there came a constant stream of disheartening orders to transfer so many here and so many there. Battery Commanders were tempted to keep all their good men privates because the authorities kept calling for mechanics, N. C. O.'s, or various specialists, at such a rate that we just about got a man trained in time to send him somewhere else to work. This situation, although common to all National Army organi- zations, was discouraging for all concerned and lent strong credence to the oft-heard rumor that we were destined never to go abroad as a unit. This belief led many of the best and most high-spirited men to apply for transfer to what, they believed, were more fortu- nate units, scheduled for early departure, and B. C. 's were driven to Cols. Ashburn and Warfield 24 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the most desperate devices for retaining any semblance of an organi- zation and morale. The first issue of horses in November was an important landmark. Who will ever forget the part which horses played in our existence for the next eighteen months! Many and many a poor driver during that period was strongly tempted to assume the uncompromising attitude of one of the unfortunate band musicians when presented with a grooming brush and told to get to work. After surveying his prospective subject from a safe distance, he concluded to forego the pleasure of a nearer acquaintance. ' ' What 's the matter? Why aren't YOU grooming?" asked the officer in charge. "Sir, I fear horses." "You go in there and g r m that horse. ' ' "Sir, I apply for trans- fer." Halloween, Thanks- giving and Christmas all brought their cele- brations and good times, even if passes home were not as nu- m e r o u s as we all wished, owing to lack of railroad transportation as well as to ill-timed quarantines. Battery F 's Thanksgiving menu sounds strange when compared with what they had just one year later in Manternach, and will serve as a sample of what the whole Regiment enjoyed, proving that army food is worth while occasionally. It was as follows : Celeiy, radishes, pickles, wafers, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, giblet gravy, scalloped oysters, mashed potatoes, candied HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 25 sweets, creamed peas, pumpkin pie, mince pie, ice cream, vanilla cake, coffee, oranges, apples, mints, cigars and cigarettes. The loss of about fifteen officers, who were transferred to the 37th Division during September, was partially compensated for by the arrival of a few new ones from the second Officers' Training Camp in December. Most of these officers left again be- fore we went overseas, but Lieuts. B r i g g s, Reed,' Wales and Purdy became permanent addi- tions. On January 18 be- gan the target practice at Stony Creek. The best possible descrip- tion of this is given by the following article, written by Col. Warfiekl himself and first pub- lished in the Field Artillery Journal. The footnotes did not originally appear, but have been added for the benefit of our readers. Horses Feeding on Line of March NOTES ON TARGET PRACTICE OF A REGIMENT OF FIELD ARTILLERY, NATIONAL ARMY BY COL. A. B. WARFIELD/ FIELD ARTILLERY, NATIONAL ARMY The following is taken from official reports and personal notes on target practice of a regiment of Field Artillery in the National Armj^ stationed at a cantonment "Somewhere in the United States."" They are given in the hope that they may be of benefit to the National Army and that they may be of some general interest to the whole Field Artillery service. The subject will be considered under the following subheads : I. Allowance of Ammunition Allowance of ammunition is 1000 rounds per battery. II. Selection and Construction of Target Range On or about September 1, 1917, the Regimental Commander con- 1 322(3 Field Artillery. 2 Chillicothe, Ohio. •26 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY I Eattlesnake Hollow cerned was placed on a Board of Officers by the Division Commander' with two other officers, one a Colonel of Infantry and one a Lieuten- ant Colonel of Infantry; to investigate and report tipon the entire matter of target ranges for this division, both for small arms and artillery firing. The selection of a Small Arms Range was a comparatively simple matter and a suitable range Avas found within about three miles of the cantonment area. The selection of an Artillery Range in this thickly settled section of the state was a more difficult matter ; sev- eral weeks' time and many gallons of gaso- line were expended in visiting nearly every square mile of ground within a thirty-mile radius of the cantonment before a site at all suit- able could be located. The site finally reported to the Division Com- mander as suitable was so reported, not because it was a particularly good one, but because it Avas the only one that could be found any- where within the vicin- ity. The Division Com- mander had directed that the Range must be within a reasonable marching distance of the cantonment. The site selected was some ten miles from the cantonment in a small sheltered valley. This valley was some three miles long by less than a mile broad at its widest point, with land of but little value and 1 Maj. Gen. Edwin F. Glenn. -'^^'^"^^ ""=>^ ^ "S ,"^ ^|i 'i HH^fifli ^H i ^ ^ 2ar_.,.Vtar i:i2->- W^ Detail HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 27 Making Eoad only a few scattered small farms. There was a Avell-defined stream with abmidant and pure water supply flowing through the valley with plenty of downed, dead wood in the hills. A large hill, or, rather, a small mountain, backed by a well-defined ridge furnished a most excel- lent firing butt at the far end of the valley. A fairly large farm- house, with a barn and outbuildings, at the lower end of the val- ley, furnished a suitable place for Range Head- quarters, with an ex- cellent, large room for holding critiques. Adjacent to this farm- house was a level, well-drained meadow, near the creek, which fur- nished a most suitable place for erecting tents for the camp and stable covers for the animals. All details as to rental of ground and build- ings were taken care of by an officer of the Quartermaster De- partment from the Headquarters of the Department in which this cantonment is sit- uated. On December 20, the Regimental Commander was informed that the Range had been rented by the Government and that his Regiment would be expected to start its target practice not later than January 15, 1918. January 1, 1918, a detail of some one hundred men made up proportionately from the three Regiments of this Artillery Bri- BuiLDiNG Kitchen 28 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY gade was sent to the Range under charge of a First Lieutenant^ of this Regiment — this officer was chosen because of his pre- V i u s experience in construction and con- tracting work. This officer was detailed as permanent Range and Supply Officer and actu- ally lived at the Range during all the time this Regiment was there. He took charge of all matters concerning the supply and upkeep of BUILDING Dam the Range and con- ducted a 1 1 arrange- ments necessary with the Quartermaster Department. Verbal in- structions were given this officer to prepare the farmhouse for occu- pancy by Regimental Headquarters, officers of one Battalion detail, including Battalion Commander^ and his Adjutant,^ and to pro- cure and erect sufficient tents, cook shacks, sta- ble shelters, etc., to ac- commodate one full Battery of Artillery, a Battalion Headquarters and the necessary extra officers. Pyramidal tents were permanently in- stalled with tent floors and Sibley stoves. Cook houses were erected from lumber furnished by the Quartermaster Department. A well was driven, giving an abundant supply of excellent water (which was tested by the Medical Department) for cooking and drinking purposes. Stable shelters, made of poles and brush driven into the side of a bank and covered with tarpaulins, were erected. The Range Officer was directed to con- 1 Lieut. Chas. D. Wilcox, Battery C. 2 Maj. S. E. Hopkins. 3 Capt. Newell Garfield. 11 Camp HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 29 struct an artillery target range along the lines, as far as the topog- raphy of the ground would permit, as laid down in War Department Memorandum "Re-Construction of Target Range to Conform to Con- dition of Trench War- fare." This memoran- dum can be secured upon request from the office of the Chief of Field Artillery, Wash- ington. In connection with the above, the following should be noted : 1. Select as Range Supply Officer a compe- tent, energetic officer, if possible, one who has had previous experience Sawing Wood along construction lines, and give him concise, definite orders as to what you want done. 2. Give him the necessary commissioned officers as assistants (not more than two should be needed), furnish him with the nec- essary enlisted details for construction work, and then, though, of course, you supervise his work, do not bother him. Tell him you ex- pect results, and leave him alone as much as possible. It is believed that certain portions of the report of the Range, Supply and Mess Officers will be of interest as they furnish data for other Range, Supply and Mess Officers. Stony Ckeek Range EXTBACT FEOM REPORT OF RANGE SUPPLY OFFICER ' ' On the evening of December 30, 1917, the writer was ordered by the Regimental Commander to proceed to the Target Range and 30 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Tenting in Winter commence the construction of an Artillery Target Range for the use of the Artillery Brigade. A set of plans and specifications from the War Department was furnished and the range was to be completed by January 14, 1918. ' ' Monday, December 31, 1917, was spent in securing information as to leases, boundaries of the range and mapping- out of general schedule f operation. The writer found that the Quartermaster Corps had covered the g r o u n d very thor- oughly and had already made leases covering most of the property involved. Final settle- ments were made with the tenants during the ensuing week and the Range was cleared of inhabitants. On this date also requisition was made on the Quartermaster for tents, flooring and stoves. "Tuesday, January 1, 1918, the writer, ac- companied by a Captain of French Artillery,^ made a preliminary re- connaissance of the Range and tentative target and observation positions were gone over. On Wednesday, January 2, 1918, a visit Avas made to the Range by the Regimental Com- mander and the selec- tion of the above posi- tions was approved and final instructions given as to the conduct of the work. "Thursday, January 3, 1918, a party of about twenty men, com- posed chiefly of mechanics from the three Artillery Regiments, moved 1 Capt. Tommy Martin. Tent Life in Winter HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY U Mess out to the Range and established a temporary camp in an old school- house. In addition to this party there were two officers and two enlisted men from the Engineers, who at once started to establish the axis or center line of the Range. The weather was very cold and most of Friday was spent in providing cover for the wagon teams. We also received on Friday afternoon six pyramidal tents and enough lumber to floor them from the Quarter- master Corps. Work was started on the erecting o f these a t once and Saturday the detail moved from the schoolhouse into the tents. The schoolhouse at the lower end of the range was refloored Saturday and the furniture moved from the schoolhouse near the target area, which was ordered abandoned. "Sunday, January 6, 1918, the railroad placed a car of lumber from the Quartermaster on the siding, this being followed by a car- _ load of tents and stoves on Monday. The work at the schoolhouse was completed and furni- ture placed on this date, but owing to the heavy rain no other work was done. "Monday, January 7, 1918, found every- thing frozen up again. A Lieutenant^ o f t h e Regiment came out with sixty-six men drawn equalty from the regimental organizations of the Brigade. The Regimental Mess Officer also arrived and took charge of the messing of the detail. That afternoon a Lieutenant went up the Range with about thirty men and established camp in the 1 Lieut. R. Seabright, Battery D. Caisson — Forward ! 32 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Cannoneers — Forward ! schoolliouse near the target area where the balance of the week Avas spent in constructing the German trenches and two observation posts. "On Wednesday, January 9, 1918, a further detail of about fifty men was brought out from the Brigade and twenty-five of these Avere sent to the Lieutenant VjJHi at the schoolhouse for work on the trenches. The Grerman trenches and two observation posts were completed on the afternoon of Jan- uary 13. ' ' During the week of January 7, forty-eight tents were floored and erected, kitchen built, two latrines erected and stable room for sixty head provided, and cov- ered, under the hill just south of the tents. Dui'lng this week, a Lieu- tenant^ of Headquarters Company laid wire from the f orAvard observ- ing posts to the gun positions and established telephone communica- t i o n . The Engineer officers also completed their work, platted the axis line and other sali- ent points on the Range. Two families Avere also moved out by Govern- ment teams. ' ' On Monday, Jan- uary 14, 1918, the Range AA'^as ready for firing, but access to the camp AA^as cut off by a heavy snoAvfall. The Regi- mental Commander Avith Headquarters Company and D Battery arrived on Thursday, January 17, and fired the first shots on Jan- uary 18. No firing Avas done on Saturday or Sunday and the time Avas spent in clearing the trenches of snoAvdrifts Avhich had eom- 1 Lieut. H. Brooks, Hdq. Co. Pieces in Position HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 33 Pieces in Position pletely obliterated them, and in constructing a third observation post on the top of Kaiser Hill. Firing was resumed on Monday, January 21. "On January 23, 1918, a fatigue party of about forty-five men was brought out from the Regiment and on the 24th and 25th a system of front-line American trenches was put in about. 300 yards from the German trenches. On the 28th and 29th two new observation , , posts were built, one behind the American front line and one on Cro"\\Ti Prince Hill. On February 7, another ob- servation post was com- pleted on the top of Crown Prince Hill, making six bomb-proof observation posts in all. All were constructed in dead of winter with zero temperature and some foot and a half of snow. On the 7th and 8th, a barbed-mre entanglement was placed in front of the German first-line trenches. On February 10 an 85-foot well with excellent water was completed near the camp kitchen and at once put in oper- ation. In addition to the tents, and flooring, 250 canvas cots were furnished by the Quartermaster for the use of the men at the Range. ' ' On February 14, 1918, bedding straw stored in one of the pyramidal tents caught fire from some unknown cause and the tent was destroyed. Getting Pieces Ready to Fiee 34 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY "A brief recapitulation of the work done between January 3 and February 10, 1918, follows : Fifty-two pyramidal tents floored and erected; Five wall tents erected ; Stableroomfor seventy-five head provided ; System of German front line, support and communicating trenches dug; System of American front line trenches dug; Six bomb-proof ob- servation posts built ; Two hundred and fifty targets made, placed and maintained ; Four-hundred-foot section of road built and small bridge thrown across stream ; Telephone communication established by Headquarters Company with all gun positions and observation posts ; Eighty-five-foot well drilled by Quartermaster Corps; Two families moved ; One schoolhouse refloored and school furniture moved in place ; House at Range Headquarters cleaned and repaired ; Stable at Headquarters house remodeled and capacity doubled; Four latrines dug and erected; Trees and brush cleared away at gun positions and observation posts ; Artillery Targets maintained and wire entanglements placed in front of German front line trenches." Deflection Setting EXTRACTS FKOM EEPOET OF EEGIMENTAL MESS OFFICER "Pursuant to Regimental Order of January 1, 1918, twenty-four men proceeded to the Artillery Range on January 2, as a working party. "This number was increased daily until a maximum of 152 men were present. This number fluctuated daily. The working party remained until January 17. During this time, from January 2, 1918, to January 17, 1918, there was a total of 1484 men present. The 1 Lieut. A. Sackett, Eeg. StafE. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 35 ration saving of $35.34 was made on messes of these men with an additional $25.02 from officers who boarded with the mess. The transportation of supplies was particularly difficult at this time, owing to the snow, mud, frozen and slippery roads, but at no time was there any lack of food supplies at the target range; the trans- portation furnished by the Supply Officer^ of the Regiment was ex- tremely efficient." Note: By Regimental Commander. The Supply Officer of the Regiment concerned is an ex-noncommissioned of- ficer of the regular service of nearly thirty years' service, some twenty years of which has been in the grade of Sergeant, First Sergeant and Regimental Supply Sergeant. Load "On the 17th day of January the first battery of the Regiment arrived on the Range. The Headqiiarters Company of the Regi- ment kept a permanent detail there of some seventy men. These men, along with the working party, kept the average of men at the Range up to about 250 men until the close of firing on February 21, 1918. The messing of the men was done by the Battery firing under the supervision of the Regi- mental Mess Officer, who also conducted an Officers' Mess for the permanent Staff Detail of some fifteen officers and also prepared one meal for the Regimental Officers who came out daily to witness the firing. "Two army field ranges were set up on a raised platform in a permanent wooden kitchen, giving a continuous cooking service on 1 Capt. Christen Dissing, Supply Co. Gun in Position Eeady to Pike 36 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the fire plate and also attaeliments. The service was sufificient for the preparation of food for 250 men, but the range was entirely too light in construction to sustain the weight of the food and the heat of the fire. ' * An emergency sup- ply of five days ' rations was kept in storage at the Range at all times in order to prepare for emergencies of winter, and breaking down of transportation. "The cooks were effi- cient in cooking meals and prompt in prepa- ration. This was due, no doubt, to the prior training the cooks had received in the Regi- mental School for Cooks and Bakers, which included outdoor cooking on the field ranges and improvised clay ovens " '* "" ''^*'' ' " < -. -^5=?^. ,^,2 and ranges, including cooking trenches, bean pits, etc." Note : By Regimental Commander. J. Saunders Fires First Shell It is particularly nec- essary to train the bat- tery cooks at as early a date as possible in all the expedients to be iised in field cooking. Firing First Shell. National Army, 322d F. A. III. Primary Instruction of Officers and Men Leading up to Actual Service Practice Since November 9, 1917, when the receiving of men from the draft was completed in this Regiment, a Regimental School of Fire has been conducted daily under the supervision of a Major^ of this Regi- 1 Major S. E. Hopkins. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 37 Piece Firing ment, who is a graduate of the School of Fire at Fort Sill, Okla- lioma, and a former instructor at that school. This school was for Battery Commanders and selected First Lieutenants. At this time, but at a different hour, a supplementary School of Fire was held for all officers not in the first school. This school was also under the supervision of the Major above referred to, but was directly conducted by a Cap- tain^ of this Regiment, who is a graduate of the Officers ' Training Camp, and who had shown most satisfac- tory progress in the principles and prepara- t i n of firing data. These schools were car- ried on with indoor terrain board during bad weather and outdoor smoke bomb practice whenever the weather permitted. The officers were taught the jorinciples of fire as taught at Fort Sill. These principles were later brought out in the critiques of the actual service firing, w h i e h were held daily on the target range during the afternoons following the morning firing. It is absolutely nec- essary before officers be allowed to fire ser- vice ammunition that they be thoroughly groi;nded in the principles of fire and this can be best accomplished by the methods above given. In addition to the above principles of fire, officers' schools in general artillery subjects were conducted 1 Capt. Newell Garfield, Adj. 2d Bn. Unload 38 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY for periods of not less than two hours daily in the evenings, covering in general the following subjects : Manual for Battery Commanders; Meteorological Elements Affecting Artillery; Cleaning Pieces trol Instruments ; Harness Fitting and Draft ; Communication; Telegraphy with Service Buzzer of the Moment; Including Wind and Atmospheric Corrections ; Corrections for Muzzle Velocity ; Temperature of Powder, etc. ; Exterior Ballistics and Gunnery; Stable Management ; Eciuitation ; Camouflage ; Anti-gas In- struction ; Methods of Communicating with Air- Craft from the Ground; Artillery Field Fortifica- tions. Manual for Orienta- tion Officer; Lateral Observations; Notes on Artillery Training ; Worliing For- mations of Battery Details; Dismounted Drill ; Gun Drill ; Visual Signaling ; Cordage ; Physical Drill ; Property Accountability ; Materiel ; Preparation of Firing Data; Topography; Maps and Plan Directeur; Map Coordinates; Organi- zation Tables; Fire Con- Telephone and Telegraphic ; Range Tables; Corrections Fire! IV. Equipment On November 5, 1917, two 3-inch American guns were assigned to this Eegiment and on January 1, 1918, two more guns which had been with the other Field Artillery Eegiment of the Brigade were also turned over to me. The entire equipment for the Eegiment consisted of four 3-inch model 1902 gims; eight caissons, model HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 39 pf<^-^ 1902, with twelve limbers; eight sets of wheel and sixteen sets of lead and swing harness ; four panoramic sights, complete ; six bracket fnze setters; one B. C. instrument, old model 1905; four field artil- lery telephones, buzzer type; and approxi- mately four miles of field wire and one mile of buzzer wire; sixteen sets of semaphore flag sets ; two megaphones ; fifteen pairs of field glasses, type EE. The above materiel, forming four sections, was used by one battery for instruction pur- poses for an entire half day, commencing January 7. Drill periods were from 7.40 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 12.50 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. The Battery Commander personally commanded the mounted battery and took such steps as were necessary to insure taking advan- l tage of the entire time allotted for battery drill and firing instruction. The entire commis- sioned and enlisted per- ^ ll^^^^^^K ^ffi9il^^lBlfl^^*W^ sonnel to complete these / ^^^^^^^Bmt* ^^^^^^^^^^B^ sections came from the battery then using the materiel for drill. The following is some idea of the manner in which the materiel was used by the different batteries : Fire! Piece in Recoil Battery A- Battery B- Battery C- Battery D- Battery E- Battery F- -Monday morniug -Monday afternoon -Tuesday morning -Tuesday afternoon -Wednesday morning -Wednesday afternoon Battery A- Battery B- Battery C- Battery D- Battery E- Battery F- -Thursday morning -Thursday afternoon -Friday morning -Friday afternoon -Monday morning -Monday afternoon 40 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEET Battery One Eound! Fike! A First Lieutenant was placed directly in charge of the drill for the gain squads and the different squads were kept constantly at drill from early in the morning until late at night, every available minute being made use of. In the evening, sights, qu.adrants, fuze setters, etc., were taken to the barracks and men drilled in their use and their uses explained to them by an officer for at least two hours. When outside duty, such as exterior or interior guard or division fatigue, prevented a battery from taking its proper place in the schedule, the next battery immediately took over the materiel. Under this intensive training, the gun crews of the different bat- teries were fairly well grounded in their duties by the time they were required to fire on the range. V. Preliminaky Aebangement The following is an extract from a regimental order concerning preliminary a r r a n g e- ments and precautions for safety. "All officers assigned or attached to batteries will attend target prac- tice. "Officers who are not assigned specific duties as enumerated in tables of organization will be attached to B. C. Detail. Officers will take bed- ding rolls, full field equipment ; they will mess with the battery. ' ' The 2d Battalion Detail will accompany this battery and remain Fire ! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 41 y^„^,_^,^^IH ^.,:. ... ':tirr* wy; ■■-.. It % ■ ^1'^- \'^' m^ ,,■' ^1 , ' '' m^^ ■ ^, ■"•^r ^ W!^mm ' k ^ I Three-Inch Piece on target range during target practice of the 2d Battalion. Adjutant of the 2d Battalion will make necessary arrangements to insure his detail being equipped for target practice. The Battalion Detail will mess with the battery firing. The Major of the 2d Battalion will have general supervision of target practice of his Battalion. The Major' of the 1st Battalion will have, charge of all schools of the Regiment and be in command of the Regiment while the Regimental Commander is absent at the target range. All officers of the Regiment, except one officer left tvith each battery, ivill report daily at t h e Target Range during days of actual firing, not later than 8.00 a.m. Tele- phone information will be furnished from the target range to the Regimental Adjutant- in time for him to notify all officers. "The Regimental Supply Officer will furnish transportation re- quired in connection ^ with batteries going to the target range. He will keep a reserve allowance of five days' rations for a complete battery, officers and en- listed men, on the tar- get range at all times. He will keep a minimum allowance of two days' forage for the maximum number of animals on the range at all times. "The Regimental Surgeon^ will detail one commissioned Medical Officer and necessary enlisted medical personnel, provided with medi- cal supplies for permanent duty at the target range. ' ' U. S. Akmy Sergeant ■ Maj. Alpha Brumage. = Capt. G. S. Webber. 3 Maj. H. .J. Eepman. 42 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY Left Section — Forward! VI. Safety Precautions ' ' Second Lieutenant Blank/ F. A,, is detailed as Target Communi- cations and Safety Offi- ^'"^^'^ cer of the Target Range during regimental tar- get practice. He will establish such commu- nication between the firing points, observa- tion stations and range party as may be neces- sary and equipment will permit. After consult- ing with the ofSeer in charge of the Range, he will be responsible for the proper posting- of the guards and safety signs and flags. Eleven posts will be estab- lished as indicated on the attached map in red. All of the above sentinels and guards will be posted by the -2. . '' ^-^ Safety Officer each day before firing c o m- mences. Guards Avill be informed of the hours upon which firing will commence and cease. "The Safety Offi- cer's attention is in- vited to paragraph 87, page 188, to paragraph 88, page 201, inclusive. Compilation of General Orders Circulars, and Bulletins of War De- partment, 1881-1915. "Each sentinel will have in his possession a typewritten copy of orders given him for his post and his particular 1 Lieut. J. Morrison (killed in action near Verdun, October 15, 1918). B. C. Station on Artillery Range HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 43 duties. These instructions will cover in detail the following points : (a) My post is No. — and extends from — to — . (b) My orders are to allow no civilians, stock or animals of any description to remain in or enter upon any portion of the target range while I am on post. (c) To warn all civilians and soldiers against picking up or handling in any way any projectiles, shells or fuzes, explaining to them that to do so may cause an explosion that may result in injury or may even cause death. (d) To locate, as far as possible, any unex- ploded projectile and report same to ' the Range Officer. "A copy of this or- der and a copy of in- striTctions given to all guards will be in the possession of Major^ — and Lieutenant- — at all times and an addi- tional copy of each of the above, with at- tached map, will be kept posted on bulletin board in the office of the Adjutant of the Range." Maj. Hopkins in B. C. Station VII. Service Peactice The firing was commenced with D Battery of the Regiment on January 19 and continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays included, until February 20, being interrupted only by the necessary time taken up in changing batteries on the Range, it being imprac- ticable to keep more than one battery on duty there at a time. The batteries proceeded to the target range under draft and complete field equipment, as far as equipment on hand would permit. Roads were very slippery, covered with ice, and draft was very 1 Maj. S. E.. Hopkins. z Lieut. .J. Morrison. 44 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY difficult. Road in several places so narrow as to be just wide enough for wheels of carriage, very careful driving was necessary. Two caissons loaded with ammunition turned completely over down an embankment but with no damage to materiel, men or animals. Upon arrival at a point about two miles from the target range area, each battery com- mander was given a problem to solve, ar- ranged by the Battalion Commander, requiring a march to, selection of and occupation of a position in observation, ready to open fire. This included preparation of firing data, selection of objectives, registration points, auxiliary aiming- points and positions for flank observers. Due to the very deep mud that existed during the firing of several batteries, it was neces- sary to construct gun platforms ; in most cases these were made of the trunks of small trees cut near the gun positions. The gun posi- tions had to be drained and in many cases the guns lifted up out of Scene on Artillery Eange Eange Camp the mud on the above built-up platforms before they could be fired. Though the above was of a necessity very hard work, it furnished excellent instruction for the officers and men concerned. A total of 121 problems were fired by the different officers of the Regiment. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 45 The number of problems fired by officers of tbe Regiment follows ; Regimental Commander Regimental Adjutant Regimental Supply Officer Stables C. 0., Headquarters Company Battalion Adjutants One Captain, attached Regimental Ordnance Officer Regimental Mess Offi- cer Officers of S u p p 1 y Company Officers of Headquar- ters Company Captains, commanding batteries, average, each First Lieutenants, Executive and Reconnaissance Officers, average, each All other officers, each 1 1 1 3 8 2 1 1 2 15 8 2 1 VIII. Sekvice Peactice (Continued) The weather during most of the time of this target practice was extremely cold. Several problems were fired with the thermometer registering several de- grees below zero. At another time several problems were fired in a blinding snowstorm, and on other occasions problems Avere fired in a driving rain. Two night problems were fired with tracer ammunition, both shell and shrapnel, u s i n g a previously prepared barrage table obtained from data of previous firing, corrected for the moment. Signal for commencement of barrage fire given from F. 0. P. in infantry first line by signal rockets. The battery answered at once by laying down a standing barrage on the German front-line trench. At the end of five minutes' firing, the barrage changed to a Besting 46 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY ■^i^^^fll^w•^w^^^^w# creeping barrage covering the ground from the German front-line trench to G-erman support line trench by jumps of fifty yards and ending on the German support trench. Actual conditions as existing on the Western Front in the Euro- pean war were simulated whenever possible. Trenches were dug representing American and German front lines, support and com- munication trenches. Machine-gun targets were constructed and placed in dugouts, barbed-wire entanglements were built and fired at with shell. The al- ; / , lowance of shell, how- '^ ' ever, was so small as to produce but very little effect. Observation posts were constructed and xised with both tele- phone and semaphore communication. Gun pits were dug for the guns and gnn crews. Camouflage was con- structed over the guns and on the last day of firing guns were pushed forward into direct fire positions and fired with extremely short ranges. The ranges used varied from the last day's firing, when the shortest range was 900 yards, up to approximately 5000 yards, which was the longest range available. One daytime barrage problem ivas fired, with previously prepared firing data, corrected for the moment. The first four rounds each day were fired at a designated trench as target, using the data from the previous day's firing, corrections for the moment having been applied for the temperature of the air, atmospheric pressure, hydrometric conditions, temperature of powder and the wind components. Four forward observation posts were constructed in the area of the American front-line trenches and used by the Battery Com- manders to conduct the fire of their batteries, using both telephone and semaphore signals. When the Battery Commanders were in a position of observation near their batteries, these forward observa- Immediately after Cessation op Hostilities. France, November 11, ]918 ECUREY, HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY 47 Battery E, 322d Field Artillery, Entering Soebey at Close of the First Day's March to the Rhine. Popular Welcome, Sorbey, France, November IS, 1918 tion posts were used as positions for the for- ward observation officer who telephoned infor- mation as to the neces- sary changes in firing- data. One of these F. 0. P.'s was directly in the line of fire, and, in one problem, two shrapnel burst directly on the roof of the dug- out, but did no damage to either the F. 0. 0.^ or to his recorder, tele- phone operator, or tele- phone connections. Flank observers were used by the Battery Commanders whenever possible. They were particularly useful to give necessary changes in deflection when Battery Commander was in F. 0. P. near his target. A progressive battle map was made during the continuance of the firing with the position of all gun emplacements, American and German first line, sup- port and communicat- ing trenches, F. 0. P. 's, Eange Officer's dugout, etc., shown on it, as well as all other targets fired upon. The Range Officer, the Officer supei'vising the fire and all Artillery Observers kept an accu- rate account of every shot fired. Blackboard critiques were held immediately after the firing and all problems discussed and criticized under the personal supervision of the Regimental Commander, assisted by the Battalion Commanders. 322d Field Artillery Pakked in Field Close to Manternach, Luxembourg, November 30, 1918 1 Capt. P. E. Mather. 48 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY 42SiJt The 322d Field Artillery Parked in Field Less Than Fifteen Hours after Its Evacuation by the Germans. Niederanven, Luxembourg, November 22, 1918 The above notes were not written with any idea that they present anything remarkable or ont of the ordinary. They are merely the result of one Begimental Commander's experience, given in the hope that they may be of some help to others con- fronted with similar or even greater difficulties, and who may not have the assistance of sev- eral excellent officers with Regular Artillery training. It is believed that the time is certain- ly coming when the Regimental Commander of the new National Army Field Artillery Regiments will have had but little actual experience other than that acquired at the train- ing camp and at Fort Sill. If the above helps in solving in any little particular, any of the numerous problems that may come up, the end sought will have been attained. In the vocabulary of the Field Artilleryman, there are no such words as "It can't be done"; and also there should be no such words as "I will try." The only thing to do is to find out exactly what is wanted of you, be sure you understand your in- structions, and then produce results quickly. Results are expected no matter what the condi- tions confronting you are. The only place where failure to produce results will be welcomed will be in the lines of the German forces confronting you. 'View of Wassekbillig and Osweiler, Germany, on the Fab Side of the Saueb Eiver, Wasserbillig, Luxembourg, November 30, 1918 Before the target practice was completed, officers began to go in HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 49 increasing numbers to Fort Sill for the course at the School of Fire. One every week and occasionally two were detailed in accordance with orders from Washington, and were absent from the Regiment about eleven weeks each. This did not interfere with the vigorous program of instruction carried out in Section Q ; on the contrary, it was more arduous than ever. The receipt of considerable harness caused special emphasis to be laid on mounted-road work and very frequent hikes of one, two and even three days were the rule, to say nothing of night hikes. The Sup- ply Company had more than their share of such work as a result of a Division order that all supplies must be hauled at night. An unusually large number of Field Inspections took place this spring as well as ordinary inspections and reviews. The tactical side was not neglected, for on every road march a problem was given, re- connaissance made, a position occupied, data computed, communi- cation established, sketches made, etc. By a rotation of personnel, all Avere given actual esperienee in perform- ing these operations in spite of the limited equipment available. Meantime, schools were not relaxed and more than the usual num- ber of lectures were heard, while drill and athletics went on as usual. Although the drain on our numbers to till up other organizations continued to such an extent that we fell to nearly six hundred below our authorized strength, our stock was given a big boom by Gen. Glenn's return from overseas. He brought from Washington the o22d Field Artillery Passing through Schone, Germany, December 1, 1918 50 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY Regulai' impression that the 83d was there regarded as the most advanced National Army Division in the country, and rumors of our departure were revived with a new confidence. The startling successes of the enemy and the resulting well-known "Speeding-up" of overseas movements brought conviction that our turn was not far off, so that the actual event when it came was no surprise. May 22, 1918. In compliance with a telegram from the War Department, the Regiment was this date placed under orders for overseas movements. From now on all else lost its importance while preparations for departure took precedence. May 23. Telegrams were sent to officers at Fort Sill and elsewhere absent, directing their immediate r e t u r n to Camp Sherman. May 24 schediale still in force. Nothing of importance. May 25. The regu- lar drill schedule was still in force, part of the organizations re- maining in barracks, turning in property not to be taken overseas, and packing equipment for shipment across. A board consisting of thirty-nine officers of the Regiment examined each article of equip- ment authorized to be taken ; shortages were reported and filled. May 26. All drills were suspended and every organization con- centrated on packing for the trip. Drills at Camp Sherman will from now on be one of the reminiscences of training. Though on many Sundays hundreds of visitors were in camp, they could now be counted in thousands. The bulk of equipment will be shipped by freight, only personal equipment and a few fire-control instruments being taken in the baggage. Miniature terrain boards have been constructed for use on board ship and instruction in officers' schools will be carried out as usual. May 27. Col. Warfield returned to-day from Fort Sill and took charge of the preparations. All horses were turned in. May 28. The exact date of departure is not yet kno^vn but it is expected to be in about three days. All officers on detached service at Fort Sill have now returned to the Regiment. Our Pup Tent Homes HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 51 May 29. The entire day was spent in packing. May 30. The entraining orders of the Regiment were received to-day. We are to move to Hoboken on June 2, in four sections, the first section leaving at 1.00 p.m., the second and third section follow- ing on the same day, and the fourth section on June 3. May 31. All materiel was turned in to-day. It is understood that after arrival in France this brigade will be equipped with French seventy-five mm. guns and 155 mm. Schneider howitzers. Maj. Hopldns was temporarily placed in command of the 323d Field Artillery. June 1. The heavy freight was shipped. Everything is in order for leaving. Capt. Talbot, aide-de-camp to Gen. Glenn, is issuing marriage licenses for all who wish to embark upon the sea of matrimony prior to crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Chaplain Rinard married five men in the Regiment. June 2. The Commanding Officer, Regimental Headquar- ters and the first section left at 1.00 p.m. to-day. The strength of the Regiment on leaving Camp Sherman Avas as follows : Pup Tent Prepared for Inspection Present for duty Present for duty Detachments Detachments 55 officers 1356 enlisted men 8 officers 13 enlisted men A total of 57 enlisted men left back on detached service and sick. The second and third sections left during the afternoon. June 3. The fourth and last section left at 10.00 a.m. The Regi- ment will stop at Camp Mills, Long Island, for a rigid inspection prior to removal to port of embarkation. The entire trip was made notable by the continuous demonstration of enthusiasm accorded us by the people of the towns and country through which we passed. June 4. Regiment arrived at Camp Mills. It is expected that the stay in this camp will be limited. June 5. The Supply Officer was very busy during the day issuing articles that were not available at Camp Sherman. 52 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY June 6. The Eegiment was inspected by the Inspector General of the Camp and commended for its condition with reference to its equipment, no shortages being discovered. June 7. Marking time at Camp Mills. June 8. Orders expected at Camp Headquarters for departure of the Eegiment to-morrow. All pass privileges were revoked, although up to this time as many officers and men as possible were given opportunity to see New York in accordance with the wish of Gen. Glenn. June 9. Several cases of measles developed to-day. C Battery was placed in quarantine. Entraining orders were not received as expected and Eegiment remained in camp. June 10. Orders re- ceived to entrain to- morrow morning. Com- manding Officer and advance party left at 7.00 a.m. and all prop- erty was placed in bag- gage cars at 2.00 p.m. June 11. Eegiment up, packed and ready to leave at 3.00 a.m. First train left at 8.00 a.m. Boarded ferry boats at Long Island City and sailed around Manhattan Island to White Star Pier No. 58. Our transport was found to be the S. S. Canopic. Several hours were spent at the pier during which time coffee was served by the Eed Cross and "I have arrived safely overseas" postal cards were addressed and put in the hands of dock officials. At 5.00 p.m. every- one was on board. Careful checking brought out the fact that there was not an A. W. 0. L. in the Eegiment. The ship was camouflaged in blue, black and gray colors. Quarters of officers and men were inspected and found to be reasonably good. Dock officials said that the 322d F. A. cheered more and made more noise than any organi- zation which they had seen embark for overseas. June 12. In a drizzling rain at 8.05 a.m. the S. S. Canopic slipped out into the Hudson Eiver and started on its journey overseas. The city of New York was covered with a thick mist, but the Statue of Farewell! Leaving- Camp for a Long, Long Journey HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 53 Liberty stood out prominentl}^ in the harboi". Several other ships were seen leaving their berths at the same time and they fell in single file and went down the river through the Ambrose Channel to a point a few miles off Sandy Hook where the convoy was formed. No one was allowed above deck until Manhattan Island had disappeared well in the rear. A few torpedo-boat destroyers joined the convoy, which was formed at first in single file and later in line formation. The ships which were to go over together were gathered from all parts >of the world. The Carpathia was probably the best-known boat in the convoy as it had made itself famous as the rescue ship of the S. S. Titanic a few years before. The auxiliary cruiser Plattshurg, which was formerly the liner New York and on which the Regiment returned nearly a year later, was seeing service in its second war. The Corsican and Grampian belonged to the Allan Line and formerly plied between Scotland and the United States. The Megantic was a White Star Liner which had formerly been in the same Mediterranean service as the G anopic . The Leicester- shire, with the 324th F. A. Loading at Sherman on board, was a Bibby Liner which used to run between England and India. The Edinburgh Gastle of the Union Castle Line had been fitted up as an auxiliary cruiser and was manned by a Royal Navy Crew. It had formerly been a passenger liner between Eng- land and South Africa. The Anchises and Mananui had been brought from New Zealand. They were the two smallest ships in the convoy, their former route having been between Sydney, Australia, and ports in New Zealand. The sea was fairly choppy and several officers and men registered as being sick. June 13. Windy and slightly hazy. The number of sick increased perceptibly. The American destroyers left and the U. S. S. San Diego picked up the convoy and took its place in the center of the line and well in front of the ships. Lifeboats and lifeboat drill were placed theoretically in charge of a British Sergeant Major who was a typical Scotchman in every sense of the word. Orders were issued for life preservers to be worn at all times and six blasts of the ship's whistle 54 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY constitntecl the danger signal. Supply Company was designated as lifeboat guard on account of its being equipped with rifles. Boat drill with the ship 's crew was held at 9.00 a.m. In addition to boat drills the daily routine consisted of physical exercises, close-order drill, instruction of special details in instrument work and an athletic period of one-half hour. Each organization was allotted a certain portion of deck space where all formations were held and games were played. Special lifeboats were not assigned to each organization as it had been found by previous experience that this led to confusion in GooD-BTE, Sweethearts, Wi\'es 'n Mothers — Leaving Camp Sherman, Ohio, for Duty in France case of emergency. The policy was to fill up lifeboats with the troops nearest to it at the time of an accident. June 14. The sea was very calm and daylight found the S. S. Canopic well in the rear of the entire convoy. This was clue to some trouble with the electric steering machinery which had been tinkered with dviring the night, according to the crew. Investigation failed to find any person guilty of the offense and an extra guard was detailed during the remainder of the voyage to see that no one was allowed near the steering machinery. Rumors of German spies on board began to circulate. As a precaution against submarines there was found to be an obsolete naval gain manned by a British Naval Reserve crew. This gave no particular sense of security as it was a giin that HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 55 had been salvaged from a sunken battleship and had never been able to function with any degree of accuracy since. The captain of the ship gave out the infoi'mation that the prob- able destination was Liverpool and that the course would be very southerly for the first four or five days, after which it would turn at right angles and go almost due north. June 15. The Canopic retook its place in line and was ordered to sail slowly behind the other ships and keep a lookout for the S. S. Qarpathia which had not been able to keep pace with the others on account of boiler trouble. Officers' school was established and held in the libraries after tea. Terrain- board work and train- ing bulletins were taken up on alternate days by the First and Second Battalions. A perma- nent Provost Officer was appointed for the entire voyage, whose duty it was to superin- tend the policing of the ship. In addition there Ohio River was an officer f t h e day, officer of the gaiard and a regular gTiard detail. The instrument details found that the most interesting work they could perform was to gaze at the social activities on board the neighboring ships through their new observa- tion instruments. The principal amusement of the men seemed to be talking Avith the members of the English crew, which was composed of a combina- tion of young men and crippled war veterans. One of the crew had a Victoria Cross. The strict rules of no lights at night, and the closing of all portholes, were rigidly adhered to. June 16. The sea was calm. Until 3.00 p.m. the temperature was exceedingly warm, but during the afternoon the course was changed out of the Gulf Stream and the temperature dropped about twenty degrees in a few hours. The Regimental Chaplain held services in the main dining room which was completely filled both in the morn- ing and the afternoon. These services made a lasting impression on the officers and men. In the afternoon it was discovered that some 56 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY one had written along the lower deck ' ' Gott strafe England and the United States." This lent a good bit of excitement to the day. The perpetrator was never discovered. A band concert was held in the afternoon and scheduled for every afternoon for the remainder of the voyage, weather and health of musicians permitting. The ships continued their zigzag courses, each change in direction being made on schedule exactly to the second. Six Sergeants, who were expert signalmen, were placed at the disposal of the captain of the ship for duty on the bridge, as there was constant signaling between the ships in the daytime by semaphore and at night by projectors. June 17. The Mananui, whose place in the convoy was in the right rear of the Canopic, seemed to take delight in seeing how close she could come to the latter Avith- out destroying both ships. The radio received word from pass- ing ships that they had encoun- tered subinarines two hundred miles off the coast of England and also that Austria was sue- En Eoute ing for peace. The men came to the conclusion to-day that the British live on nothing but fish as that has been the principal article of diet on board since leaving the port of embarkation. The monkey on board has been one of the principal objects of amusement for officers and men as well as the ship's crew. June 18. Very hazy and sea rough. Fairly large proportion of sickness. Many officers were conspicuous by their absence from school and mess. Regimental Provost Officer trailed an offending photographer and found it to be the aged ship's doctor who had been taking snapshots of men in different parts of the boat. This was contrary to military regulations and the films were destroyed. Officers' school took up the study of "Barrages" as set forth in a document compiled by Gen. Fleming, the Brigade Commander. The convoy was nearing the danger zone and an extra twenty-four hour submarine g-uard was established which kept about one-third of the officers on guard all the time. Orders were issued that everyone should sleep with clothes on. The night was very foggy and at fre- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 57 quent intervals blasts of the ship's whistle were blown as a fog alarm. At night five blasts of the ship 's whistle were blown and it was taken by many officers and men to be the danger signal and they started to form on deck preparatory to taking to the lifeboats. June 19. Very dense fog. It was necessary for the ships to keep in touch with each other by various kinds of whistle blasts. The usual routine of medical examinations took place. The officers who knew nothing about the English monetary system endeavored to teach it to the -men, who in the end probably knew less about it than ever. The fact of the ship having traveled far northward was evident by the increasing length of the days. June 20. Foggy, and sea was somewhat rougher than usual. Extra lookouts were posted all over the ship. Rumors began to circulate that an escort of British destroyers would arrive, but the day passed without & ; their appearing. The fr" marine chart showed the position to be 55-22, about 700 miles west of the north end of Scot- land. The temperature of the water was very low and the air cooler than heretofore. June 21. Everyone spent the day scanning the horizon for the destroyers. A small British merchantman was sighted. It was the first commercial ship seen since leaving New York. In the latter part of the afternoon the cruiser San Diego dis- appeared on the horizon and was never seen again. It was found out when we reached France that it struck a mine on its return to the United States and was sunk with all of its crew. This left the transports in the danger zone without any protection whatsoever, and it was a well-known rule that if one ship were attacked by a sub- marine, the others would proceed ahead and no attempt would be made at rescue work. This rule was not particularly consoling to the Regiment at this time. It was first announced that the destroyers would arrive at four o 'clock in the morning. Later this was changed to eight o'clock in the morning. The next correction of the moment Washington, D. C. 58 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY was twelve noon and this was finally changed to four o'clock the following morning. Almost everyone spent the night on deck as it was realized then, as well as after the voyage, that this was the most dangerous period of the entire trip. June 22. At 12.02 the first destroyer was sighted, after which they began to appear from all directions until eight were counted, scattered around different parts of the convoy. Everyone on board immediately had a new sense of security and a brighter outlook on life. Nervous facial expres- sions gave way to physi- ognomies wreathed in smiles. June 23. This was a beautiful Sunday morn- ing. At daylight on the port side some Scotch islands appeared and an hour or so later on the stai'board the shores of Ireland could be picked up with field glasses. We then found that we were skirting the north shore of Ire- land and entering the Irish Sea through the North Channel. The Griant's Causeway ap- peared on the right and the ships came within a few hundred yards of the Irish Coast. A great number of trawlers were met in the Irish Sea and everyone felt that our destination was nearly reached. The Isle of Man, which was particularly beautiful, was passed in the afternoon. At 7.40 p.m. four sunken masts were seen which belonged to an ill-fated ship which had probably been torpedoed not long before. Toward evening the convoy fell into single file and just at dusk the Canopic anchored at the mouth of the Mersey River. The anchor had hardly been lowered when an enormous ship appeared on the port side outward bound from Liverpool. It turned out to be the British ship Aquitania Gen. Fleming, C. G. 158th F. a. Brig. Col. Warfield, C. O. 322d HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 59 convoyed by a flotilla of American torpedo-boat destroyers. Tbe American ring to the cheers which the sailors on those destroyers gave as they went by made everyone feel that he was not so far from home. June 24. Reveille found the Canopic still at anchor in the Mersey River awaiting the incoming tide, baggage was placed on deck and officers resurrected their Sam Browne belts. Debarkation officers came aboard, one of whom was a medical inspector, who found two cases of measles in the Regiment. These were ordered to be sent to a local hospital immediately upon debarkation. At 10.15 a.m. anchor was weighed and the regular roofs of Brighton, whicTi had been on the right, gradually disappeared and a sinuous course was followed up the Mersey River, past dozens of camou- flaged transports and merchantmen, with a British battleship here and there. It was not until noon that the ship tied up to the dock, and after a hurried lunch- eon aboard ship, the de- barkation began. The debarkation was b y units that formed in line inside of the long pier. A baggage detail, consisting of three officers and two hundred men, took charge of all heavy baggage and entrained immediately for Southampton. The Regiment, in column of squads, with the band at the head of the column, marched through Liverpool to Camp Knotty Ash, an Ameri- can rest camp, about five miles away. The line of march was through the principal streets and suburbs of Liverpool, and the reception by the English was most cordial. The Lord Mayor, who Avas passing in his automobile, stopped and paid his respects to the Regimental Com- mander, assuring us of a cordial welcome on British soil and wishing the Regiment the best luck in France. Along the line of march, hun- dreds of small boys accompanied the Regiment and by the time it arrived at Knotty Ash, there were almost as many small boys as there were men in the Regiment. Camp Knotty Ash was in charge of a 322d F. a. Playing Ball, Camp Mills 60 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY detachment of the United States Signal Corps and was large enough to accommodate several regiments. June 25. The Regiment remained in camp. No passes were allowed for men to go into Liverpool, but each organization organized sight-seeing walks in the vicinity of the camp. The men's acquaint- ance with the English people was limited to such conversation as could be held through a large, paling fence which encircled the camp. The amount of daylight each day was particularly striking, as one could read a newspaper without artificial light from 4.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. Another feature of the climate was the fact that it rained four or five times each day with an occasional ray of sun- light between showers. A few officers went into Liverpool and pur- chased boots and trench coats. Numerous small boys asked about our cattle ranches and whether or not there were many cattle thieves in America. Judging from our broad hats, the young Britishers considered us all to be cowboys right off of the plains. Orders re- ceived to entrain very early the next morning. June 26. Reveille at 3.15 a.m., breakfast at 4.30 a.m., entrained 7.50 a.m. This was the first 322d Field Artillery AT THE Bat — Camp Mills, . i> -n> •,• i n- Long Island View of British rolling stock and it Avas with feelings of mingled surprise and amusement that the men entered the small compartments of what they considered a miniature train. A very dapper British officer presented the follomng letter to each man in the Regiment : A Message to Yoxj from His Majesty King Geoege Vth Windsor Castle Soldiers of the United States, the people of the British Isles welcome you on your way to take your stand beside the Armies of many Nations now fighting in the Old World the great battle for human freedom. The Allies will gain new heart and spirit in your company. I wish that I could shake the hand of each one of you and bid you God speed on your mission. George E. I. April, 1918. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 61 The trip through England was an especially interesting one and fleeting views were gotten of Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and a number of other cities of importance both historically and indus- trially. A half-hour stop was made at Derby, where coffee was served, and a few American songs were sung for the benefit of the English populace in the railway station. Here was impressed upon everyone the fact that food was a very scarce article in England, as it was impossible to buy even so much as a sandwich at this station, or any, other station along the road. Everyone on the train was very happy and cheerful, except for a few moments when a train filled with severely wounded soldiers jiist back from the Front passed by, and exer- cised a very sobering influence on the entire Regiment. Numerous British concentration camps and airdromes were seen and everyone felt that he was get- ting his first glimpse of war. The fields of poppies were also ob- jects of interest. At 3.30 p.m. the Regiment detrained on the docks of Southampton and it was announced that the Channel crossing would be made that evening. Around the docks were numerous pieces of artillery which had been deprived of their usefulness through the medium of the enemy's gams. There were likeAvise several ships in dry dock, which had been torpedoed but in some way or other had been able to make their home port. Another one of the numberless medical examinations was held on the dock. This time the object was the far-famed cootie, which was, at that time, somewhat of a stranger to the Regiment, but with which every- one became acquainted later in France. At 6.00 p.m. the entire Regiment, in single file, boarded the small side-Avheel steamer, Monas Queen. This boat had formerly been an excursion steamer between Liverpool and the Isle of Man and the last thing its designers ever expected it to do was to carry troops. The men were crowded aboard until there was hardly room to move or breathe, but as usual the Farewell U. S. — Transports or Convoy at Docks 62 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY men took the entire situation as a huge joke. There was a detach- ment of British and Colonial troops on their way to the Italian Front, and the men and officers of the Regiment had their first oppor- tunity of coming in intimate contact with Britishers. At 7.45 p.m. the ship pulled out and went down the beautiful bay through a lane of destroyers, transports and various other species of miscellaneous shipping. The Isle of Wight was passed and quite a bit of the Eng- lish Coast was seen before dark. If any sleeping was done by any one it had to be done standing up. June 27. The Channel crossing having been made in the night without incident, the Monas Queen pulled into the harbor of Le Havre at 4.00 a.m. This har- [1 bor was very interest- ing, and several hydro- aeroplanes were seen skimming along the water. The first obser- vation balloon which anyone had seen in use for actual war purposes was seen above the city, Avhere it could survey almost the entire lane across the Channel. At 7.00 a.m. the Regiment disembarked, and formed on the quai. From there the local R. T. 0. led the way to a rest camp situated on a hill overlooking the bay. This march will be long remembered by everyone in the Regiment. The route of march was through the center of the city and then along a beautiful boulevard skirting the shore for about a mile. When the Regiment had arrived about halfway to the camp, it was met by an officer of the city, who presented the Regimental Commander with a large bouquet of flowers and made a speech of welcome on behalf of the city of Le Havre and the Republic of France. The band played the "Marseillaise" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." Children all along the line of march gave the men flowers and the genuine spirit of welcome was so evident on every hand that all past discomforts of travel were forgotten and every man felt glad that he was to have the privilege of fighting for such a wonderful people. A great many Belgians were seen in the streets and in a beautiful villa along the Transpokts in New Yokk HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 63 ocean tlie Belgian Government had taken refuge and was function- ing in spite of being driven from its own country. A Belgian rest camp was passed on the way to our camp. Before being assigned to quarters in the camp, strict orders were given as to just what procedure would be followed in case of an air raid. There had never been one at the camp in the past four years, but the English Colonel believed in taking every precaution. The men were assigned to conical tents with wooden floors. June 28. Several units from the 83d Division arrived in camp. It was rumored that some were to go to Italy and some to Chateau- Thierry. A large German prison camp was situated next to the American camp, and German pris- oners were seen for the first time. They impressed everyone as being- good physical specimens and greatly in contrast to the prisoners taken later on the Front. They per- formed most of the manual labor and building around the camp. Artillery firing could be heart! occasionally at night, and letters began to go home describing the shells falling in all parts of the camp; the small detail of the camp being located a hundred kilometers from the front lines was overlooked in the description of the shelling. No one was allowed to leave camp, as it was expected that the Regiment would move at any hour. June 29. Dust began to grow thicker and thicker, which, com- bined with a high wind, caused the camp to resemble the Sahara on a windy Saturday. Information was received that the baggage de- tail was delayed, and that the Regiment would probably remain a few days in camp. A few fortunate officers went into town and explored the bathing beach, the Cafe Tortoni, and the Folies Bergeres and each organization took sight-seeing hikes in the morning and afternoon. Water was very scarce in the camp and everyone soon found that washing was to be a luxury in France, and that faucets with running water were a thing of the past. June 30. This was a beautiful Sunday, and on the side of a hill overlooking the bay the Chaplain held services at 10.00 a.m. After Dawn 64 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY services each organization sung its favorite song, as it marclied away. In the midst of the great scarcity of water, there was one very extraordinary feature of the rest camp, which was a steam bath, which every man in the Regiment used as often as he had the oppor- timity. Never was one encountered before and never has the Regi- ment seen one since. Firing was heard quite plainly in the evening and it was thought to be a warship firing at a submarine in the Channel. Whether or not this was true was never learned after- wards. Hikes were taken in the afternoon, and the rumor was started that the departure would be the following day. July 1. At eight o'clock in the morning the order was received from the Camp Adju- tant that the Regiment would entrain sometime during the day. Imme- diately everyone started packing up so as to be ready to depart at an hour 's notice. The bag- gage detail of two offi- cers and fifty men with nearly a dozen trucks was sent down at noon to the dock and took all the barracks bags, locker trunks, and bed- ding rolls to the rail- road station. At 2.00 p.m. the Regiment was formed and marched directly to the station. Up to this time no one had any idea as to the probable destination, although it Avas assumed that it Avould be some training area just behind the Front lines. On arriving at the station the first French troop train was seen, which was composed of fifty-two cars, three being rather antiquated first-class coaches for the officers and the remainder were the famous "Hommes 40 Chevaux 8," Avhich played such an important part in the life of every American soldier who came to France. While the train seemed to be exceptionally long, nevertheless there Avas not a superfluous cubic inch and the men were very much crowded. There was a canteen at the station which had various sorts of delicacies, but it was of very little interest to the men as no one had been paid for over two months. The first clue to the point to where the Regiment GooD-B\'E U. S. ! Hello Prance HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 65 was going was found on a paster on the car — Messac-Guipry, lUe- et-Vilaine. There was an immediate consultation of French maps as no one could be found in the Regiment or in the personnel at the railroad station who ever heard of the place or who ever knew of anyone who ever heard of it. However, after some study it was found in very fine print aboiit thirty kilometers south of Rennes. Railway officials stated it would probably take about three days to arrive there as the French railways were very much crowded by troop movements to the Front and traffic was exceptionally heavy at this particular time. At 6.30 p.m. the train pulled out and by dark it had wended its way some distance into Normandy at the rate of about twenty kilometers an hour. July 2. By morning the map showed that considerable progress ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ made |^n^_^^^^^g^__^^^^^^_H_^_K the ^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I^^^^^^^^H The stop ^^^^^^l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l any consequence was ^^^^^^I^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H Laigie where a few for- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^IIh^^^^HHi^H tunate ones got a cup of coffee and a piece of Mid-Ocean bread from the local Red Cross. Alencon and Mayenne were the next two cities of impor- tance which were passed. Our next stop was made at Laval. Here the French Red Cross was again in evidence and the men had their second sample of French coffee and French bread. A Russian con- centration camp was located in this city and everyone got his first view of Russian soldiers, who were lounging about the station. The Paris express pulled into the station about the same time and it was very interesting to see the international mixture of uniforms of the passengers on this, the first big continental express train Avhich had been seen. Rennes was reached at three o'clock in the after- noon and in the railroad yards were a great many American loco- motives which were being assembled to help us take our part in the transportation problems of the war. From Rennes to Messac was a short run through the beautiful valley of the Vilaine River and at 4.00 p.m. the train pulled into Messac-Guipry and the Regi- 66 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ^i ment detrained. A billeting officer of the 308th Ammunition Train was found to be already on the ground and he with the Mayor of the town and the regimental billeting officer proceeded to arrange billeting accommodations for the entire Regiment. Headquarters and Supply Company remained in the town of Messac proper, which was in the immediate vicinity of the railroad station. Battery A was sent to Bourg de Messac, which is an old part of the town located about half a mile from the railroad station. Bat- teries B and C were sent to Guipry le Port, which was located just across the river from Messac. Battery D Avas billeted in the town of Guipry, which was about three- quarters of a mile be- yond Gruipry le Port. Battery E was billeted in the vicinity of an old chateau several miles out in the country and Battery F was given the same sort of a place about the same distance away in another direc- tion. The Colonel was billeted in a large chateau in Messac and the other officers were distributed around in French families as near as possible to their commands. July 3. Col. Warfield decided to forsake the chateau and estab- lished himself in a tent alongside the railroad station. It was learned that the Regiment would probably remain in this place five or six weeks while awaiting its turn to take the firing course at Camp Coetquidan, which was located about thirty kilometers away. Several trains of artillery passed through Messac from Coetquidan Place op Worship, Messac, France HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 67 and Meugon. They were batteries of the 76th azid 10th Field Artil- lery which had finished their conrse of training, and their destina- tion was thought to be Chateau-Thierry wdiere the American Army was concentrating to re- Supply Co. Orderly Room, Messac, France sist an expected attack ' by the Germans in the direction of Paris. ' Their tanned faces, ■ overseas caps and wra^Dped puttees gave them an air of being j veterans already, while we were still wearing the old campaign hats and canvas leggings. At 6.00 p.m. the 323d F. A. with Maj. Hop- kins in command passed through Messac. The train stopped about half an hour. They were on their way to their billeting area near by, the principal towns of which Avere Maure and Loheac. The 324th Artillery did not come as far as Messac but was billeted in Bain de Bretagne. The 158th iVrtillery Brigade Headquarters had been established several days previous at St. Malo de Phil}^ July 4. The in- habitants f Messac and surrounding towns suddenly brought to light a great many great Amei'ican flags and the Tenting houses were all deco- rated in honor of our national holiday. It was decided to establish 1st Battalion Headquar- ters at Guipry and 2d Battalion Headquarters at Bourg de Messac. A and D Battery therefore exchanged places, the former going to Guipry and the latter to Bourg de Messac. In the afternoon a band 68 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY concert was held in the square in front of the railroad station and Col. Warfield was presented with a large bouquet of flowers by a little girl about twelve years old, on behalf of the people of Messac. An interbattery game of baseball was also held in the afternoon. July 5. One 75 mm. gun arrived for instruction purposes with an expert gun crew from Camp Coetquidan. This was the first view which the officers and men had of the fieldpiece which they were to use on the Front. Officers' schools were organized for the battalions and an inten- sive training program was inaugu- rated. The hours of the officers' schools were from 8.00 to 11.45 a.m. and from 1.30 to 5.30 p.m., with lec- tures three nights a week. Lieut. Menut of the 232d French Light Artillery was assigned as instructor of the 1st Battalion and Lieut. Langenheim of the 76th U. S. F. A. was assigned as instructor of the 2d Battalion. The schedules of these schools were uniform through- out the Brigade. July 6. Capt. Fibbich, the Bri- gade instructor of orientation, lec- tured to the officers and gave the first demonstration of the much- heralded French goniometer. As there was but one goniometer avail- able for the entire Brigade, it was necessary for the two battalions to assemble to receive this instruction during the one hour per day in which the Regiment was allowed to use it. July 7. The advance detachment, consisting of seventeen officers and sixty-one enlisted men, left Messac for Camp Coetquidan to attend various specialist courses. These courses included radio, tele- phone, orientation, machine gunnery and instruction for battery executives in 75 mm. materiel. In addition to these specialist courses, the officers were to take the general artillery course along the lines of the course followed by the officers remaining at Messac. The 308th Ammunition Train passed through and went first to a billeting area near Pipriac, but finding this unsatisfactory, finally established K. P. 'ING HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 69 J itself at Plecliatel, whicli is located, between Messac and Bain de Bretagne. July 8. The band inaugurated the custom of having a concert every afternoon, playing in each town in the Regimental area in turn. This seemed to give great pleasure to the local population. With the arrival of motor trucks and various other kinds of army transportation the erstwhile quiet towns of Brittany took on a busy aspect, the like of which had never been known in their history. Messac was made the Brigade railhead and the Brigade Supply Officer established his headquarters near the railroad station. A permanent Provost Officer Avas appointed ~ - - - -> » ^ss^ ^ ^ and a permanent guard detail made up from members of each bat- tery was established. This obviated having an Officer of the Day and the Officer of the Guard and the usual large guard details, such as had been used heretofore, and a vacant room in a small water tower located near the railway track was converted into a guardhouse. July 9. Troop trains continued to pass almost daily but it was difficult to find out their destination. In the opposite direction sev- eral trains of horses passed daily which were on their way to the various artillery training camps in different parts of France. A few fire-control instruments were received and a small amount of radio equipment was turned over to the radio details. In the officers' schools work with the plane table and goniometer was the principal part of the week's program and the new artillery manual called "Artillery Firing" was taken up for the first time. July 10. Routine training and school. July 11. An invitation was received from the priest of Messac for all officers and men to attend memorial services at the church on July 14. Wooden guns were constructed similar to those used in French Mademoiselles, Messac, France 70 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the earlier days at Camp Sherman, in order not to lose any time in getting the men started on gun drill, which was somewhat different from that of the three-inch pieces which had been used in the States. It was not known when the materiel would be forthcoming, nor was it known how soon the Regiment would begin its target practice. The weather was, in general, very good, but at some time during every day a small rainstorm would suddenly come up, but these were seldom of long duration. July 12-August 15. This period was spent in intensive training of both officers and men and there was very little to differentiate one day from another. Daily swimming in the Vilaine River was in- corporated in the drill schedules as well as cross-country hikes on which the men were given practice in indi- vidual cooking. Base- ball games were played two or three times a week and one interbat- tery boxing match was held in the public square at Messac. Offi- cers' school used a re- duced terrain for firing problems and had but one gun to use in materiel instruction until the latter part of this period. Lieut. Phmien took a detail to St. Nazaire and brought back the first horses for the Regiment. These were added to later until each battery had about twenty-five horses. Lieuts. Wales, McCaslin and Champ and about one hundred enlisted men were sent on a horse-buying detail with the French Army. Each officer traveled through a differ- ent district with a French officer and a detail of men. They shipped the horses to a central point and from there they were shipped to various artillery units. These officers did not rejoin the Regiment until it arrived at Coetquidan. About the first Aveek in August the 75 mm. materiel began to arrive and it was not long before the entire Regiment was equipped with its proper allowance of guns. Most of the men had learned how to say "Bokoo," "Ceedre" and "Van Rouge," and seemed to have Field Kitchen. Supply Co., 322d F. A., Messac, France HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 71 little difficulty in making themselves understood by the French people. A French noncommissioned officer came to the Regiment at the time the materiel was received and gave valuable instruction to the battery noncommissioned officers. A night maneuver by the entire Regiment was one of the features of the training period. It was held under the supervision of the Brigade Commander and one battalion opposed the other. At the conclusion of the maneuver, each battalion was thoroughly convinced that it had completely annihilated the other. The most important day since leaving Camp Sherman was pay day, at which time everyone received a large number of francs which had accumulated during the last two months. These were soon converted into souvenirs of all de- scriptions and more francs began to circu- late in Messac than the people ever thought existed. In the beginning of the second week in August the usual ad- vance rumors of our departure began to cir- culate and when the Commander of the 164th Artillery Brigade arrived with his staff and began to arrange for the billeting of his regiments it was felt that moving orders would soon be forthcoming. Aug-ust 16. At 8.00 a.m. the Regiment assembled at Guipry and marched to Coetquidan by way of Maure and Guer. It was an all- day march on very dusty roads in the hot sun. Dinner was served at a halfway point by the rolling kitchens of each organization. As there were not sufficient horses to transport materiel, the guns were hauled by motor trucks of the 308th Ammunition Train. The first organization arrived at about 5.00 p.m. and it was found that the barracks to be occupied were some which had originally been occu- pied by German prisoners. However, several American regiments had used them since the departure of the Germans. Camp Coetquidan was established as a military training camp in the time of Napoleon and there were stables in one part of the camp which had been there since that time. The officers were quartered in small wooden build- FiKST Pies in France 72 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ings wMch made fairly comfortable habitations, cine to the fact that it was midsummer and not midwinter. August 17. Each organization was assigned stables which con- sisted of a covered picket line which gave a reasonable amount of shelter to the horses. The last battery of the 128th F. A., whose places we were taking, left camp. With steel helmets and full equip- ment they made a very striking appearance as they marched down to the railway station and entrained for the Front. Special firing instructors were assigned to the Regiment, Capt. Burke of the 10th F. A. taking over the instruction of the 1st Battalion and Lieut. Patoux of the French Army being assigned to the 2d Battalion. August 18-Septem- ber 19. During this period the regular six weeks ' firing course was concentrated into four weeks, which conse- qiiently made the train- ing more intensive than other brigades had been given. One battery from each battalion fired every morning and all officers were re- quired to be present with the exception of one officer per battery, who stayed in to give gun drill. Each officer, therefore, fired a prob- lem about every third or fourth day. In the afternoon a terrain- board class was held for all officers, after which there were special- ist schools for all officers who had not taken these courses with the advance detachment. In addition to this there were lectures almost every evening for officers. The full complement of horses was issued to the batteries. Every known kind of fire-control instrument was issued and in addition to these, fourgon wagons, chariots de pare, ration carts and all neces- sary wheel transportation was issued. The men had received over- seas caps and wrapped leggings at Messac, but it was not until they were at Coetquidan that steel helmets were issued. In the last two weeks of the training the helmets were worn and gas masks were carried continually and the latter had to be worn one hour daily. Temptation HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 73 The firing course started out with shrapnel adjustment, after which high explosive shell was used with axial, unilateral, bilateral and forward observation. It ended with a brigade problem in which all batteries took part and which consisted mainly in firing various sorts of barrages at different intervals during a twenty-four-hour period. After the firing course was completed and while the Brigade was awaiting railroad transportation, Uen. Glenn, commander of the 83d Division, came to the camp and made a farewell speech to the officers. It was with deepest regret that everyone felt they were going to the Front as a separate unit from the 83d Division and that we would not have the privilege of going into action under the command of Gen. Glenn. He in- formed us that the school commander had said that next to one brigade of the regular army, the 158th Bri- gade had made the best record on the range of all the brigades which had trained at Coet- quidan. Travel orders were received and all ar- rangements made for entraining with the exception of the exact date of the train movement, which was not known until the day before departure. September 19. We had received orders to proceed to some point on the American Front and on this date troop trains for the 322d F. A. Regiment began to come into Guer, the nearest railroad station. In the afternoon Supply Company, the first organization slated to move, marched to Guer and entrained under the direction of Capt. Dissing. A number of officers were present to acquaint themselves with the difficulties of loading a French troop train. The proportion of box and flat cars in each train was designed to take care of a battery with all its materiel. The first train left Guer at approximately 7.00 p.m. D Battery, the next organization designated to leave, marched to Guer in the evening. September 20. Organizations of the 322d cleared Guer as fol- COOKS AND K. P. 'S 74 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY lows: D Battery at 1.00 a.m.; E at 7.00 a.m.; F at 1.00 p.m.; A at 7.00 p.m. September 21. Balance of the Regiment left Guer as follows: B Battery at 1.00 a.m. ; C at 7.00 a.m. ; and Headquarters at 1.00 p.m. ; Col. Warfield had been ordered to wait until the entire Regiment left Coetquidan in order to inspect the area after it was vacated. He started for the Front in his Dodge car at about 2.00 p.m. Mean- while Supply Company reached Souilly after dark, detrained, and made camp in a near-by wood. September 22. Batteries D, E and F arrived at Souilly at inter- vals during the day. Late in the afternoon preparations were made to march toward the Front and immediately after dark Supply Com- pany and the Second Battalion proceeded by way of Ippecourt, Julve- court, Ville-sur-Cou- sances, Jubecourt, and Brocourt to Brabant- en-Argonne, Supply Company remaining in the town, and the bat- teries making camp in the Bois le Comte near by. A Battery arrived at Souilly too late to go forward that night. September 23. Batteries D, E and F remained in the woods imtil nightfall, then marched via Brabant-en-Argonne, Parois and Aubre- ville to Neuvilly. From there they started northeast into the Foret- de-Hesse. D Battery, which was leading, got through to Les AUieux Fme. and camped in the woods to the east. E and F were held up by a traffic block caused by French tractors on the road and were ordered back to Bois le Comte, where they again made camp. Mean- while, A Battery marched by night from Souilly to Bois le Comte over the route taken by the 2d Battalion. B and C Batteries de- trained at Revigny in the morning, for previous to their arrival troop movements beyond this point had been forbidden. They started to march at once by way of Brabant-le-Roi and Laheycourt to Villotte, HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 75 arriving at 11.30 a.m. After resting, they resumed the march at 5.00 p.m. and proceeded via Lisle-en-Barrois, Vaubecourt, Triau- eourt, Evres, Foucauconrt and Waly to Bois I'Abbe (south of the Waly-Fleury Road), arriving at 3 a.m., the 24th. Headquarters Com- pany, arriving at Revigny shortly after noon, marched at once to Villotte, which they reached just as B and C pulled out. September 24. Batteries E, F and A remained in the Bois le Comte until nightfall, when they marched via Brabant-en-Argonne, Farois; Aubreville and Neuvilly to the vicinity of Les AUieux Fme. At 10 p.m., B and C left Bois I'Abbe and marched via Waly, Froidos and Rarecourt to Bois le Comte, arriving early in the morning of the 25th. Headquarters marched by night via Lisle-en-Barrois, Vaubecourt, Triaucourt, Evres, Foucauconrt and Waly to the Bois I'Abb^. September 25. B and C left Bois le Comte in the morning and marched via Brabant- en-Argonne, P a r i s , Aubreville and Neuvilly to Les Allieux Fme. Headquarters Companv left Bois I'Abbe in the afternoon and marched via Waly, Froidos, Rarecourt and B r o - court to Brabant. It was learned that the First American Army was to attack on the morning of September 26, on a front extending from the Argonne Forest to the Meuse. The 322d F. A. had been assigiied to the 32d Division but this Division was in reserve. Therefore Gen. Alexandre, commanding the 5th (American) Corps Artillery with Headquarters at Ville-sur-Cousances, assigned the 158th and 58th F. A. Brigades to suppoi't the 91st Division. The Fifth Corps was ordered to attack on a front extending from Vauquois (exclusive) to Avocourt to Malancourt (inclusive), with the 91st Division on the left, the 37th in the center, the 79th on the right and the 32d in reserve. Two of these were National Guard divisions : the 32d being made up of 76 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Michigan and Wisconsin troops, and the 37th from Ohio. The 79th, from Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the 91st, from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and Utah, were National Army units. On Hill 290 were situated the P. C.'s of the 158th F. A. Brigade, the 58th F. A. Brigade and the 91st Division Commanders. The 322d F. A. was the only regiment of the 158th Artillery Brigade to get into position for the opening of the offensive. As Col. Warfield did not arrive until after Col. Hopkins had been designated to com- mand the Regiment at the opening of the offensive, the latter re- tained command. Gen. Fleming was commanding the light artillery, which consisted of the 322d, 122d and 124th Regiments. Col. Hackett of the 124th F. A. com- manded the Hackett Sub-Grouping compris- ing both battalions of the 322d and the 1st Battalion of the 124th. The normal objec- tive of the Fifth Corps proved to be Montfau- con, Ivoiry and Epinon- ville. The ultimate ob- jective of the First American Army was to be the Sedan-Me- zieres line of commu- nications, thus cutting off the German Armies on the French Front from those in the Metz and Vosges sectors. In the early afternoon Field Orders were received and barrage data were computed. Owing to the extraordinary concentration of artillery for this attack, the supply of ammunition per unit was limited. Therefore the 322d was not scheduled to deliver Preparation Fire. As soon as it was dark the firing batteries moved out of the woods to occupy their positions in the farm clearing. B Battery which had just reached this place was the first to go into position at 11.30 p.m. The roads in every direction were blocked with traffic of all descrip- tions. In order to insure the resupply of ammunition. Col. Warfield HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 77 was given unlimited authority to use whatever means he chose to keep the roads open. By pushing several vehicles off the road into the ravines, the way was finally cleared and the last battery got into position less than half an hour before the barrage firing started. September 26. At 2.00 a.m. Preparation Fire commenced along the entire Front. The prescribed rate for light artillery was one round per gun per minute. Gruns of all calibers from the 75 mm. up to the 14-inch railroad guns took part in this demonstration. Military authorities have declared this to be the most intensive artillery preparation ever delivered. The detonations of the guns blended in one continuous thunder and the flare lit the sky for miles. At 5.30 a.m. — the H hour — the infantry jumped off. The barrage fired by the 322d was followed by the 364th Infantry. The rate of fire was 3 rounds per gun per minute until 6.00 a.m. ; 2 rounds per gun per minute from 6.00 to 7.25; 3 rounds per gun per minute from 7.25 to 8.35 a.m.; and 2 rounds per gun every three minutes from then on imtil al- most 11.00 a.m., when the order "Cease Fir- ing" was given. Liaison Avith the in- fantry was maintained as follows: Lieut. Conant with the as- saulting battalion; Lieut. J. A. Wright with the C. O. of the 364th Infantry; and Lieut. McConnaughey, representing the Hackett Sub- Grouping, with the C. Gr. of the 182d Infantry Brigade. The greatest difficulty was that of keeping the firing batteries supplied with ammunition. Men and horses worked continuously throughout the night and morning. It was understood that, as the infantry progressed, the support- ing artillery would move up, one battalion at a time. The 58th F. A. Brigade went forward, but just before the 2d Battalion of the 322d F. A. was to move, orders were received as follows : 78 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY FLEMING GROUPING 91sT Divisional Artillery 25th September, 1918. Operations Order No. 1 (A) Amendment I. The following order of the General Commanding the artillery of the 5th Army Corps, U. S. Troops, has been received at these Headquarters : By order of the General Commanding the 5th Army Corps, U. S. Troops, the batteries of the 158th Artillery Brigade which are in position in the zone of the 91st Division will not be moved. These batteries will later on be gTOuped with the other elements of the 158th Brigade of Artillery. (Translation — H. L. M.) II. In accordance with the above order Paragraph II, Operations Order No. 1, is amended by omitting from the list of bat- talions No. 2 "Hopkins." By command of Brig. Gen. Fleming : H. L. Morse, Lt. Col. F. A. Chief of Staff. .. - ' . 3^ HLM-jwr Col. Warfield resumed command of tlie 322d F. A. and the Regiment went into camp in the woods at the edge of Les AUieux Fme. September 27. By this time the attack had carried our line past Epinonville, Ivoiry and Montfaucon. The Regiment was still camped in the woods at the edge of the farm. Preparations were made to defend the original German front line as it existed before the attack opened, in case our troops suffered a reverse. This was merely a precaution considered necessary in the operations. There seemed little likelihood that our infantry would be driven back to such an extent. The 322d was ordered to support the 128th Infantry, 32d Division, which would hold the sector from Vauquois to Avocourt. Owing to the rapidity of the advance, the resupply of ammuni- tion to the artillery which had gone forward had become extremely difficult. Therefore the 158th Artillery Brigade was called upon to HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 79 assist in getting ammunition np to the 55th F. A. Brigade, support- ing the 37th Division in the vicinity of Montfaucon. Capt. Watson and Lieut. Wales took thirty-six caissons — six from each battery — and started out to perform this mission. Late in the afternoon heavy rains set in and the camp, wliich was already knee-deep in mud, threatened to become a swamp. September 28. Firing data were prepared for the defense of the reserve lines but the guns were withdrawn from their positions to the edge of the woods. Every effort was made to keep evidences of the pi-esence of troops from the knowledge of the German planes, as the Regiment was so closely packed in the woods that a b o m b would have caused great loss. During the day the Headquarters of the 158th Brigade was moved from Hill 290 to Verrieres-en-Hesse. In the afternoon Lieut. McConnaughey came back from liaison duty with the 182d Infantry Brigade and reported traffic conditions in the forward area very bad. All roads leading to the Front were packed with traffic of all kinds and on some roads no movement in either direction had been possible for many hours. Fortunately there had been very little shelling by the enemy and the engineers were rapidly getting roads into shape. September 29. The situation remained imchanged as regards the 322d F. A., and every effort was made to improve conditions in the camp. Many of the men visited the fortifications on the hill where the town of Vauquois had stood. On the southern slope of the hill there was an elaborate system of French trenches and on the north- ern slope a still more elaborate German system. Moreover, the Germans had tunneled into the interior of the hill and constr^^cted a veritable cantonment within. This consisted of two main streets with small cross streets, the whole being lighted by a complete electric power plant within the hill. Sleeping quarters for men and officers. 80 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY mess halls, dispensaries, storerooms, in fact, all tlie conveniences of garrison life were there almost directly under their front-line trenches. The crest of the hill where the tunnel had once stood had been completely blown away by mines, and three huge craters, fifty to sixty feet deep and more than one hundred feet wide, marked the place which had once been the village. Aeroplanes were passing over Les AUieux Fme. at frequent inter- vals and as some of these were likely to be German, a bugler was constantly on duty to give warning of their approach. At the first note of the bugle all movements ceased and could not be resumed until recall was sounded. This made life about the camp a series of starts and stops. September 30. The liaison officer Avith the 64th Infantry Brigade reported that they were moving to the northern part of the Bois de Montfaucon, as the 32d Division was going up to relieve the 37th Divi- sion, the latter going back into reserve. Thus the 322d was now sup- porting the 37th Divi- sion. Gren. Fleming, with his staff, was ordered forward to take over the command of the 55th F. A. Brigade, which seemed to be in diffi- culty. October 1. Capt. Watson and Lieut. Wales returned with what caissons they had been able to get through the traffic, the balance of the thirty-six having been separated and scattered. One of A Bat- tery's caissons and five horses were a total loss as they had fallen into a gully at the side of the road. A little later these two officers went back to get the other caissons. October 2. By this time the fear of hostile planes had worn off and everyone circulated at will. Fires were built in the woods and in the open. The weather was clear and fairly warm and all took the opportunity to dry out a little. Much interest was aroused by the arrival of a few newspapers HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 81 of a somewhat earlier date, which declared that Bulgaria had capitu- lated. The more optimistic now declared that the war would be over in a few weeks. Maj. Brumage Avas found to have a high tempera- ture and was started on his way to the hospital. Capt. Marting took command of the 1st Battalion. October 3. After a quiet morning, traveling orders were received early in the afternoon to be prepared to march at 5.00 p.m. The entire Regiment was ready to take the road at that time but no fur- ther orders had arrived. Therefore at about 5.30 the order was given'to unhitch and unharness. At about 8.00 p.m. the march order was received from the 158th Brigade, now under the command of Col. T. Q. Ashhurn. At 9.00 p.m. the Regiment moved out "wn^th orders to proceed via Rendez-vous-de-Chasse, Reeieourt and Dom- basle. The order of march was to be 324th leading, foUoAved by the 322d, AAdth the 323d in the rear. The 322d was ordered to clear Reel- court at 12.00 midnight. Unfortunately a bat- talion of the 324th, parked in the woods three kilometers north of Reeieourt, had great difficulty in pulling out of the mud. This forced the 322d column to halt at this point at about 11.00 p.m. October 4. At 2.00 a.m. the 322d resumed its march, passing part of one battery of the 324th which was still stuck in the mud. The Regiment cleared Reeieourt at 3.00 a.m. but owing to the delay the head of our column did not reach the point where the 323d was to take the Verdun high- way until half of that regiment had got in ahead. TMs caused the 322d to halt again. At daybreak the Regiment made another halt near Blercourt. Later it turned south from the Verdun highway near Moulin Brule. Another delay occurred near Mxeville owing to confusion as to which of the rest camps had been allotted to the 322d. This was straightened out a little later and the Regiment went to Camp Gallieni. 82 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY The Regiment was now under the command of the 17th French Corps with Headquarters at Regret, where they were said to have been throughout the Crown Prince's Verdun drive. A few shells dropped during the day and Nowak of the Band was slightly wounded by a shell fragment. In the afternoon verbal orders were received to be ready to march at 8.00 p.m. No orders came until after night when a march order containing the following paragraph came from 158th Brigade Headquarters : 322d F. A. Regiment : One battalion only of this Regiment will take position to-night. The emplacement to be occupied is the emplacement farthest east. The following road will be followe d — Verdun, Thierville, Marre. This battalion will find in Marre a guide to lead them to their position. Their horses and individ- ual mounts will be brought back to camp. The 322d will move as soon as ready after receipt of this order. The 2d Battalion was designated as the one to move that night. They moved out at about 10.00 p.m. and proceeded via Moulin Brule, Regret, Glorieux, Jardin-Fontaine, Thierville, past Charny to Marre, then across the Meuse River to positions behind the western end of the Cote de Talou, just south of Champ. October 5. In the morning the Regimental P. C. was moved to one of a row of dugouts beside the railroad track northeast of Cumieres. At about 4.00 p.m. the 1st Battalion, Headquarters Com- pany and Supply Company left Camp Gallieni. The 1st Battalion marched to Marre over the route taken by the 2d Battalion and con- tinued on through Cumieres to selected positions near the railroad track, two kilometers northeast of Cumieres. The first carriage reached the vicinity a little after midnight but it was after 3.00 a.m. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY before the last caisson was unloaded and caissons and limbers were on their way back to Marre. Headquarters Company and the echelon made camp in the Bois de la Magxleleine near the Bamont Fme. Supply Company moved up to the vicinity of Charny. October 6. No circulation was allowed in the vicinity of the gun positions and all were thoroughly camou- flaged, for the enemy planes were coming- over the hill at frequent intervals. After dark ammunition was brought up under the direction of Capt. Wat- son. In spite of all precautions the enemy shelled the 1st Battalion dump about midnight. Two shells exploded in a small section of trench right beside a large stack of shells, and another shell, fortunately a dud, entered the ground right at the base of another pile. Except for this, there was no attempt to shell the new positions of the Regiment, but intermittent ■ shelling of the main roads continued throughout the day. A number of 210 's landed near the road past Le Mort Homme, or Dead Man's Hill, where the French are said to have suffered enormous cas- ualties in the defense of Verdun. There was also shelling on the road leading over the hill from Cumieres to Forges. October 7. The day passed without incident. Orders were re- ceived covering the attack to start the next day on the east of the Mouse. The 58th Infantry Brigade of the 29th Division was to jump off north of Samogneux. On their right the 66tli and 77th Regiments of the 17th French Corps (Colonial) were to attack. The 58th Infan- 84 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY try Brigade was to attack with one battalion of the 11 5th and two bat- talions of the 116th on the front line, the 115th being on the left. The 29th Division, composed of National Gnard Troops from New Jersey and West Virginia, was to be under the command of the C. Gr. of the 17th French Corps. When the at- tack had carried as far as Consenvoye, the 33d Division (National Guard of Illinois) was to cross the Meuse at that point and continue the advance on the left of the 29th Division. The 322d was to sup- port the attack of the 115th Infantry. October 8. After a short artillery preparation the infantry jumped off at 7.00 a.m. The attack progressed favorably, especially on the left where very little resistance was met from Austro-Hungarian troops. The 116th ex- perienced more opposi- tion as there were a number o f Prussian Guard units on their front. This was also true of the French troops. On the left the 33d Division carried their line to the heights south of Sivry and the south edge of the Bois de Chaume. In the cen- ter the 29th Division took the Bois de Con- senvoye and the Bois de Brabant-sur-Meuse. On the right the French took the Bois d'Haumont, but were repulsed in their attempts to take the Bois d'Ormont. This wood is on the top of a high hill and was strongly held with machine guns. The operation Avas reported in the New York Times as follows : HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 85 DRIVE EAST OP MEUSB ON AN EIGHT-MILE FRONT Ameeicans Carey Out a Brilliant Operation, Capturing 3000 Geemans By Edwin L. James Copyright, 1918, by The New York Times Company Special Cable to The Netv TorTo Times With the American Army, October 8. — "While continuing the battle on the left to drive the Germans out of the Forest of the Argonne, the First American Army elements carried out a particularly brilliant operation east of the Meuse River to-day. Attacking on a front of approximately eight miles, they captured Beaumont, Haumont, Brabant, and Consenvoye, occupy- ing the strong points of the f - Bois de Caures and Bois d 'Haumont. More than 3000 pris- oners were taken. This attack was made by the French and Americans, all a part of the First Army. Our artillery did most effective work, in one in- stance landing shells on the German position at the rate of ten per minute. Part of the attackers moved across the Meuse River. The drive was made in a heavy rain. This attack makes an important rectification over the line which devel- oped following our attacks below the Aisne and the Meuse. In the region from Avhere the Germans have been driven has been bitter fighting in the Crown Prince 's attempt to take the Verdun fortress. In the Argonne fighting we captured the village of Cornay during the day and maintained our advance further south, made early this morning. By noon the Front was practically out of range of the 2d Bat- talion, which prepared to move forward, meanwhile bringing its echelon up to Marre. The 1st Battalion remained in position and the men, feeling that the enemy liad been driven back sufficiently, built a number of fires toward nightfall and prepared to make them- selves comfoi'table. Shortly afterward a familiar sound was heard and a bomb landed in the immediate vicinity. In a remarkably short time all fires were extinguished and the men had sought cover in the near-by trenches and dugouts. 86 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY October 9. The attack continued. The resistance on the right continued to be stiff. The French again failed to take the Bois d'Ormont. The 2d Battahon marched by daylight via Champ, Neuville and Samogneux to positions in the valley 400 meters southeast of the village o f Haumont, _, „ ' which was reached about 4.00 p.m. i In the late afternoon there was a remarkable concentration of Allied airplanes over the lines. Some persons counted as high as two hundred visible at one time. The German anti-aircraft guns were very active but no German planes ventured into the air while this demonstration was taking place. Late in the afternoon Field Order No. 3, 158th F. A. Brigade, was received. The following is an extract from this order : I. Situation 9 Oct. 18. The 33d Div. took Sivry-sur- Meuse and the Bois de Chaume, from which last .k * ^^^BF \\ ~\^^K *1ik!^^^^^^^B^ place it was thrown back fl .Mtti^^^Kr^Mi^^l^^K^i ^^^^^Hrals ^y ^^ enemy counter ^*'^'*^^^"™'"^^^"'-^- '^.^^■^^ attack at nightfall; it ex- pects, however, to recap- ture it ill the morning of 10 Oct. 18. The 58th Brig, has reached the normal objec- tive, except on the right of its front. The 66th and 67th Regts. have repulsed enemy counter attacks. We have taken about 100 prisoners by a raid into the Bois d'Ormont, including an entire Bn. Staff. II. 10 Oct. 18. The front should arrive at the following line : Ravin of Plat-Chene, Farm Molleville, Ravin of Molleville, Ravin de la Reiue, HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 87 road crossing of the Croix Antoins, western part of tlie Bois de Moirey, eastern point of Bois d'Haumont. In order to realize this objective : 1. The 115th Inf. will make a forward movement to take part in the attack which will be executed at six o'clock by the 33d Division in order to recapture the Bois du Chaume, and will support by all means at its disposi- tion the attack of this division ; 2. Pursuant to orders of C. G. 17 A. C. (French) ^^i^^^^^^^^^m^^f^HMiffijgll^H^^^H A. G. reserve north of Samogneux, will be placed between the 58th Inf. Bri- gade and the 66th Regi- ment (French). Ehine Eiver The C. G. of the Army Corps has implied that when the above operation is complete, the 113th Inf., 116th Inf. and 115th Inf. would pass under the orders of the C. G. 29th Div. III. The Operation will be executed under conditions herewith : The 113th Inf. leaving its bivouac at three o'clock will be assembled at five 'clock ; Two Bns. in the south- ern part of Bois de Bra- bant-sur-Meuse (east of Meridian 26), in which it will relieve elements of the 116th Inf., which are there at present : The 3d Bn., in re- serve, will be disposed in attack formation fac- ing north, one Co. in the ravine of Walon- sevaux, and to the east, one Co. to the west of this ravine. The C. 0. 113th Inf. at P. C. of Col. Comdg. the 66th Inf., in the trench of the Mamelle, north of Haumont, at point 66.78. The 113th Inf. will attack at eleven o'clock, the left Bn. facing north; objective the Ravine of MoUeville : the right Bn. on the southern part of the Bois de la Reine ; objective : entire Bois de la Reine. Pier on the Ehine 88 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY At this time the 1st Battalion of the 323d was in position in the Eavin du Bois des Caures, not far from the 2d Battalion of the 322d. The 2d Battalion, 323d, was near Malbrouck on the Brabant- Malbrouck Road. The 1st Battalion, 322d, Avas ordered to move on the 10th to positions northeast of Brabant in the vicinity of the Brabant-Malbrouck Road. Therefore the 2d Battalion, 322d, and the 1st Battalion, 323d, were grouped under Col. Warfield and assigned the mission of supporting the attack of the 113th Infantry. The 1st Battalion, 322d, was grouped with the 2d Battahon, 323d, under Lieut. Col. McKinlay and given the mission of supporting the 58th Infantry Brigade. The greater part of the night was spent in bringing ammunition to the battery positions. October 10. The echelon cleared Marre about 6.30 a.m. and fell into column behind the firing batteries of the 1st Battalion near Cu- mieres. From there they marched via the C 'U m i e r e s'- Regneville Road and crossed the Meuse to Samogneus. The echelon went into camp just off the main road near the junction of the road leading up to Haumont. The 1st Battalion continued on through Brabant-sur-Meuse to positions on top of the hill just south of the Brabant-Malbrouck Road, which they reached late in the afternoon. Meanwhile the 2d Battalion started firing Preparation Fire at 10.45 at the rapid rate of 4 rounds per gun per minute. At 11.00 the 113th attacked. The 2d Battahon, 322d, delivered Covering Fire as follows: 11.00 to 11.15, 2 rounds per gun per minute; 11.15 to 11.30, 1 round per gun per minute; 11.30 until further orders, 20 rounds per gun per hour. As the 1st Battalion was marching toward Samogneux, a German plane came over our lines in the direction of two Allied observation balloons south of Samogneux. As it approached the first balloon, the observer was seen to jump. A few seconds later the balloon went down in flames. Meanwhile the Boche had banked sharply and appar- CoBLENZ E. R. Station HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 89 ently started back toward his own lines. After going a short distance he banked again and started toward the second balloon. An attempt was made to pull it down, but it was too late, and the observer was forced to jump. This balloon also went down in flames and the Boche flier returned safely to his own lines. In the afternoon a number of shells of large caliber landed at intervals in the village of Haumont. Suddenly one of them, appar- ently a wild shot, landed in No. 1 gun of E Battery; two men were killed outright and five othei's were wounded. In the evening Field Order No. 4, 158th F. A. Brigade, was re- ceived. The following are extracts from this order : I. Situation (a) The first Ameri- can Army continues its advance east and west of the Meuse. The 17th Corps has in the past three days captured over 4000 prisoners; of these, ap- proximately 1800 were taken by troops of this division. The advance will be continued to-morrow. (b) The 29th Division (less 57th Infantry Bri- the 18th Division, French), Ehine and Mosel River gade, which will operate under command of attacks under its own Commander, October 11, 1918, at six o'clock. II. Organization of Command Mission (a) Sub-Grouping McKinlay (2/323 and 1/322) will support the 115th Infantry Regiment. (b) Sub-Grouping "Warfield (1/323 and 2/322) vidll support the 116th Infantry Regiment. October 11. At 5.30 each battery started to fire 160 rounds as preparation. At 6.00 a.m. the 58th Brigade attacked, the batteries delivering Covering Fire as follows : 6.00 to 7.30, each battery firing 40 rounds ; 7.30 to 8.30, each battery firing 60 rounds ; 8.30 until fur- ther orders, each battery limited to 28 rounds per hour. 90 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Liaison Normal liaison will be secured and maintained between Artillery sub- grouping and group (battalion) commanders on the one hand and regimental and leading battalion commanders of the infantry on the other. The Division Commander directs that sub-grouping and infantry regi- mental commanders have their P. C. 's at the same place not later than 21 hours, 11 Oct. 18. Ammunition Corps orders reduce the ex- penditure of ammunition on the 11th instant to one-half (1/2) day's fire except in emergency. Therefore, all fire on request must be reduced accordingly. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. Kaiser Wilhelm I and Moselle Acting on these instructions, Col. Warfield moved up late in the afternoon to the P. C. of Col. Kelly, commanding the 116th Infan- try. This was on Malbrouck, in a dugout just south of the bend in the road, thus making Col. Warfield 's P. C. the most advanced element of his com- mand. Thus far the 116th had not been able to gain a foothold in the southern edge of the Bois de la Grande Mon- tague, owing to the fierce machine-gun fire from this woods and an enfilading fire from the corner of the Bultry The Rhine Bois. The 115th was able to advance several hundred meters northward into the Bois Plat-Chene, and the left of the 116th carried into the southeast corner of the Bois de la Grande Montague. Unfortunately the failure of the remainder of the 116th to carry the Molleville Fme. left the right of the 115th exposed and a general rectification of the front line was necessary. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 91 At noon Field Order No. 5, 158th F. A. Brigade, was received. The following are extracts : I. The enemy occupies the Kriemhilde Line with advanced detachments strongly supported by machine guns in the southern edge of Bois de la Grande Montague. The 115th In- fantry occupies an east and west line in the Bois Plat- Chene with its right in the vicinity of the crossroads at the southwest corner of the Bois de la Grande Montagne. The front of the 116th starts at these crossroads and extends south along the edge of woods, then east along the northern edge of the Bos- sois and MoUeville Bois. Staks and Stripes on the Rhine II. Since the beginuiug of the present operation our army has captured over five thousand prisoners and about sixty cannon. Over two thousand prisoners were captured by our Division. The 58th Brigade will to-morrow hold the line it now occupies. No attack will be made to- morrow but demonstration will be made in support of the attack of the 18th French Division of the Bois d'Ormont. III. (a) As far as possible the day will be devoted t o recuperation and reorganization o f units. (b) The ammunition supply will be increased and maintained as fol- lows: At the guns two days' fire less full amount necessary to completely fill all ammunition-carry- ing vehicles pertaining to firing batteries and combat trains. (c) Field trains remain at Charny. Two days' reserve rations and one day's short forage will be maintained at the echelon, where one field and one forage ration will also be delivered daily. Three days' rations and forage will be kept on hand in each supply train in Charny. Scene on the Rhine 92 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY (d) Horse echelon will be maintained under cover near battery positions, where every effort will be made to graze and recuperate the animals. IV. The Brigade P. C. is located at Vacherauville (Telephone Fleming P. C). A. S. Fleming, Brigadier General F. A. The order also included a scliedule for offensive counter prepa- ration and defensive barrages. October 12. The day was comparatively quiet. The batteries fired a demonstration in their own sectors and assisted the 18th French Division in its attack on the Bois d'Ormont. This attack was only partially successful, for although the French troops penetrated into this wood, they were unable to clear it entirely and thus when the day ended the woods were occupied by both French and Grerman troops. In order to push our attack toward the northeast it was necessary to take this woods, which dominated the adjacent country. The enemy, realizing this, had made it one of their strong points and had fortified it heavily with concrete machine-gun emplacements. Thus, although it was subjected to heavy artillery fire before each attack, the machine-gmn crews merely went down into the concrete shelters while the artillery fire was on them and when it lifted for the attack they went back to their guns. October 13. In spite of the date, this was one of the quietest days in some time. Our batteries delivered some harassing fire on various enemy sensitive points. This drew retaliation fire from the German batteries, and Lieut. Brenner of E Battery was seriously wounded by fragments from a shell which landed near the battery position. For several days the 2d Battalion, 322d, had been shelled harder each day, and nearly every night gas shells fell in the valley, which by then was known throughout the Regiment as "Death Val- ley. ' ' On the other hand, the 1st Battalion, in a very exposed posi- tion on the hill above Brabant, had had very few casualties. The Pontoon Beidge at Coblexz Opening HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 93 Yankees on the Rhine enemy shelled the roads near Haumont almost continuously as these constituted the main lines of communication for the French on our right. In this way the 2d Battalion received a great many shells not intended for them. October 14. Follow- ing the great aerial demonstration on the 9th, there had been a noticeable absence of Allied planes over our sector. Therefore the enemy planes came over u r lines unhindered and adjusted artillery fire on the batteries near Haumont. On the morning of the 14th, five German planes came over Malbrouck and directed their machine guns on the American troops occupying the trenches there. They were particularly active in the vicinity of Col. Kelly's P. C. Two telephone linemen were killed by their fire. No Allied planes appeared either during or after this demonstra- tion. During the after- noon Lieut. Morrison crawled out beyond the infantry outposts to the north edge of the Bos- sois Bois and adjusted fire for the 2d Bat- talion. He registered the directing guns of each battery on the road running east and west along the southern edge of Bois de la Grande Montague. The enemy was shelling our front line at the time, but Lieut. Morrison completed the adjustment with the greatest coolness. In the early evening Field Order No. 6, 158th F. A. Brigade, was received at the echelon. Capt. Webber, Avith this order in his hands, was sitting in the Dodge car with Lieut. Plunien beside him and Staton, the driver, on the running board, when a 77 H. E. shell hit Ruins op Eheinfels 94 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY beside the car. Staton had his leg blown off, and the Field Order was never seen again. Capt. Webber and Lieut. Plunien had a miraculous escape, for the former was unin- jured except for a small splinter in his finger when the papers were blown from his hand, and the latter merely had a slight scratch on his wrist from which his watch wasblownaway. U. S. Boat neak the Lokelei _, . „ ,^ r> t -i Copies 01 the held order were secured from Col. McKinlay. It read as follows : 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. 14th October, 1918. 15.00 o'clock. Field Order ] No. 6. Map : Verdun B. Brandeville 1 ;. 1/20000 J I. Situation (a) This division attacks on its present front on day D at II hour, in con- junction with the 33d Division on the left and the 57th Brigade operating under the 18th, French, Division on its right, with the object of taking the heights of the Grande Montague. (b) Zones of Action, Objective and Parallel of Departure: 115th Infantry, between parallels 24 and 25. 116th Infantry, between parallels 25 and 26. Objective The first objective of exploitation which is the general line: 24.0-82.8; 25.0-83.1; 26.0-82.9. On reaching this objective the troops will entrench and prepare to hold it against counter attack. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 95 Parallel of Departure 116th Infantry — present line. 115tli Infantry — prolongation of line of 116th Infantry to the west, so that no part of the line is nearer the road crossing at S.W. corner of Bois de la Grande Montagne than Tj, , - 500 meters. The left ele- il; meut of this line on the 24th meridian must not be north of the 82d parallel. (c) The infantry will attack with regiments side by side, each with one bat- t a 1 i n in the first line ; rate of advance, 100 meters in six minutes. French Pontoon Bridge on the Ehine II. Geganization op Command Same as Field Order No. 5 except Warfield P. C. 55.92, and Battery C, 322d F. A. designated as fleeting target battery. III. Firing schedule in accordance with Appendix III, a, b and c attached. Present liaison personnel with infantry will be maintained with the following addition : At II hour one officer and two liaison agents from the McKinlay sub- grouping will be with the C. 0. 58th Infantry Bri- gade because the mission of this group requires it to support temporarily the entire Infantry front after this attack. The following will be observed by the battery working with aeroplane. The pieces are pre- sumably calibrated. Upon indication by the aeroplane of a fugitive target (by coordinates) the battery will fire with the greatest speed possible, four volleys so that the mean point of fall (pattern) can be readily observed. If necessary the aviator will send the error of the mean point of fall with reference to the objective and the battery will correct by this error. A great The Lorelei 96 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY rapidity of fire being indispensable, it is important that the pieces be well adjusted and that it be unnecessaiy to adjust each piece separately. In case fire by piece should be asked by the aviator, each piece ■will fire at the command of the aviator a certain num- ber of rounds as rapidly as possible in such a way as to make a distinct pat- tern. IV. Orders concern- ing ammunition, combat trains and field trains Cruising remain unchanged. V. The Brigade P. C. is located at Vacherauville (Telephone Muzzle through Joe or Mockingbird), By command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain F. A. Operations Officer. About the same time the following memorandum was delivered : HEADQUARTERS 29th DIVISION American Expeditionaet Forces France 15.00 o'clock, 14 Oct. 1918. Secret Memorandum : D day is 15 October 18. H hour is 8.00 o'clock. Artillery Preparation begins at 7.30 o'clock. By command of Maj. Gen. Morton. W. S. BOWEN, Lieut. Col. General Staff. A. C. of S. G-3. Acknowledge receipt at once by telephone; also by return receipt with courier delivering this message. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain F. A. Operations Officer. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 97 Castle of Stolzenfels October 15. At 7.30 a.m. the artillery preparation began. The fire was delivered in certain designated zones at the rate of 3 rounds per gun per minute and was largely for the purpose of neutralization. Battery C was held in readiness to fire with an aeroplane, but no aeroplane appeared at any time during the at- tack. At 8.00 a.m. the infantry jumped off and the batteries com- menced delivering Ac- companying Fire at the rate of 3 rounds per gun every two minutes, which was maintained until 10.40 a.m. The 115th Infantry were able to carry their lines to the high ground in the northern part of the Bois Plat-Chene. The left of the 116th Infan- try advanced to a depth of several hundred meters into the Bois de la Grande Montague. But the center and right of the 116th were unable to cross the MoUeville Fme. clearing on account of heavy enfilading machine-gun fire from the corner of the Bultry Bois and the southwest edge of theBoisd'Etraye. Meanwhile the left of the 116th in the Bois de la Glrande Montague had run out of ammuni- tion and the men started to drift to the rear, leaving the right of the 115th exposed and causing a general withdrawal at this part of the line. This movement was finally stopped and the line refonned. At the same time the 1st Battalion of the 322d delivered a heavy concentration in the Bultry Bois and one battery swept the slope of the Bois d'Etraye from the southwest edge up past the Observatory. This enabled the infantry to cross Eest 98 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY the clearing and gain a foothold in the southern edge of the Bois de la Grande Montague. Shortly after the attack began, Lieut. Morrison was instantly killed by maehine-gTin fire as he sat on a bank on the edge of the clear- ing. He was serving as liaison officer with the assaulting battalion of the 116th. The Battalion Commander and several other infantry officers and men in the same party were all killed or wounded within a short time after the attack started. When the attack was well under way, the C. 0. of the 116th moved his P. C. up the road toward the MoUeville Fme. to a dugout near the road about half a kilometer south of the edge of the clearing. Col. Warfield moved into the for- ward dugout thus vacated by the 116th and shortly after- ward went on up to the ad- vanced infantry P. C. The casiialties of the 116th were extremely heavy, and dur- ing the night our front lines were very thinly held. There- fore the artilleiy delivered several protective barrages during the course of the night. October 16. Early in the morning Field Order No. 7, 158th F. A. Brigade, was re- ceived. This gave the situation as follows : ' ' The Division will con- tinue the attack of 15th October 1918 at H hour on D day. The formation remains the same. Artillery preparation will commence at H-30. " The objective was given as the heights running east and west near the northern edge of the Bois Plat-Chene and then curving southeast toward the Bultry Bois. Thus the attack was to be in the nature of a turning movement with the pivot at the northeast corner of the MoUeville Fme. clearing. Shortly after the receipt of the Field Order, the following memorandum was delivered : Col. Warfield Leaving the 322d F. A., WiTTGERT, GEEMAKT HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 99 158th F. a. brigade A. B. F. 16th October 1918. Mc- Memorandum to Sub-grouping Commanders; Baldwin, Hopkins, Kinlay, Warfield, Asliburn and C. 0. 308th T. M. B. 1. Your daily return will include 32 more men. 2. Your horse return will account for 25^-2 bales excess hay. 3. Receipt of memorandum will be acknowledged immediately by phone. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Capt. F. A. Operations Officer. By subtracting the day of the month from the amomats of men and hay given, it was determined that D day was the 16th and H hour 9.30. Therefore at H- 30, or 9.00 a.m.. Prepa- ration Fire began at the rate of 2 rounds per gun per minute. At 9.30 a.m. the infantry attacked and the artil- lery delivered Accom- panying Fire at the rate of 1 round per gun per minute until 11.45 a.m., when the infantry was show troupe, 322d F. a., Montabaur, Germany • presumed to have gained its objective. This proved to be the case, and in the after- noon a program for Concentration Fire was received. This called for short, sharp bursts of fire upon certain definite points behind the enemy lines. The first volley was required to be "On the Way" within six minutes after the receipt of orders at the battery. The enemy artillery reacted sharply after our fire abated and some casualties occurred. October 17. By this time the action had settled down to an inter- mittent artillery duel. Col. Warfield returned to his P. C. on Mal- brouck. Gen. Fleming with Capt. Borelli, his French artillery ad- viser, reconnoitered positions just north of Malbrouck for the 2d Battalion, 322d, and the 1st Battalion, 323d, with a view to returning them to their respective regiments. Late in the evening the following Field Order was received. It read [in part] : M Mm 100 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 158th F. a. brigade A. B. F. 17th October 1918. 20:00 o'clock. Field Order "] No. 9 J Maps: Verdun B Brandeville 1/20000 I. According to Division Orders the objective of this Division has been attained. The sector Grande Montagne 'wdll be organized, effective at eight o'clock, 18 October 1918. Sub-sector blue from Y line 24 to Y line 25.8 with two centers of resist- ance — Richene and MoUe- ville Farm. Sub-sector gray from Y line 25.8 to Y line 26.6 with one center of resist- ance Bultruy. The 58th Infantry Bri- gade is assigned to sub- sector blue, the 115th In- fantry being assigned to the center of resistance Richene and the 116th to the center of resistance MoUeville Farm. Sub- sector gray is assigned to the 57th Infantry Brigade with the 113th Infantry in line. The 114th Infan- try will constitute Divisional reserve. The Infantry P. C. 's are located as follows : 57th Infantry Brigade— 60.68 (Modest). 58th Infantry Brigade— 43.93 (Mold). II. Organization of Artillery 1. 158th F. A. Brigade Brig. Gen. A. S. Fleming. P. C. Vacherauville (Phone Muzzle). Sub-grouping War-field: p. C.— 52.09 (Phone Myriad). Marling Group— 1st Bn. 322d F. A. Hopkins Group— 2d Bn. 322d F. A. Colonel's 'Bus' — Officers Only HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 101 Sub-grouping McKinlay : p. 0.— 40.81 (Phone Myro). Baldwin Group— 1st Bn. 323d F. A. Fibieh Group— 2d Bn. 323d F. A. Suh-grouping Asliburn: P. C. 47.67 (Phone Mystic). Brice Group— 1st Bn. 324th F. A. Nash Group— 2d Bn. 324th F. A. Sackett Group— 3d Bn. 324th F. A. 308th Trench Mortar Battery: Capt. McGill— P. C. 53.11. 308th Ammunition Train: Lieut. Col Cole (Nixeville). Artillery Mission as shown on attached tracing, Appendix III-2-a. On Pass to Paris III. 1. (a) Daily Firing Schedule. See Appendix Ill-l-a. (b) Harassing and Interdiction Fire. See Appendix Ill-l-b. (c) Barrage and 0. C. P. See Appendix III-l-c. 2. Liaison: All liaison between units will be normal. IV. Trains and Ammunition: Orders concerning trains and ammunition remain unchanged. V. The 158th F. A. Brigade P. C. remains at Vacherauville (Phone Muzzle through Joe or Mockingbird). By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Capt. F. A. Operations Officer. 102 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Motorcycles, Hdqs. Co., 322d F. A., Wittgert, Germany October 18. Col. Hopkins made a further reconnaissance of the positions for the 2d Battalion and finally selected one between Mal- bronck and the southern edge of the Bois de Consenvoye. The enemy artillery continued to fire on Malbrouck and the neigh- boring valleys. The 322d F. A. delivered Concentration and Har- assing Fire according to schedule. October 19. The 2d Battalion moved up to its new positions south of the Bois de Consen- voye. In the afternoon Lieuts. Bacon, Parker and Briggs Avent up to the southeast corner of the Bois de la Grande Montague to attempt to establish an observa- tory from which to direct Adjustment Fire on the road running into the town of Etraye. Unfortunately there was at this point a gap of nearly three hundred meters in the lines of the 116th and the enemy had pushed forward machine-gun outposts into the corner of the woods. After getting within a few meters of one of these outposts without finding a suit- able place for an 0. P., the attempt was given vip. The batteries con- tinued to deliver Har- assing Fire. October 20. The day passed without incident. The enemy continued to shell Malbrouck heav- ily, the regimental radio finally being shot away. There was also considerable shelling on the roads through the woods on the north of Malbrouck. As yet the 2d Battalion was not subjected to any organized shelling and the 1st Battalion continued to escape the attention of the enemy artillery. The batteries continued to deliver a program of Harassing Fire. All Aboard, 322d F. A. Show Troupe, Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 103 October 21. The enemy continued to deliver Harassing Fire, especially at mealtime. About half an hour before each meal, the German artillery opened upon P. C. 's and points where they believed kitchens to be ; the batteries of the 2d Battalion had apparently been 322d F. a. Eegiment Waiting for Pershing located, for they received a number of shells evidently intended for them. Late in the afternoon the following Field Order was received : 158th F. a. brigade Field Order ] No. 10. J Maps : Verdun 21st Oct. 1918 15:00 o'clock. 1/20000 Brandeville J I. Situation (a) A combined attack by the 29th and 26th Divisions will be made D day, at H hour, with the purpose of taking the ridge of the Bois d'Etraye. (b) The possession by 29th Division of the Grande Montague gives an opportunity for attacking in an easterly direction. Consequently, the 29th Di- vision and the adjoining element of the 26th Divi- sion will both attack facing east from the present sector Grande Montague. (c) The artillery of both Divisions, of the Corps, and of the 15th Colonial Division [Fr.], will participate. 322d F. a. Mounted, Eeady to Pass before Pershing 104 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY (d) This Brigade supports directly the attack of our Division. II. (a) Organization 158th F. A. Brigade, Brig. Gen. A. S. Fleming, Commanding P. C. Vacherauville. Group P. C. Unit 55.91 322dF.A. Marting 47.84 1/322 Hopkins 56.97 11/322 40.81 323d F.A. Baldwin 51.99 1/323 Fibich 51.90 11/323 47.67 324th F. A. Brice 47.67 1/324 Nash 48.68 11/324 Sackett 40.69 III/324 McGill 58.13 308th T. M. B. Siib-Grouping Warfield McKinlay Ashburn Gen. Pershing Inspecting 32d Division near Dierdoep, Germany (b) Missions (1) Preparation fire per appendix Ill-l-a; (2) Barrage and accompanying fire per appendix Ill-l-b; (3) Covering fire per appendix III-l-c. Warfield S ub-grouping : Rolling Barrage. Battery F designated as infantry battery under orders of Commanding General 57th Infantry Brigade. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 105 Battery C to fire on fleeting targets on aeroplane call or on targets with terrestrial observation. When not engaged in this work its fire will be superimposed on that of the I'emainder of its group. , McKinlay Suh-grouping : ': Battery E designated as infantry battery under orders of Commanding General 58th Infantry Bri- gade. 2d Battalion (less Bat- tery E) Barrage superim- posed on that of Warfield Sub-grouping. Note: In the event of any enemy attack from the north, these two batteries will be prepared to deliver defensive barrage already arranged. 322d Field Artillery Gen. Pershing Inspecting 32d Division 1st Battalion: Two batteries raking fire in the sector of attack covered by Warfield barrage. One battery will deliver covering fire north of sector of attack. Ashburn Sub-grouping : Covering fire and rolling barrEige. 106 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Gen. Craig and Col. Hollyday or 322d F. A., Bruckeachdokf, Germany Trench Mortar Battery: Destructive fire per Appendix lll-l-b. (c) Sub-grouping and group commanders will transmit requests of the infantry for fire to the Divisional Artillery Commander. Two batteries have been assigned to the Infantry and the others will not he diverted from their missions. In the event of grave emergency when communication with the Divisional Artillery Com- mander fails, the following batteries may be tempora- rily used by sub-grouping commanders, provided the emergency justifies it : Warfield Sub-group- ing. Battery C. McKinlay Sub-group- ing. The battery deliver- ing fire north of the sector of attack. (d) Upon completion of the schedule of fire for the attack, sub-grouping commanders will take immediate steps to arrange temporary defensive barrage, the Warfield sub-grouping covering the 113th and 116th Infantry Regiments and the McKinlay sub-grouping the 115th Regt. Inf. Until this is done the last accompanying and cover- ing fire executed will be utilized in the event of counter attack. III. (a) For plan of Artillery prepara- t i o n see Appendix III- 1-a. (b) F o r plan of barrage and accompanying fire see Appendix III- 1-b. (c) For plan of cover- ing fire see Appendix III- 1-c. (d) The present liaison will be maintained. The importance of getting information to the rear is reiterated. Every effort will be made to maintain telephonic communication. When this fails, runners must be utilized. Messages should be sent to the next higher liaison officer at least once per hour, in any case, giving the location of the front lines Inspecting Eation-C.akts HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 107 and resistance encountered insofar as can be ascertained. These hourly mes- sages will be additional to those calling for immediate transmittal. Forward observation posts will be utilized inso- far as their occupation has been found possible. Arrangements will be made to man and utilize those previously reconnoitered as soon as their secure pos- session by our infantry is assured. IV. Usual orders foi' trains and supplies remain in force. Three days' fire will be at the battery posi- ^^'- *^^^- ^^""'^W.^pTc™''"' ""^ ^'^"''"^ ""^ tions prior to D day. V. The Brigade P. C. remains at Vacherauville (Telephone Muzzle through Joe or Mockingbird). By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Capt. F. A. Operations Officer. October 22. A memorandum was received giving 23d Oct. 1918 as D day, and 6.15 a.m. as H lionr. Liaison details Avere furnished to the 113th infantry. Col. Warfield's suggestion, that the infantry be withdrawn several hun- tl r e d meters before starting the attack, was accepted. This was to permit the Preparation Fire to start on our front lines, for in pre- A'ious attacks the Ger- man machine-gun em- placements were so close to our front lines in the woods that our artillery tire fell beyond them. In the late afternoon a 77 H. E. shell exploded inside the entrance of Col. Warfield's P. C. None of the telephone detail or the Colonel's The Last Inspection in Germany 108 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY > Loading Heavy Baggage — Peepakatory to Leaving Germany staff was injured although Sgt. Driver was blown downstairs. The dugout was filled with H. E. fumes and telephone lines were all shot out, but except for the temporary inconvenience, no harm was done. The enemy had begun to use a large proportion of gas shells in his Harassing Fire and about 10.00 p.m. one of these exploded so close to Lieut. Goodall of Battery E that he was badly splashed and had to be evacuated. October 23. At 5.30 all the batteries except C, the airplane battery, commenced delivering Preparation Fire at the rate of 100 rounds per gun per hour. This was largely for the purpose of neutralization. At 6.15 a.m., the H hour, the infantry jumped off and the artillery delivered a Rolling Barrage at the rate of 100 rounds per gun per hour. This lasted until 11.00 a.m. The attack developed favorably although the 116th met with considerable opposition in their attempt to cross jr -iiii irni * into the Bois d'Etraye. The 26th, on their right, cleaned out le Houppy Bois and carried their lines into the southern part of the Bois d'Etraye. They also advanced into the Belleu Bois but during the night a strong counter attack by the enemy forced them to withdraw to the northern edge of the Bois de la Reine. On the whole, the attack was successful, as the possession of the heights near the observatory in the Bois d'Etraye was of great strategical importance, and counter attacks at this point failed to drive back our lines. October 24. Except for considerable artillery activity on both The Last Morning in Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 109 sides, the day was uneventful. Order was received : In the afternoon the following Field Field Orders No. 11. 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. I. Situation 24tli Oct. 1918. 18:00 o'clock. The result of the last operation necessitates a reassignment of sectors between Divisions and also a modi- fication within the Division. The boundary between the 26th and 29th Divisions is Northeast from Molleville Bois through the Houppy Bois along the northern edge of the Belleu Bois, thence northeast. This new boundary will be in effect on and after 25th October at 6 : 00 o 'clock. The sub- sectors within the 29th Division are assigned as follows. Sub-sector gray: From right of Division sec- tor along edge of Houppy Bois to northeast tip, thence northwest past Observatory to the edge of the woods near the Molleville Fme.- Etraye Eoad, 57th Infantry Bri- gade. Sub-sector hlue: From left of sub-sector gray southwest along edge of Bois d'Etraye to the edge of the Bois de la Grande Montagne, thence north through the Bois de la Grande Montagne to the center of the northern edge of the Bois Plat- Chene. The front on this sector is equally divided between regiments of the 58th Infantry Brigade, 115th on the left and the 116th on the right. II. Organization of Brigade 1. Grouping. Sub-grouping and groups remain unchanged. 2. Missions : (a) Division of sector. "Warfield sub-grouping — Support of Sub-sector gray. McKinlay sub-grouping — Support of Sub-sector Hue. Ashburn sub-grouping — Support of 29th Division sector. ^ K i^I^S^^^BB^^^MBBP - ^ ^y k .. ■ , ■■ — Sf*'??™r=^ Boyle Pack 110 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY (b) Barrage: Normal Sub-sector gray — 2 groups — ^Warfield. Sub-sector hlue — 2 groups — McKinlay. Eventual Sub-sector blue, part assigned to 116th Infantry. 1 Group — Warfield. Sub-sector gray — 1 Group — ^McKinlay. (c) 0. C. P.: Normal — Points desig- nated in daily firing sched- ule within assigned sector. Eventual — Warfield and McKinlay — points in adjoining sub-sector. Ashburn — points one kilometer beyond sector limits. Harassing, retal- etc, as ordered (d) iation, daily. (e) Special Missions — designated for Hdqrs. Co., 322d F. A. — Having a Little 'Jazz ' Music THE Morning op Ouk Leaving Germany Batteries fleeting targets and with aeroplane, C/322, B/323, B/324. 3. Liaison. Normal. 4. All opportunities for adjustment with balloon, aeroplane and terres trial observation mil be utilized. III. Orders for train, ammunition and supplies remain in force. IV. B r i g a d e P. C. same location, Vacherau- ville ( Telephone Muzzle through Joe or Mocking- bird). By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain F. A. Operations Officer. October 25. Thronghout the day and niglit the batteries delivered intermittent Harassing Fire on points in the vicinity of Etraye. At noon the following Field Order was received : Hdqks. Co., 322d F. A., Leaving Wittgert, FOR U. S. A. Germany, HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY HI 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. Field Order 1 No. 12. I 25th Oct. 1918. 10:15 o'clock. NEU"\nED, Germany I. There is no change of moment in the hostile or friendly dispositions. Our line is not yet defi- nitely located. The ground gained by the Corps in re- cent operations will be re- organized defensively, but also Math a view to prompt resumption of the offensive at any. time. The sector of the 29th Division and its sub-divi- sion is as stated in Para- graph I. Field Order No. 11, these Headquarters, 24th Oct. 1918. II. (a) This Brigade will assist in the defense of the Division sector and to this end the groups are reassigned positions as follows : Hopkins Group: Northwest quarter of square N 49 and northeast quarter of square N 39, but avoiding the southwest corner of the Bois de Con- senvoye including the Eav. de Jinvaux. Mariing Group: Ravine east of the Bra- bant-Consenvoye road and south of X line 79. No guns will be emplaced within 100 meters of the Brabant-Consenvoye road nor east of X line 23.5. The artillery occupa- tion of this area will be subordinated to that of the French troops now there. Baldwin Group: The area now occupied by Hopkins and Baldwin groups southwest of Cote 338. Moselle River, Germany 112 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY One Fibich Group: Trench system and vicinity near point 47.80. group (battalion) to be designated by the Commanding Officer 324th F. A. is assigned an area in square N 34 north of the Meuse. The other two groups will occupy in general their present positions. Col. Warfield will select or construct a P. C. in the vicinity of one of his groups or between them. Col. McKinlay will select or construct a P. C. in the vicinity of the Fibich group. Battery positions will be well separated from each other and the guns of each bat- tery should be well separated, and em- placed at abnormal intervals, and echeloned from front to rear, if practicable, so that they will not be in line. A View from Our ' Pullman ' En Route prom Germany to Brest, France Order of work: Selection and reconnaissance of positions; Construction of camou- flage; Topographical opera- tions ; Minimum construction necessary for emplacing guns; One day's ammunition supply ; Installation of commu- nications ; Occupation o f posi- tion; Completion of digging in. The above work will be started immediately and rushed to completion. Whenever any battery posi- tions are ready for occupancy immediate report will be made of this fact so that the necessary order can be issued from these Headquarters. (b) Organization of the Command Warfield Sub-grouping — Hopkins and Marting Groups (1st and 2d Bat- talions 322d F. A.). OUH l!i>x Car Special' Gliding through Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 113 Baldwin and Pibich Groups (1st and 2d Bat- Brice, Nash and Sackett Groups (1st, 2d and 3d will the sub- Mess Time for This Battery Commander will report to the D. C. A. McKinlay Sub-grouping, talions 323d F. A.). Ashburn Sub-grouping. Battalions 324th F. A.). Coordinates of P. C.'s of sub-grouping and group commanders, and of bat- teries will be announced later. III. (a) Instructions eoneerning firing Sched- ules, barrage, 0. C. P., etc., continue in force until modified. (b) One battery be designated from Fibich group by the grouping commander close forward defense. for instructions. (c) Normal liaison will be arranged in accordance with the above assign- ments and missions, to go into effect when these become operative. (d) 0. P. 's near point 57.23 and point 50.28 will be manned and operated under the instructions of „„ , t h e sub-grouping c o m - manders of the correspond- ing sub-sectors. The 324th F. A. will find an 0. P. near Gercourt. It will also establish, as soon as prac- ticable, an 0. P. near the Pylone Obs in the Bois d'Etraye. (e) P. C.'s of battery and group, group and sub- grouping, sub-grouping and the D. C. A. will all be connected by two parallel lines. The group com- manders of each sub-grouping will be similarly connected as will the Hopkins and Baldwin groups. Parallel lines will also be laid to 0. P. 's. IV. (a) Dressing stations will be established under the direction of sub- grouping commanders and their location published to all concerned. (b) Ammunition dumps will be established as follows : War field Suh-grouping: At the intersection of the Brabant-Consenvoye A French Field as Viewed eeom the Train 114 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Some or the Pleasures the Germans Missed by Signing the Armistice road with the narrow-gauge road at point 26.86. The narrow-gauge road running northeast from this point will be repaired and used to supply the Warfield Sub-grouping, r McKinlay Suh-group- \ ing: One near point 46.84 i a n d n e near Baldwin I Group. Asliburn Suh-group- ing: Suitable dumps on the Samogneux-Brabant road for the two groups near the Cote de Roche. For the Groiip west of the Meuse : One at Samogneux and one where the road leading north from Marre crosses the Canal. Ammunition will be transported by the trucks of the ammunition train as far forward as possible. Orders Avill be issued later concerning the carrying of ammunition by horse transportation between dumps and battery positions. (c) Echelons and Sup- ply Companies will remain in their present positions. IV. Brigade P. C. re- mains at Vacherauville (Telephone "Muzzle through Joe or Mocking- bird). By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain F. A. Operations Officer. 322d Men Sitting on Long-Eanged Gun 15STH F. A. BRIGADE A. E. F. Memorandum. ]\Iaps attached 25th October 1918. Supplementing Field Order No. 12 Zone of advance posts. Extract of Centers of resistance. showing Sub-sectors Artillery Covering Line. A. C. orders. I. Battery positions selected under the general offensive-defensive Mis- sion (Field Order No. 12) should fulfill following conditions: HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 115 Bed Cross Girl Handing Out Cigarettes at Tool, France 1. Large horizontal field of fire, and short minimum ranges. As a rule, field of fire : 1600 mils per gun whenever practicable. Each Sub-grouping commander will organize his system of fires so as to insure in his sub-sector, close Artillery protection in front of each center of resistance and in front of the Artillery Covering line. If too great difficulty is met in any partici^lar, the fact will be reported to the DAC in order that arrangements may be made for flanking fire from the adjacent Sub-groupings. 2. Defensive organi- zation of Battery and Bat- talion positions as Centers of Resistance {i.e., sur- rounding the positions with barbed wire, tactical dis- tribution of Machine Guns for defensive fire, proper sup pi J' of hand grenades). Without delaying the prog- ress of work in Field Order No. 12, the Sub-grouping Commanders should ar- range this defensive organ- ization bj' conference with the Infanti'y Sub-sector Commander, as both Infan- try and Artillery will have to cooperate in its utilization. 3. Camouflage arrangements will be carefully studied, and the sugges- tions of the Brigade Camouflage Officer, Lieut. Ilewes, carried out. Copies of all orders for the en- forcement of camouflage discipline will be furnished to these Headquarters. 4. Ample protection should be provided for the personnel, both from hos- tile fire and possible explo- sion of guns. Shelters will be started as soon as pos- sible, without delaying the fulfilment of the tactical mission, so as to insure pro- tection against splinters, and progressively i m - proved into deep dugouts protecting against heavy calibers. At least two exits will be provided for the latter. 5. Attention is again called to the necessity for the prompt rendering of all reports required concerning change of position, i.e., coordinates of B. P., Eennes, France 116 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY reports on 0. P. 's and P. C.'s, panoramic sketches, visibility charts and dead space charts. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain, F. A. Operations Officer. October 26. The batteries continued to deliver Harassing Fire. This drew a certain amount of retaliation from the enemy, largely gas shells. French Children Asking for Hard-Tack October 27. Early in the morning the folloAving Field Orders were received: Field Order 1 No. 13 j Maps: Verdun B Brandeville 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. 23:00 o'clock. 26th October 1918. 1/20000 I. Situation The 26th Division will attack 27th Oct. 1918 for the purpose of gaining possession of Belleu Bois, Carrefour de la Croix Antoine, Bois d'Ormont, the western triangle of Bois de Moirey. To protect their left flank and insure liaison with oiu" right flank the cooperation of the 29th Division is necessary. The right flank of the 29th Division will accordingly withdraw during the preparation and conform in the advance so as to maintain contact. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 117 II. Okganization of the Command 1. Same except Sub-grouping McKinlay is changed to Sub-grouping Hopkins, and Group Hopkins becomes Group Garfield, assuming the P. C. 's of the former commanders. 2. Missions: (a) Preparation see Appendix III-1-a-b-c. Standing Barrage "Warfield — 1 Group. War field — 2 Batteries- Interdiction Warfield- Hopkins- Ashburu- (b) Support of the attack: Warfield Covering Fire superimposed. -1 Battery (also for fleeting targets). 2 Groups over northern front. -3 Groups over entire front and in bar- rage sector. Rolling Barrage Raking 1 Batteiy. Hopkins — 2 Groups. Ashburn — 2 Groups and 1 Battery. Warfield — 1 Group. Warfield — 2 Batteries — superimposed. Ashburn — 1 Battery in barrage sector. (c) Covering Fire after Barrage: Warfield — 1 group on barrage sector. Warfield — 1 group on normal sector. Hopkins — 2 groups on normal sector Ashburn — 3 groups on normal sector. III. (a) Plan of Artil- lery preparation see Ap- pendix Ill-l-a. (b) Plan of Artillery accompanying fire see Ap- pendix Ill-l-b. (c) Plan of Artillery covering fire see Appen- dix III-l-c. (d) Liaison organiza- tion normal. IV. Usual orders for trains, supplies, and am- munition remain in force. V. No change in Brigade P. C. A Little Exercise when Our Train Stopped By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Captain F. A. Operations OfScer. 118 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY At 10.00 a.m. the batteries started to deliver Preparation Fire at the rate of 1 round per gun per minute. At 11.00 a.m., the H hour, the 26th Division with the right of the 29th Division attacked, and the batteries dehvered a EolUng Barrage at the rate of 2 rounds per gun per minute, ad- vancing 50 meters each 3 minutes. This con- tinued for 50 minutes when the artillery changed to Covering Fire. This consisted of a standing barrage last- ing until 12.30. The at- tack was successful, the 26th gaining possession of the entire Belleu Some of the Inmates or Oub Box Car Special rJoiS. At three ClOCk the batteries resumed their schedule of Harassing Fire, which they continued throughout the night. In the afternoon the following order was received : 158th F. a. brigade A. B. F. Field Order 1 27th Oct. 1918. 13:00 o'clock. No. 14 J I. Situation There is no change of note in the situation. In accordance with Division orders a reassignment of sectors will occur as follows : The 115th Infantry relieves the 116th Infantry on the night of October 27- 28, taking over the sub- sector blue with one bat- talion in each C. R. The 116tli Infantry reverts to the Brigade Reserve. The 114th Infantry during the night of Octo- ber 28-29 takes up the dis- position indicated holding the C. R. 's Etraye and Wavrille. Brest HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 119 II. Organization 1. Grouping, Sub-grouping and Groups remain unchanged. 2. Missions: (a) Division of Sector: Warfield Sub-grouping — Support of Sub-sector gray. Hopkins Sub-grouping — Support of Sub-sector Mue. Ashburn Sub-grouping — Support of Sector Grande Montagne. III. Employment op Artillery " 1. Barrage: Normal Sub-sector gray — 2 groups — Warfield. Sub-sector blue — 2 groups — Hopkins. Eventual Sub-sector gray — 1 Group — Hopkins. Sub-sector blue — 1 Group — Warfield. 2. O.C.P.: Normal Points designated on dailj^ firing schedule. Warfield — Points in adjoining sub-sector. Eventual Hopkins. Ashburn — Points 1 Km. beyond sector limits. German Prisoners at Brest, France 3. Harassing, retaliation, etc., as ordered daily. 4. Special missions — Batteries designated fleeting targets and work with aeroplanes C/322, B/323 and B/324. 5. Liaison — Normal. IV. Orders for trains, ammunition and supplies remain in force. V. Brigade P. C. same location. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. A. L. Richmond, Capt. F. A. Operations OfScer. 120 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY October 28. In the morning orders were received calling for the relief of the 158th F. A. Brigade by the 52d F. A. Brigade. The relief of the 2d Bat- talion, 322d, was ef- fected during the after- noon and evening and about 9.00 p.m. the 2d Battalion marched via Brabant, Samogneux, Bras, Montgrignon, Thierville, Gr 1 o r i e u x , Regret and Moulin- Brule to Camp Gallieni. October 29. The 2d Battalion reached Camp Grallieni. About noon the following Field Order was received: A Bust Corner at Camp Pontanezen 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. Field Order No. 16. 29th October 1918. 10:00 o'clock. Maps : Region de Verdun 1/50000 Verdun B 1/20000 I. The 52d F. A. Brigade will continue the relief of the 158th F. A. Brigade on the night of 29-30 October. II. The remaining units will move and take station as follows : 1. 29-30 October. (a) III/324 will move ; out as soon as its accu- | mutated mission has been ■ taken over by the 106th F. A. Movement in units of one section. Rout e — Bras, Mont- grignon, Thierville, I Glorieux, Dugny, Ance- I mont to Bois Cinq \ Freres. ''' (b) Caissons III/324 Laundry and Delouser at Pontanezen HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 121 German Prisoners Working on Egad at Camp pontanezen will join column at crossroad 57.56 and proceed empty with Battalion to destination. (c) Hq/322 and 1/322 at 22:00 o'clock move out via Brabant and Samogneux. Route — Bras, Montgrignon, Thierville, Glorieux, Eegret, Baleicourt, Bois le Ville, to Camp Gallieni. (d) Hq/323 and 11/ . - . 323 at 22:30 o'clock move /; out via Brabant and Sa- mogiieiix. Route — Bras, M o n t - grignon, Thierville, Glo- rieux, Regret, Baleicourt, Bois le Ville to Bois Claude. (e) Caissons 1/322 and 11/323 at 22:00 o'clock move out in one column from Cote d u Talou, via M a r r e and Charny to Remy Pre near Thierville where each battalion will load 1500 rounds of ammunition and proceed by routes assigned to Battalions to destination. (f) All remaining Regimental and Battalion equipment will accompany the respective units at the time of their movement. (g) Batteries will move closed up. Distance between batteries 25 me- ters ; between battalions, 50 meters. Mounted men will march in these open spaces to forbid them being filled by infiltration from side roads. They are left solely for the convenience of faster passing transpor- tation. These men will also serve to maintain these distances and act as route markers in case of delay of rear elements. III. (a) Each Regiment, Battalion and Battery will leave an officer with its replacing unit for 24 hours after its departure. (b) No ammunition will be carried from positions. Caissons will start empty and refill at dumps noted in II, 1, e. (c) Telephone operators with their instruments will be left in their present Ddckboaeds at Camp Pontanezen 122 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY positions until relieved by operators of the 52d Brigade or by order of the Commanding General, 52d Brigade. (d) All observation posts will be turned over to new units before move of October 29th. IV. (a) No battery will move pieces from firing positions until notifica- tion is received from the Regimental Commander that its ihission has been taken over by another unit. (b) Arrangements will be carefully made by ap- propriate commanders with corresponding officers of the 52d Brigade to effect the following transfer of Mission : Previous to movement : Accumulated mission o f III/324 to 106th F. A. At or before 22:00 o'clock. When the Wash House at Camp Pontanezen Was ON THE Blink Accumulated missions of 1/322 to 104th P. A. Accumulated missions of 11/323 to 105th F. A. (c) Notification of transfer of mission will be immediately telephoned to Brigade Pleadquarters. V. The General Com- ' ^ . — . - ^ manding the 52d Brigade will take command o f this sector at 8 : 00 o 'clock 30 October. After 8:00 ^^^_.^^_,,,,,,_,,,,,,,_.__,.,,,,,,,,,__,,,,,^ o'clock 30 October the ^^^^■^^HH^HI^MBaaWW?«sr^*^ A^^ 158th P. A. Brigade P. C. will be located at Dieue. By order of Col. Ashburn. A. L. Richmond, Capt. F. A. Operations Officer. A Uame of Ball at Brest During the afternoon the relieving of the 158th F. A. Brigade was completed and at 10.00 p.m. the 1st Battalion and Headquarters of the 322d marched over the route taken by the 2d Battalion to Camp Gallieni. October 30. The 1st Battalion reached Camp Gallieni at 10.00 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 12c Changing French 'Fkanck' and C4erman 'Marks' Eeal Honest-to-Goodness American ' Jacks ' a.m. The entire Regiment remained in this camp throughout the day and night. October 31. The Regiment remained in camp until 4.00 p.m., when it resumed the march, going via the Nixeville- Sivry la Perche Road to Fromereville, thence westward through Bethelainville and the Foret-d e-H esse to a point in the woods just south of A V o c o u r t , where it went into camp at 2.00 a.m. on Novem- ber 1. November 1. The Regiment resumed the march at 8.00 a.m., going through Avocourt to the Bois de Mont- faucon where it went into camp. November 2. Orders to march at 1.00 p.m. were received so late that the Regiment did not get on its way until 7.00 p.m., when it proceeded via Montfau- con and Nantillois to the Bois de Cunel where the last organization went into camp at 4.30 a.m. November 3-6. The Regiment remained in camp in the Bois de Cunel, being now again attached to the 32d Division, which was temporarily in reserve. November 7. The Regiment remained in camp in the Bois de Cunel. A patrol consist- ing of Lieuts. Rondthaler and Hayes, Sgt. Baumberger and Pvt. Montgomery went forward to Dun-sur-Meuse to make an artillery reconnaissance. Passing through Dun they proceeded north on the National Highway. After leaving Dun they saw no American troops and at a point about S^/^ kilometers beyond the town they came upon Our Last Mail in France 124 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Lined Up foe Mess a German officer and four men. These were unarmed and signaled their desire to surrender. The patrol advanced toward the Germans and as they drew near about fifteen Germans rose from a ditch and opened fire with rifles. Lieut. Rondthaler was severely wounded and crawled into a ditch at I the side of the road. I , Sgt. Baumberger was also severely wounded in the shoulder but suc- ceeded in mounting one of the horses. Two of the horses were dis- abled. Lieut. Hayes and Pvt. Montgomery __ _^ _ mounted the remaining horse and with Sgt. Baumberger, rode back under the fire of the Germans. Lieut. Rondthaler lay in the ditch for many hours, finally being picked up by a passing ambulance. November 8. The Regiment remained in camp in Bois de Cunel. November 9. The 1st Battalion marched from the Bois de Cunel at 4.00 a.m. via Cunel, Bantheville, Aincre- ville, Doulcon, Dun-sur- Meuse, Liny, past Vi- losnes to the vicinity of Haraumont, where they went into camp. The balance of the Regiment left the Bois de Cunel at 4.00 p.m. and marched over the same route to Haraumont, where they camped with the 1st Battalion at about 3.00 a.m. on the 10th. November 10. The batteries went forward to positions in the neighborhood of Breheville and Ecurey. The regimental P. C. was established at Ecurey. Lieut. Thompson, going forward to make a reconnoissance, was badly wounded in the back by fragments of a shell which exploded near him. Capt. Mather and Lieut. Lane, each Fixing the CHO^v I'uii Uur; ilEALs at Camp Pontanbzen HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 125 Place Wheke We "Washed Mess Kits at Camp pontanezen ■with one platoon of A Battery, were assigned to accompany the pursuit of the infantry. Lieut. Lane 's platoon, with the 127th Infan- try, was not called upon to any great extent by the Infantry, although they pushed well towardtheFront. The platoon under Capt. Mather mth the 128th Infantry saw con- siderable action which was subsequently re- ported by Capt. Mather as follows : "The infantry jumped off at 6.00 a.m. and by 7.00 a.m. the 2d Battalion was clear of the town of Ecurey and I started. No incident occurred until just before we .reached Peuvillers, about 8.30 a.m. The town and railroad were being heavily shelled, and I rested for ten minutes, until it subsided. Very heavy mud at this point delayed us at least forty min- utes more, and it was nearlj^ 9.30 a.m. when we emerged from the far side of Peuvillers. Here an infantryman halted us with the in- formation that the Ger- mans were counter at- tacking, and were very close. This seemed in- credible, as I was at least an hour behind the second wave, and had seen no signs of action ahead. However, I left the platoon in the edge of Peuvillers, and went north along the road to investigate. About fifteen or twenty infantrymen, all privates, were in the ditch on the east side of the road, firing desultorily. When I had advanced about two hundred meters, a small group of Germans appeared on the road, where it Putting the Duck in Duckboard at Camp PONTANEZEN, FkANCE 126 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY French Awarding Medals to 322d F. A., Brest, France disappeared over the crest, two hundred meters ahead. The Ameri- cans were flanked, and broke and ran across the fields west of the road; a few surrendered to the Germans. After calling vainly to them to stop, I called back to the guns, 'Action Front,' and ran' back to the village. One gun got into action in the road in time to get off five shots, direct fire, at the group of Germans and Ameri- cans on the hill. ' ' They ran back over the crest, suffering no casualties, as far as I could tell. ' ' I got the other gun into position beside the road, put my machine gun on one flank, and put out flank guards. I kept the limbers right in the village with me, less than one hundred meters away. The only American infantrymen in sight were a few scattered individuals, and on going up to the crest of Hill 207.7 I could see no Germans north or northeast of me, nor was there an}^ - machine-gTin o r I'ifie fi r e . German shells were falling in the val- ley of the Thinte, be- tween me and the Bois de Mange. My only conclusion was that I had met an isolated German patrol but I did not dare advance without a screen of in- fantiy. Presently some Germans appeared around the buildings at Pont de la Chaux. At this point an officer brought me word that Col. Meyer of the 128th Infantry was in Peuvillers. "I sent a message that I was held up by a German patrol, and the American infantry was out of sight ahead. He sent back word French Presenting Medals, Brest, France HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 127 Presenting Medals, 158th Artillery Brigade to do what I could toward cleaning out the nest of Germans ahead of us. In the meantime I had a telephone line run up to me on the hill, and on receipt of his directions, opened fire on the buildings at Pont de la Chaux and other sheds along the crest east of that point. No Grermans disclosed themselves in the val- ley of the Thinte, and aft-er an hour's inter- mittent firing no more appeared anywhere on the crest northwest of the Bois de Mange. All had disappeared over the crest. Before long- some appeared along the eastern edge of the Bois de Lissey and I fired a few shots over there, which scattered them. Shortly after noon Col. Meyer sent me word that he was going to send up a combat patrol of eight men to see if the Germans were cleaned out. Lieut. J. D. Thompson, of our Regiment, on liaison duty with Col. Meyer, went forward with the patrol to show it where to go. They advanced in safety across the bridge, and up the hill to their left. I watched them, firing a few shots well ahead of them, at what Avas left of the sheds. They went over the hill and out of sight. I then fired a few shots at the Bois de Lissey, but soon desisted, as I could not tell where Lieut. Thompson and his patrol were. I learned later that they ad- vanced some distance, but eventually were forced to retire b}^ fire from the north and west, in which Lieut. Thompson was wounded. "Between one and two o'clock the German artillery fire on the vicinity of Peuvillers increased and the number of American wounded 322d F. a. Leaving after Presentation or Medals 128 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Harbor of Brest. Farewell, France and unwounded who came back past us from the direction of the Bois de Mange increased rapidly. I learned from them that the Gei'mans were counter attacking strongly and were rapidly approaching Peu- villers and at the same time one of my advance liaison agents with the first Battalion Com- mander returned with the same information. Machine-gam and rifle fire increased all around us, so at about two o'clock' I gave 'March Order, Limber Front and Rear.' A few in- fantry officers on the road just north of Peu- villers informed me that they intended making a stand along tha,t road. "The platoon was ready Avhen I reached it, and we started back through Peuvillers. I stopped at Col. Meyer's P. C. to inform him that I was retiring about a mile back along the axial road, and that my ammunition was more than half gone. He confirmed the fact that the infantry were going to hold the line of the road north of Peuvillers. "I found a position about 83.75 and laid the guns on the steeple in Peuvillers ready to fire at about 3.15. I sent a message to Col. Meyer giving my location, and stating that I would try to give him some help. From a rise of ground in front of the battery I could see all the Avay to Peuvillers and on both sides of the town. Almost immediately the Germans laid a heavy barrage along the road and our line broke. I could see the infantry falling back on both sides of Peuvillers. With two guns on a front of between two and three kilometers, I felt help- less, and although it seemed like leaving the infantry in an emergency, i ^ \ 1 ' r , , , fes^ jr^^^^ i-..L-XJL'. ..^" -u.-,.:a_.. ■■■;,-^ iMMMi^HK^- '^;:9 ma ^^s^i^igi^ A Full View op the Plattsburg beeore Embarking HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY 129 322d Men Waiting to Put Foot on the Plattsburg. The Liner Imperator, which Germans Have Turned Over, in Background I decided to pull back a kilometer farther to the line of hills through Breheville and Lissey. "I sent word to Col. Meyer of my action, and withdrew again to a position at the ceme- tery just outside La Petite Lissey. By the time I got there it Avas dusk and the firing- ahead had died. I laid the guns due east with the goniometer, a n d sent word back to my Battalion Commander in Ecurey, who had a telephone line up to Col. Meyer, of my new loca- tion. The runner re- turned with news that the infantry were holding, and that I would have no firing to do that night. My mission really ended at this time, although I did some firing the following morning, by map, as part of the preparation for a new attack. ' ' At 6.30 a.m. the batteries started to deliver Prep- aration Fire for an at- tack by the 64th Infan- try Brigade. At 7.00 a.m., the H hour, the artillery changed to Ac- compan}T.ng Fire, but the infantry was or- dered to remain in posi- tion and shortly after that the artillery was told to cease firing. By this time everyone knew that the Armistice had been signed and would In spite of this the enemy continued to fire upon our lines and about eight o'clock shells began to land in Ecurey. Harris, Lee, 'Neill and West of Battery C were wounded by shell fragments and Wert of the same Battery lost his leg. Wilson November 11. 322d F. a. Boarding the Plattsburg in the Harbor OP Brest go into effect at 11.00 o'clock. 130 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY of Supply Company was severely wounded and subsequently died. It seemed too bad to wait passively while the enemy continued to shell us, so the Colonel called up Brigade Headquarters and got per- mission to fight back. Thereupon the batteries commenced firing again and soon the hostile fire died down. However, both sides did some firing up to a few min- y-,yt'..-^ ff^ '"-' ig ii i ir i lim MMMHHMBIK^KM utes before 11.00 a.m., when all firing ceased for the first time in four and a half years. The French took the situa- tion in a characteristic way and ran out into the streets cheering and congratulating each other. The American troops were equally happy but more reserved in the expression of their joy. November 12. The first morning after the Armistice found all the guns still in position with barrages prepared. desire of all was to get cleaned up and rested, a schedule was i m m e - diately put into effect, which aimed to restore the high standard of drill and discipline unavoidably relaxed by service at the Front. Passing Away the Time on tbIe Plattsburg Although the chief The following Order the Nosing Our Way Through the Atlantic Ocean France, Nov. 12, 1918. was issued from G. H. Q., A. E. F.: General Orders ] No. 203 \ The enemy has capitulated. It is fitting that I address myself in thanks directly to the officers and soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces who, by their heroic efforts, have made possible this heroic result. Our armies, hurriedly raised and hastily trained, met a veteran enemy, and by courage, discipline and skill, always defeated him. Without complaint you have en- dured incessant privation, toil and danger. You have seen many of your comrades make the supreme sacrifice that freedom might live. I thank you HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 131 Some 322d F. A. Officers on Board U. Plattsburg, May, 1919 S. S. for the patience and courage with which you have endured. I congratulate you upon the splendid fruits of victory which your heroism and the blood of our gallant dead are now presenting to our nation. Your deeds will live forever on the most glo- rious pages of American history. Those things you have done. There remains now a harder task which will test your soldierly quali- ties to the utmost. Suc- ceed in this and little note will be taken and few praises will be sung; fail, and the light of your glo- rious achievements of the past will be sadly dimmed. But you will not fail. Every natural tendency may urge towards relaxa- tion in discipline, in con- duct, in appearance, in everything that marks the soldier. Yet you will remember that each officer and each soldier is the representative in Europe of his people and that his brilliant deeds of yesterday permit no action of to-day to pass unnoticed by friend or foe. You will j meet this test as gallantly ! ' : as you have met the tests of the battlefield. Sus- tained by your high ideals and inspired by the heroic part you have played, you will carry back to our people the proud conscious- ness of a new Americanism born of sacrifice. Whether you stand on hostile terri- tory or on the friendly soil of France, you will so bear yourself in discipline, appearance and respect for all civil rights that you will confirm for all time the pride and love that every American feels for your uniform and you. John J. Pershing, Official : General, Commander-in-Chief. Egbert C. Davis, Adjutant General. The Eeajb Bulldog of the U. S. S. Plattsburg 132 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY Engine Room — Plattsburg November 13. The officers and noncommissioned officers of the Eegiment were addressed by Maj. Gen. Haan, Commanding G-eneral of the 32d Division, who brought the news that our Brigade had been assigned to the 32d Division and would accompany it on the march to the Rhine, the Division having been selected as a part of the Army of Occupation because of its unusually excellent record at the Front. Preparations for the march were begun at once, a requisition being for- warded for immediate sup- ply of all shortages of equip- ment. A muster of the Regi- ment showed 52 officers and 1232 enlisted men present, 6 officers and 196 men having been dropped from the rolls as wounded or gassed in action. November 14. The 2d Battalion moved from Breheville to Ecurey, rejoining the rest of the Regiment. November 15. Preparations for the march to the Rhine continued. November 16. Thirty-second Division Field Order received, set- ting the time of departure as 5.00 a.m. on the following morning. November 17. Battery A, with the advance guard of the 64th Infantry Brigade, marched to Arrancy, while the balance of the Regiment was billeted in Sorbey. The exuberant joy of the inhabitants of this region, evacuated only a few hours by the German troops, who had told the people nothing of the Amiistice, or anything else that had occurred, was thrill- ing to witness and made a last- ing impression on all. November 18. Battery A advanced to a position near Mexy, while the Regiment marched to Cons-la-Grandville. Here unusually good billets were found, Regimental Headquarters being in the his- toric chateau occupied during the Battle of Verdun by the Crown Prince and Field Marshal von Hindenburg. Firing Boilees on the U. S. S. Plattsbueg HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 133 The Fore Watch on the U. S. S. Plattsburg November 19. A stopover was given liere, and the morning was spent in preparation for a dismounted inspection by the Division Commander. Battery A rejoined just in time for the inspection which finally failed to mate- rialize, other duties prevent- ing the General from com- ing. November 20. The march was. resumed through the ancient Fortress of Longwy and across the French bor- der to Differdaiige, Luxem- burg. Just outside Longwy the Regiment passed before the Chief of Artillery and Division Commander, exciting very favorable comment, and pro- ducing the comfortable feeling that all the effort of the previous day had not been wasted. The Field Train was declared the best yet seen by the inspectors. Battery E was on ad- vance guard to-day. Maj. Brumage re- joined the Regiment at Differdange. Although not as enthusiastic as the French, the people of LiTxemburg every- Avhere welcomed the Americans as libera- tors from German domination. November 21. Starting at 8.00 a.m., the route led through the outskirts of the city of Luxemburg to Neudorf, one of its suburbs, Avhere the night was spent. Division orders prevented our going through the city of Luxemburg, a fact regretted by all, and a view of the his- toric cathedral from the road outside the city was all we saw. November 22. A short march of eight kilos Ijrougiit the Regiment to Sennigen about 10.00 a.m. Here the Regimental and National Standards were unfurled for the first time since leaving Coetquidan, they having been stored at Le Mans in the meantime. A Deck or the Plattsburg 134 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Waves Covering C Deck ok the Plattsbdrg November 23. During the morning the Regiment marched to Manternach, a town only three or four kilos from the German border, where a week's halt was announced, it being understood that the time was given to allow the British north of us to reach the border also, in order that all might en- ter Germany together. November 24. Drill schedules were drawn up, to go into effect on the morrow, the aim be- ing to permanently get rid of the persistent ' ' dugout ' ' appearance and discipline. November 25. The entire day was devoted to cleaning equipment and materiel. November 26. A tactical problem compiled by the Regimental Commander took all the batteries out on the road and into positions where firing data were figured for targets on Gei'man soil. November 27. Maj. Amos Ashley was this date assigned to the Regiment and placed in command of the 2d Bat- talion. November 28, Thanksgiving Day. The necessity of preparing for an inspection by the Division Commander on Saturday, caused most of the day to be spent in special cleaning work. However a period from noon until 2.30 was allowed all the men in recognition of the day. November 29. Preliminary inspections by the Brigade and Regi- mental Commanders were the chief business of the day, but more interest was later aroused by the arrival of the Division sleeve in- signia — the barred red arrow, symbolic of the fact that in every drive ' EoLL ON, Thou Dark and Deep Blue Ocean, Eoll ' ' HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 135 Slashing Waves on the Atlantic in which the 32d Division took part, it was assigned the position of driving wedge, and the point of the wedge pierced the German defenses on every occasion. November 30. The inspection by the Division Commander again failed to materialize, but the arrival of a con- — — > siderable amount of new clothing fully counter- balanced the loss. December 1. At 7.30 a.m. the Regiment left Man tern ach, crossed the Saner Eiver at Langsur into Ger- many, and proceeded through Trierweiler to Mohn. Battery F was on advance guard duty. December 2. Battery C relieved Battery F, and the Eegiment marched over a rough and very hilly road to Orenhofen, where the night was spent. I December 3. A short morning's march brought the Eegiment to Herforst where Bat- tery C rejoined. December 4. The Regiment remained in Herforst av h e r e the usual program of clean- ing was varied by the receipt of pay. December 5. A long hut unusually beautiful march took the Eegi- ment to the village of Bleckhausen, Avhere sufficient billets were found only with considerable difficulty. December 6. This day brought the longest march of the whole journey, thirty-four kilos to Kelberg, where we were together with the 323d F. A. December 7-8. The Eegiment marched to Luxem where another HuKRAH New York ! As She Looked the Morning We Pulled In 136 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY stopover was granted, and where Gen. Fleming inspected the Regi- ment, and condemned several horses for evacuation. December 9. Accompanied by the horsed battalion of the 308th Ammunition Train, the Regiment passed through Mayen and Allenz, Approaching Oub Landing Place in the U. S. coming to Kehrig for the night. December 10. After leading the Regiment to its billets, the two Bat- t a 1 i o n s in K e r b e n , Headquarters, Supply, and the Ammunition Ti'ain in Ruitsch, the Colonel, accompanied by Lients. Briggs and McConnaughey, recon- noitered advance posi- tions for the batteries and in the course of his work crossed the Rhine, a feat which few Avould have predicted a year previously. December 11. An easy march of seven- teen kilos brought the Regiment to Rubenach, the last town west of the Rhine in which we stayed. December 12. While the Regiment remained in Rubenach, the follow- ing order was received from Brigade Head- ^^^^ giving Us a welcome Home as We Approach quarters : the Pier hHSIh^^B' ^3jg "a - .^^MMUmM '^'1 ^ ^ 3 lyHBu wmS' ^^^^W^^B 158th F. a. brigade A. E. F. 12th December, 1918. General Order ] No. 55. \ 1. In the period of less than three months that has elapsed since the Brigade left its training camp for the Front it has traversed France ; fought in four Divisions and three Corps ; borne its full share of the great offensive, HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 137 Hurrah U. S. A.! Plattsburg. Landing at Pier first west of the Meuse, then north of Verdun, then again west of the Meuse, whicli it once more crossed in pursuit of tlie vanquished enemy. And on every occasion tlie guns of the Brigade have responded fully to all the needs of the Infan- try. This has been ren- dered possible only by the untiring labor and the de- votion of its personnel, both commissioned and en- listed. 2. Since the signing of the Armistice, the Bri- gade has marched through part of Belgium, crossed Luxembourg and all of Germany west of the Rhine. During the march to the Rhine there has been a marked and constant improvement in the march discipline and march effi- ciency of the units of the Brigade. The conditions under which this march was undertaken and has been conducted have afforded no adequate oppor- tunity for the reequipment of the troops; yet by their continued efforts the organizations of the Bri- gade have done much to rehabilitate their war-worn equipment. 3. The Brigade Com- mander, who is surely its severest critic, feels great pride in these achievements of the Brigade and con- gratulates all officers and men, who have contributed to them, on the results obtained. 4. The high standard which has been insisted upon by the Brigade Commander is within reach, but the price of its attain- ment and maintenance is unceasing and unremitting effort by every member of the Brigade. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. S. R. Hopkins, Lieut. Col. F. A. Adjutant. '■' ■* ^^n ^* ' / m *V m^ Si ^■^ ' # .. . 1 Bed Cross Women Welcoming Our Return at Pier 138 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY An excellent picture of the way most of us felt during this long hike to the Rhine is given in the words of a song by a member of the 23d Infantry, 2d Division, sung by the author at a performance given for the Regiment by the 23d Infantry Theatrical Troupe, during the winter in Germany : HIKING THROUGH LUXEMBOURG The gallant old 3d Army Crossed the line to Germany, The boys were marching route-step, A lovely sight to see. The majors they were leading ns Upon their noble horses, "While the poor buck privates in the rear Were like a bunch of corpses. Afoot Again in U. S. A. We hiked many and many a kilometer Until our poor feet came down with a thud, Then a motorcycle comes along And covers us with mud. We had blisters on our shoulders, We had blisters on our feet. And for a hiking outfit The old 3d Army can't be beat. I have hiked in the roads of Prance, I've done it at double time. But I have never seen such winding roads As those that lead to the River Rhine. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 139 I'll curse the hills of Germany Until the day I meet my death, It was on those little mountains That every moment I would lose my breath. Oh ! did you see the good railroads ? We hiked right by its side, But what I would like to know is, Why didn't they let us ride? Did you notice the Lieutenants? With canes and nice web belts, They had an awfvil load, boys. Gee ! I wonder how they felt. Our Fikst -Line Up' in U. S. A. after Leaving THE PlATTSBURG Can I fall out. Lieutenant? I've got to drop this pack. Give way to the right, you fellows. Is the answer we'd get back. This outfit always will be moving, In a big town we will never stop. But just hand me a hay barn Where I can take a flop. Give us plenty of good rations And we will soldier all the while, But when I get a pack on my back That's the time I can never smile. Now everything I say, boys. Is nothing but a compliment, But how can a fellow soldier When he hasn 't got a cent ? 140 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY The name of the old 3d Army Will be heralded throughout the States, But won 't it be nice to get back home And have chow on mother 's plates 1 You dug right in and fought, Never did you lag, But after all is said and done, It M^as for our grand old flag. boys, boys, Cpl. Allan Connok. Ready fok Our Trip up the Hudson December 13. Leaving Rubenach at 8.00 a.m., tlie Regiment pro- eeeded through Rubenheim, Mailust, Jagerhausen, Schone and Urmitz, crossed the Rhine on the Engers Bridge at about 1.00 p.m. and then marched through Engers to Sayn, where Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Sup- ply Company and Battery E were billeted in the historic castle, the other organizations being not far away. Thus in the same day came the fulfilment of the words of two of the old songs, "You'll find us soon in file across the Rhine" and "In my castle on the River Rhine." The castle was crowded with statues in armor, Aveapons and magnifi- cent paintings, more than equalling any expectations we may have had. December 14. The 1st Bat- talion went into its permanent billets, marching through Eisenberg, Kausen and Brei- tenau to Deesen, where Bat- teries B and C, and Battalion Headquarters were stationed. Battery A going on to Ellenhausen. moved to Breitenau. December 15. The remainder of The Y. M. C. A. Going Oye^ the Top WITH Cigarettes Some weeks later Battery C the Regiment marched to its HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 141 Leaving the Pier at New York for a Hike OVER the Hudson Eiver to Alpine Landing permanent billets, Batteries D and E, and 2d Battalion Headquarters in Giersliofen, Battery F and Supply Company in Bruchrachdorf, and Regimental Headquarters, with the Headquarters Company, to Ober- haid, which they abandoned a few days later for Wittgert. December 16, 1918- April 21, 1919. For more than four months after the march to the Rhine, the Regiment remained in its billets awaiting the order to go home. For officers and men alike it was a period of AA'eary tedium, and of no great interest. Only a few of the more important events and some general notes on our experiences will be mentioned in this chronicle. Our relations with the G-er- mans were similar to those of other troops in the Army of Occupation. At first we were eager to accept their hospitality and the good things to eat from which we had so long been deprived, and this desire fostered friendly feel- ings. It was not a great many weeks, however, before this attitude Avas replaced by one of Avholesome dislike, as Ave became more inti- mate Avith the people, and learned to know their real character. Perhaps to some of the men the Frauleins ap- peared different from the other Germans but this Avas not the rule. No cases of intermarriages are recorded in the Regiment. Drill schedules Avere faithfully prepared each Aveek, but were rarely as faithfully folloAved. Too many other necessities took prece- dence. Visits by inspectors Avere always too frequent, and the Gen- erals also seemed to take a peculiar interest in us. Still further Entering Hudson Eiver 142 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY The 322d F. A. on the Hudson Eiver diversion was afforded by many threatened inspections wliich never took place, but which were valuable in that they always caused a thorough cleaning- of the well-known harness, equipment and materiel. It was the firm belief of the Germans that we made a practice once each week of telling them Gen. Pershing would be around, in order to insure their putting the town in the best possible condition. During the week from Christmas to New Year's, the men were given every afternoon off, with the usual ex- ceptions of necessary duty, which included the care of the horses. As this was the chief occupation of all, anyhow, the afternoons did not mean as much as they might have. It was not long after this that practically all afternoon Avork was called off permanently, and ath- letics substituted. During the coldest weather it was difficult to do much in the line of outdoor sports, but even during January and February there was enough mild weather to permit of BM^B ^HJ^ir football and some baseball, although no actual interbat- tery games were played until April, just before we left. Our chief interest at all times was the horses, who de- veloped a beautiful epidemic of mange, necessitating much creoline treatment and clipping to say nothing of the well- remembered midnight trips to the dipping vat at Dierdorf, which always came on the coldest and windiest nights. Then there was the constant stream of new horses which always came just as Ave had successfully weeded out and got rid of all the Avorst of our old ones. More than once we felt that AA^e should have been called the 322d Remount Squadron. 'Our Boys' on the Hudson Eivek HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 143 322d F. a. Nearinq Alpine Landing on the Hudson River In February and March came the horse show, first Battalion, then Regimental, then Division, and finally 3d Corps, in which the Regiment won a blue ribbon for the 32d Division with our 2d Bat- talion Medical Cart. We left too soon to have any part in the 3d Army show at Coblenz. A great many men were away from the Regiment at all times during our stay in Grermany. Not only were the authorities extremely liberal in granting passes to Coblenz and to Neu- wied, leaves to Paris, French leave areas and other points in France, which were al- ways under-applied for (with the exception of the Paris leaves) ; but also a great number of opportunities to attend schools and colleges in France and England were afforded. A number of officers and men went to British and French universities where they remained until June 30, never rejoining the Regiment, while others went for shorter periods to various A. E. F. schools, some return- ing to us and others meeting us at the port of embarkation. On Christmas Day all the officers were in- vited to a celebration at Brigade Headquar- ters at Rengsdorf, and on New Year's Day to a similar one at Division Headquarters in the same town. It was dur- ing this week that the 322d Theatrical Troupe, known as the "Pas Bon" Entertainers, was organized, in compliance Avith instructions from Division Headquarters, by Lieut. Burton C. Houseman. It was part of the general scheme of entertainment for the troops, arranged The Last Boat Eide of the 322d F. A. Landing on the Hudson River Alpine 144 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY The Beginning of a Long, Long, Hilly Trail by G. H. Q., but thanks to the indefatigable energy of Lieut. House- man, the genius of the famous "Slim" Balger, the skill of Linke, who directed the orchestra, and the earnest support of all the members of the troupe, as well as the co- operation of the whole Regi- ment, the show went nearly as far towards putting the 322d on the map, as our work at the Front. A very successful tour of the Division resulted in our troupe being one of those se- lected to tour the 3d Corps area. Great popularity was enjoyed in both the 1st and 2d Divisions, to say nothing of a week in Coblenz which resulted in an invitation to play in Trier. The troupe had completed its week in the latter city and plans for a tour of the A. E. F., including a visit to Paris were being completed when the orders to go home put an end to the performance. In a contest before Gen. Lassiter, commanding the 32d Division, Y. M. C. A. judges awarded the decision to Balger as putting on the best stunt of the evening. Each organization troupe in the Division sent its best act to compete in this con- ,^,^^ ^^^^^^ , ^,^^^^ ^^^ , ^^ ^^^ ,^^^_^^ ^^ ^^^^ -^^^^ test. AND Hilly Path THE "PAS BON" ENTERTAINERS 322d Field Artillery Army of Occupation A Overture Pas Bon Orchestra Onward, U. S. A. HISTOBY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 145 B Minstrel Jolly Minstrel Boys Entire Company Oui, Oui, Marie .... Keep the Glow in Old Glory I '11 Make the Waiters Work Over Time All the World Will Be Jealous of Me . George Riseh George Feyock Niel Johnson Thomas Cahill Introduction of the Premier Comedians "Slim" Balger Formerly with Al. G. Field's Minstrels "Bunmj" Didl Late of Thomas H. Ince's Triangle Productions When the Kaiser Does the Goose Step . . . . " Bunny ' ' Dull Ev'ry Little While . Albert Wright Aunt Dinah 's Daughter Hannah . . . . " Slim ' ' Balger Grand Finale Entire Company End Men "Slim" Balger "Bunny" Dull Niel Johnson George Riseh Charles Gulling Finis Lightfoot Interlocutor Thomas Cahill Circle Albert Wright, George Feyock, Albert Bergmeier, George Myers, Rolland Ford, William Clevenger, Lloyd WoodroAV, Carl Balonier, Raymond Myers, Frank Seaver, George Reynolds, Samuel Quinlan Orchestra James West. Howard Palmer, Herman Linke, Harry Griffith, Perry Shroyer, Elmer Miller, Frank Timpano, Floyd Miller C Overture . . . : - ' . . . . Pas Bon Orchestra D The Man on the Wire ..... Frank Mason E A Little Bit of Everything .... "Slim" Balger 146 HISTORY OP THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY F The Tumbling Tumblers The Mysterious Gulling The " Rolling" Artisi G H I Ford, Myers, Woodrow Professor Gulling Floyd Miller The Boys Who Play the Blues Away Dull, Linke, Shroyer, Seaver, Timpano Comedy Sketch Produced by ' ' Slim ' ' Balger When the Mad House Turned Loose Caste of Characters I. McNutt, Proprietor of Hotel . "Willie Work, Looking for a Job . Sweet Little Buttercup, Looking for a Queen Bad Ike, Looking for a Fight Ambition, You '11 find Out . "Willie Live, Looking for Trouble Maids and Bell Hops, by . Closing Selections from the "Pas Rons" Supervisor and Officer in Charge Orchestra Leader Stage Manager Master of Properties Keeper of Wardrobe . Electrician As They Appear Thomas Cahill "Slim" Balger Albert Wright Niel Johnson George Feyock Finis Lightfoot Members of Company Entire Company Lieut. Burton C. Houseman Herman Linke "Slim" Balger John Snyder Albert Wright Raymond Myers As early as December 22, the first of the many rumors heralding G-en. Pershing's visit was received. By January 27 they again be- came persistent enough for the Colonel to issue the following order, which may serve to recall many pleasant incidents. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 147 Hq. 322d Field Artillery, American E. P. Wittgert, Germany. 27th January, 1919. Memorandum for all Organization Commanders : 1. Attention is again invited to the fact that Gen. Pershing, Command- ing General, American Expeditionary Forces, is expected to visit this sector sometime during this week, and that some organization or organizations will be turned out for his inspec- tion. 2. Upon the first inti- mation that Gen. Persh- ing is due, all other work will cease and organiza- tions will at once prepare for inspection, harness cleaned, materiel cleaned, animals groomed, billets cleaned, men's clothing in- spected and the men warned about saluting promptly and snappily, all coat collars turned down, caps worn in the proper condition, coats buttoned, shoes cleaned and given a coat of dubbing. 3. Burgomasters will be required to at once sweep the streets, cover all manure piles, straighten up and line all wagons along the side of the streets and in the yards, and an effort made to place everything in the very best possible condition. 4. A certain amount of 0. D. paint is on hand in all the batteries and a certain amount on hand in the Supply Company, to start painting the artillery carriages and Quarter- master Corps vehicles. If There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding Buildings Occupied by 322d F. A. While at Camp Meeritt, New Jersey this painting has not been started, it will be started at once. 5. No officer or enlisted man in this Regiment will ever reply to any question asked him by an Inspector of any grade, by " I don 't know. ' ' 148 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY 6. It is the business of every officer and enlisted man of this Regiment to know. 7. Every enlisted man in this Regiment will be furnished a typewritten sheet, giving the following information : Name and rank of the Commanding General, of the Am. B. P., and how his automobile may be rec- ognized ; name and rank of the Commanding General, 3d Army, and how his automobile may be recog- nized; name and rank of the Commanding General, 32d Division, and how his '^^'^ M«w».^l^BWP^P^SK 8B ! automobile may be recog- nized : name and rank of the Commanding General, 158th F. A. Brigade, and hoAv his automobile may be recognized ; name and rank of the Commanding Officer, 322d Field Artillery ; name and rank of his Battalion and Battery Commanders, and the location of his Battalion and Battery P. Cs. ; the name of the town in which he is stationed ; the names and ranks of all officers of his organization ; the name of the First Sergeant of his Battery; the name of his Chief of Section; where the picket line of his Bat- tery is; and where the harness of his Battery is kept. All of this information need not be contained in the typewritten sheet, but such of it as is not type- written will be communi- cated to the man by the Battery Commander by word of mouth. 8. All men must sa- lute and salute promptly and quickly, all oiBcers of whatever rank when offi- cers pass them. All ofScers when approaching a superior who is inspecting, will approach that superior, saluting and reporting in the manner that has been previously prescribed. 9. Organization Commanders will have the manes, tails and fetlocks of all horses trimmed at once. 10. The Regimental Commander feels that the good name of this Regi- OuR Homes at Camp Meeritt HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 149 A Street in Camp Merritt, New Jersey ment, gained by its previous record of efficiency in the field and garrision, depends on the results of this inspection. The Regimental Commander makes personal request to every officer and enlisted man in this Regiment, to stay on the job every minute and make this coming inspection a success. 11. The Regimental Commander directs that every enlisted man in this Regiment be informed of this im- pending inspection and told that it depends upon him personally and individually, as well as upon the combined efforts of all, to make this inspection a success and a credit to the Regiment, and to all concerned. 12. All special details, Head- quarters, Regimental Headquar- ters, Battalion Headquarters, Bat- tery Orderly Rooms, all billets of the officers, noncommissioned offi- cers and enlisted men, who are not usually and generally included in inspec- tions will be particularly looked at. 13. All animals and equipment, that have newly ari-ived in the Regi- ment, and have not yet been placed in condition, all wagons, carriages, and so forth, not actually in use will be placed in some in- conspicuous location. 14. Now that the ground is frozen hard, all artillery equipment, guns, caissons, limbers, etc., will be placed in a suitably ar- ranged park, with the proper intervals. Apply liberal coats of "Eye wash. ' ' 15. Battalion Com- manders will notify Regi- mental Headquarters by telephone that this memo- randum has been read by each officer of their Organizations, not later than noon the 28th instant. By order of Col. Warfield. Official : George S. Webber, Captain and Adjutant, 322d F. A. Arch of Victory Erected in New York City 150 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY Unfortunately, however, before the time of Gen. Pershing's actual visit. Col. Warfield, who had been in command of the Regiment con- tinually since the day it was organized, and to whose untiring and indomitable efforts, organizing ability and energy of decision its early and continued success was in large measure due, left us, being transferred at his own request to duties in the Quartermaster Corps, where he had been prior to the declaration of war. The Colonel's familiar figure, the best known in the Regiment, was missed by every one of us ; and his loss left a vacancy which was never quite filled. He was so closely iden- tified with everything in the Regiment from the very beginning, and made his personality felt in such a way that the men of the 322d will always continue to think of him as their Colonel. His place was taken temporarily by Lieut. Col. Hopkins, for many months Major of the 2d Battalion, who was soon relieved by Col. Thomas "W. Hollyday, formerly of the 321st Field Artillery. Col. Hollyday commanded the Regiment at the review of the 32d Division before Gen. Pershing, and had the satisfaction of receiving the following commendatory orders as a result thereof : Beady to Start from Cresskill, N. J., to Camp Sherman, Ohio — Our Last Long Eide HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES 201.1 (Commendations) Rengsdorf, Germany, 16 March 1919 From : Commanding General, 32d Division, American E. F. To : Commanding Officer, 158th F. A. Brigade, American E. F. Subject : Conunendation. 1. A general order issues to-day from division headquarters informing the division of the high commendation which the Commander-in-Chief passed upon the division as a result of his review and inspection of yesterday. I wish, however, to express to you in this more personal way my very high appreciation of the tine spirit which so obviously animated the troops HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 151 under your command. The 322d Field Artillery, the 323d Field Artillery and the 324th Field Artillery, in their soldierly bearing, in the appearance of their mounts, of their tractors and of their equipment generally, made a showing of which they may well be proud. The light regiments in passing in review stirred to enthusiasm all who watched them. The 324th Kegiment reached all the expectations of the Commander-in-Chief and of the Division Commander in that so soon after being motorized and under such unfavor- able conditions they had their tractors and guns on the reviewing ground ready for inspection and brought to such a high standard of cleanliness and obvious efficiency. (Signed) Wm. Lassiter, Major General, U. S. Army. Hq. 322d Field Artillery, A. E. F., "Wittgert, Germany, 16th March, 1919. Memorandum : The Regimental Commander is in receipt of the following order from the Commanding Officer, 158th F. A. Brigade : 158th F. a. Brigade General Order No. 17. 15th March, 1919. 1. The Commanding General of the Third Army Corps, Maj. Gen. Hines, has directed the Brigade Commander to convey to the Commanding Officers, officers and men of the 15Sth F. A. Brigade his congratulations upon the splendid appearance pre- sented by the Brigade in to-day's Review and in- spection before the Cora- m a n d e r-in-Chief, Gen. John J. Pershing. He has also directed me to convey his appreciation of the splendid spirit which has enabled the Brigade to ac- complish such gratifying results under the present conditions. 2. In conveying these Homeward Bound sentiments of the Com- manding General, Third Army Corps, to the officers and men of this Brigade, the Brigade Commander desires to express his profound gratitude for the willing spirit of cooperation and overcoming of difficulties which has char- 152 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY acterized this Brigade from its inception, and it is a matter of great pride to him to feel that he had the honor of organizing a Brigade capable of winning such commendation from the Corps Commander. 3. The Brigade Commander directs that this order be published to every officer and man of this Brigade in order that they may feel that their efforts toward making this the best Brigade possible has won such commendation from such military authority as the Corps Commander. Bj^ order of Col. Ashburn: S. R. Hopkins, Lt. Col. F. A. Adjutant. The Regimental Commander feels that every officer and enlisted man can be justly proud of the above commendatory remarks of the Corps and Brigade Commanders and he desires to also express his great appreciation for the splendid results of the hard work of both officers and men in preparing for the review and inspection before the Commander-in-Chief. This order will be read to Hdqrs. Company and 1st Battalion which will be assembled for the purpose Monday afternoon, March 17th, 1919, and to the 2d Battalion and Supply Company which will be assembled Tuesday after- noon, March 18th, 1919. By order of Col. Hollyday. Official : George S. Webber, Captain and Adjutant, _322d F. A. HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES Rengsdorf, Germany General Orders ] 28 March, 1919. No. 23. \ 1. It is with sincere pleasure that the Division Commander publishes to the command the following letter from the Commander-in-Chief : American Expeditionary Forces, Office of the Commander-in-Chief. Maj. Gen. William Lassiter, France, March 24, 1919. Commanding 32d Division, American E. F. My dear Gen. Lassiter : Please extend to the officers and men of the 32d Division my sincere com- pliments upon their appearance and upon the splendid condition of the artil- lery and transportation at the review and inspection on March 15th. In fact, HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 153 the condition of your command was what would be expected of a division with such a splendid fighting record. After training for several months following its arrival in February, 1918, it entered the line in Alsace and held this sector until the time of the Aisne- Marne offensive, when it moved to that active front. On July 30th, it entered the line on the Ourcq, and in the course of its action captured Cierges, Bellevue Farm and the Bois de la Planchette. The attack was resumed on August 1st, the division pushing ahead until it crossed the Vesle, and captured the town of Fismes. On August 28th it again entered the line and launched attacks which resulted in the capture of Juvigny at the cost of severe casualties. During the MeuseArgonne offensive the 32d Division entered the line on September 30th and by its persistence in that sector it penetrated the Kriem- hilde Stellung, taking Ro- magne and following the enemy to the northeastern edge of the Bois de Banthe- ville. On November 8th,, the division took up the pursuit of the enemy east of the Meuse until the time when hostilities were suspended. Since the signing of the Armistice the 32d Divi- sion has had the honor to act as a part of the Army of Occupation. For the way in which all ranks have performed their duties in this capacity, I have only the warmest praise and approval. The pride of your officers and men, justified by such a record, will insure the same high morale which has been present in the division during its stay in France. I want each man to know my appreciation of the work he has done and of the admiration in which he is held by the rest of his comrades in the American Expeditionary Forces. Sincerely yours, (Signed) John J. Pershing. 2. This order will be read to the troops at the first formation following its receipt and will be posted upon bulletin boards. "Wm. Lassitee, Major General, Commanding. A Real Train, A Real Countky, and a Real Destination — Camp Sherman It w^as not long after this that the ever persistent and closely hovering rumors of a retrograde movement in a westerly direction 154 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY received a rude jolt in the form of an authentic order, detaching the 158th F. A. Brigade from the 32d Division and attaching it to the 2d Division. This caused many wild outbursts of grief, and not a few of humor, of which latter the following is worth recording : HEADQUARTERS LOST BRIGADE, AMERIKANISCHE BESATZUNGS TRUPPEN, Rengsdoef, Germany. Stencil Order | 23d March 1923. No. 13 j The Lost Brigade (158th F. A. Brigade) 1. Below is a sketch of the proposed insignia that should be authorized and should be worn by all officers, second lieutenants, and enlisted men of the 158th F. A. Brigade (Lost Brigade). 2. The meaning of the insignia of the Lost Brigade which supported the Lost Battalion lost by the Huns in the Argonne is defined as follows : "The color 'red' of the background denotes the 'fiery' spirit of this Brigade due to the notoriety and publicity this Lost Brigade has received for its brilliant work done in the Meuse-Argonne of- fensive. The color 'black' of the balance of the in- signia denotes that as far as G. H. Q. is concerned this Lost Brigade is ' dead. ' The meaning of the large 'L' stands for 'Lost' and the large ' B ' for ' Brigade. ' The significance of the number ' 13 ' is such that it requires hardly any com- ment other than that this lost Brigade has been for- tunate in being in quiet (dead) areas; for instance, Vraincourt, Verrieres en Hesse, Hermont, Hill 290, where the Lost Brigade lost the Lost Battalion, Verdun, Vacherauville, Charny, Brabant, Samogneux, Bois de la Grande Montague, Montfaucon, Nantillois, Farm de Magdeleine, Bois de Cunel, Dun-sur-Meuse, and finally arriving at Ecurey where we received our final issue of gasses, Boche 77 's, M. G. missiles and packages from the efficient air delivery service of the Hun. Shortly after the Armistice was signed The Lost Brigade proceeded on its famous March to the Rhine via ' Etat-de-la-Hobnail Express,' reaching its destination on December 14, 1918. The number '23' signifies the date of the Lost Brigade's departure from Souilly and midnight march to the front Our Bakbacks when We Beturned from France — Vacated HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 155 (a night never to be forgotten by the 'live' members who participated) ; and from that time on most of the travel orders of the Lost Brigade bore this same number, even to this day. The uneven edge around the insignia denotes the course of travel of the Lost Brigade and the enlisted personnel during the war and up to the present date ; in ' broken French ' these uneven lines denote the 'wicked curves.' In addition to the distinguishing marks of this insignia there was also to be included the image of a goat but someone has made off with it so it has been decided to eliminate it temporarily. The Lost Brigade fought and ate with the following Divisions : 91st, 18th French Colonials, 79th, 32d, 29th and at the present time is temporarily attached to the 32d Division for rations and mail until they embark for the States." 3. It might be well for the enlisted personnel of this Brigade to famil- iarize themselves with the foregoing so that if perchance one should be asked by tourists to describe this insignia it can be done Avithout any hesitation. By Command of Major General Passem : L. Ostabuck, Gr-1, Passer. SKETCH OP INSIGNIA Background "Fire Bed" Balance "Mourning Black" Foreign Newspapers please copy. E.J. D. I. H. N. K. H. S. C. L. M. W. S. B. Headquarters Detachment "Lost Brigade." 156 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY But when there is so much smoke there is sure to be a fire some- where ; and the darkest hours come just before dawn. Unexpectedly, which is a rule in the Army, an order came sending the 158th Brigade back with the 32d Division after all. The Division was practically ready to start, so that it necessitated the most concentrated and imme- diate efforts to prepare the Regiment for its departure. But no troops could have failed in such a task, and long before the appointed day, all the fire-control equipment, guns, ammunition, vehicles, har- ness, horses, surplus clothing, and all other odds and ends which had been accumulated during the long stay in Germany were packed and turned in. 158th F. a. brigade A. E. P. General Order ] 17th April, 1919. No. 20. I. The following letter of the Division Commander is, by his express desire, published to the Regimental Commanders and to the Regiments of the Brigade : Headquarters Thirty-second Drvisioisr American Expeditionary Forces. Rengsdorf, Germany, 17th April, 1919. Brig. Gen. Adrian S. Fleming, Commanding, 158th Field Artillery Brigade, American Expeditionary Forces. My dear Gen. Fleming : Before the 158th F. A. Brigade starts on its way home I desire to express to you and to the Brigade in what high estimation I hold the services which the Brigade has rendered while in France and in Germany. The Brigade came under my command as a part of the 32d Division when I took over the com- mand of that division for the march to the Rhine. 22D F. A. Stables as They Appeared upon Returning ^n this long and arduous AFTER THE WAR march, so trying on men HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 157 and animals, the artillery always showed up to advantage. Its good discipline and high spirit carried it successfully through all the obstacles and diiSculties to be overcome. Since we have been in the Coblenz Bridgehead I have always felt that I could rely upon the artillery to meet any new development which might arise. Their situation has not always been easy, in that they have been transferred from Division to Division during the active operations and so have had to get established in each new organization ; but I can testify that with the 32d Division their capabilities have been recognized and relied upon. The regiments of the Brigade, the 322d Field Artillery, the 323d Field Artillery and the 324th Field Artillery have the right to take back with them to the United States the consciousness of work well done. I would ask you to convey to the regimental commanders and to the regi- ments of the Brigade my congratulations on their fine accomplishments. Sincerely yours, (Signed) Wm. Lassiter, Major General, U. S. Army, Commanding 32d Division. II. This letter is a tribute to the loyalty, devotion to duty, and patriotism of every officer and enlisted man who contributed to the results which earned it. Previously, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Brigade supported, in battle, the 91st, 18th (French), 29th and 32d Divisions; and with all of these Divisions this work of all of its units Avas of the same standard as that to which the Division Commander bears testimony. ' ' The right to take back with them to the United States the consciousness of work well done" is an achievement of the highest order and an honor second to none. They have earned this right and are entitled to the pride and distinction of its possession. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. Official : A. L. Richmond, Major, F. A., Acting Adjutant. Before our departure Col. Hollyday was reassigned, and our old friend, Lieut. Col. Hopkins, came to take us home. Everyone was glad to have him with us again. On April 22 the Eegiment entrained for Brest at Niederbieber, just outside of Neuwded, after being brought down to the entraining point in trucks. The journey con- sumed more than three days and three nights, meals being served en route from a kitchen car in the center of each train. The route lay first down the valley of the Moselle, through Trier, crossed the battle front at Pont-a-Mousson, the right hinge of the St. Mihiel attack, and then swinging far south of Paris, through Bourges, Tours, and old friend Eennes, on out to Brest. 158 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY The stay in Camp Pontanezen was much longer than we had anticipated, and although the frightful days of its mud were a thing of the past, there was entirely too much delousing, and too many fatigiie details involving all-night shifts to suit a hunch whose thoughts were far ahead of the Army Transport Service. It was here, however, that we received our first and only hand-out of Croix de Guerre from a French Greneral; the entire Brigade being assem- bled in Brest to witness the decoration of thirty-four of its members, thirteen being members of the ' ' 322d. It was not until Wednesday, May 7, that we were placed on board the S. S. Plattshurg, an old American liner, and started on a voyage that brought much in the way of rough weather, and yet a good deal in the way of enjoy- ment also. The whole Regiment (with the exception of fifteen Second Lieutenants, who volun- teered to sleep on the floor or anywhere if they could come, but in vain) was on board, as well as a large number of casuals and convalescents. It took an end- less time to serve so many at mealtime and conditions were quite congested, until the second or third day out Father Neptune furnished a counter attraction which made many lose all interest in eating, which improved matters con- siderably for those who still stood in mess line. The latter part of the voyage was made under exceptionally pleasant conditions, and all on deck enjoyed the frequent concerts by our own band and the ship's. These culminated, the last day out of NcAv York, in a joint concert by the two bands, Avhich marked the last time the 322d F. A. band played, as their instruments were turned in at Camp Merritt, and the musicians scattered to all parts of the country. This concert, arranged by L. P. McCall, bandmaster, U. S. A., and G. M. Wagstaff, bandmaster, U. S. N., Avas declared a great success by all who heard it. On the morning of May 16, the Plattshiirg docked at Hoboken, and Battery D Stable whex We Returned FROM France HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 159 by noon the Regiment Avas in Camp Merritt, New Jersey. Here the process of delousing and reissue of uniforms, wliich we tliougiit had ended in Brest, was renewed with fresh energy. This time the men all had the pleasure, of receiving cotton uniforms to go home in, which necessitated much scurrying to local tailors for alterations. Here, also, as described in the following order, the Regiment ceased to exist as a unit, and was broken up into detachments for the various demobilization camps throughout the country. Headquarters 158th F. A. Brigade. Camp Merritt, N. J. May 14, 1919. General Order No. 23 1. The policy of the War Department for demobilizing troops returning to the United States from the A. E. F. results in the beginning of the dis- integration of commands upon their arrival at the port of debarkation. Even now the 158th Field Artillery Brigade, as such, has virtually ceased to exist. The personnel of the vari- ous units is being segre- gated into groups which will be sent to various points for muster out of the service. Neither the Brigade nor any of its units will ever again be assembled as an organiza- tion. 2. It is with profound regret that the Brigade Commander realizes that this magnificent Brigade must cease to exist. The record of its units, the 322d Field Artillery, the 323d Field Artillery, the 324th Field Artillery, the 308th Trench Mortar Bat- tery, and the 308th Ammunition Train, is without blemish during their service in France. Their promise during the period of training was more than ful- filled during the battles of the entire Meuse-Argonne Offensive. After the Armistice the standard attained in marching to the Rhine, during the inten- sive training as a part of the Army of Occupation in the Coblenz Bridgehead, and during all the preparations attendant upon their return to the United States was second to none. This record of achievement and the traditions Former Home of the 322d F. A. After the War They Assumed a Different Look 160 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY acquired thereby are imperishable, and will constantly be the source of pride and inspiration to every member of the Brigade. 3. The Brigade Commander desires that this order be promulgated throughout the Brigade. He also desires to express to every officer and en- listed man of the Brigade his appreciation of the loyalty and faithful devotion to duty of the members of the Brigade. He hopes that they will carry with them into civilian life, and wherever their future may lead them, the pride of accomplishment which is theirs, by virtue of achievement. By Command of Brig. Gen. Fleming. Official : A. L. Richmond, Major Field Artillery. Adjutant. On Wednesday, May 21, the Camp Sherman Detachment, com- prising all the original men of the Eegiment, left Camp Merritt, and followed the route througli Philadelphia, Maryland and West Vir- ginia, which many had taken a year previously in the opposite direc- tion. Tlie enthusiasm showed by the people along the way had not diminished in the least all that time and they gave ns as enthusiastic a greeting as if we had been the first troops to return from overseas EvEX THE ' Y ' Was Deserted when We Returned • , ■, p , •, -i TO Camp Sherman instead of (so it seemed to ns) nearly the last. If in their hearts they thought, "What, some more of those fellows !" they never showed such a feeling to ns. We felt that America was still proud of us and glad to see us. Friday morning found the bulk of the cars already standing in Camp Sherman. The others arrived within a few hours. A popular vote had killed the plan of a parade in Columbus, so nothing remained but to get discharged. It was a blow to find that we were not going to our own Section Q, but indeed everything about the camp was so different that we should probably not have recognized it if Ave had. Without delay the process of going through the demobilizing machine began. There was a great deal to be done, including the return to ! /^ i% ft J ; J»^1f^Bft%*di — _ „ii.-. HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 161 woolen clothing laid aside but a few days before at Gamp Merritt — an episode wMcli filled ns Avitb amazement at the wonderful efficiency of the army, accustomed as we were to its achievements — and a great many men waiting for discharge; but nevertheless, progress was made, and by Tuesday, May 27, those men who did not have on "Civics" were at least sporting another little chevron on their arm, and the soldiering days were already becoming a memory as the homefolks Avelcomed us and the plans and hopes of the new future began to engage our attention. Let us hope that we may never again be called on to leave our homes and fight in defense of the right, but if the time should ever come, none of us could ask more than to serve again in an organiza- tion with the same spirit of fellowship, and the same determination to have an efficiency second to none, which the Three Hundred and Twenty-second Field Artillery was always justly proud of possessing. CONFIDENTIAL & SECRET For distribution by aeroplane HiNDQUAETEES, Ist Army, Aef. Second Section, General Stuff. Bull No. 50. SUMMARY OF UNINTELLIGENCE November 10, 1918 Part I I. Genekal Depeessions of THE Day The enemy reacted violently all over the sector. Strong attacks west of the Meuse were thrown back easily by us. Small local attacks by our troops succeeded in driving the enemy from his positions. During the afternoon, violent counter attacks appear to have caused us to readjust our lines slightly to a depth of ten kilometers. The day was quiet. Otherwise, there was nothing to report. The enemy appears to place his main reliance on machine guns, infantry, artillery and aeroplanes to resist our attack. This is taken as an indication of something very significant, namely, the tremen- dous shortage among the enemy of "all other branches. Otherwise there is nothing to report. Two men were seen entering a ravine near (Chrilely ?). This confirms prisoner's statements of a general withdrawal to the Frideg- Stellung. On the right, the enemy are extremely nervous. They showed their nervousness by raiding our trenches and throwing hand gre- nades at us. II. Enemy Front Line The enemy line follows ours in a general way, except in one or two places where it runs south of it. East of the Meuse, it runs in an easterly direction to the left (inclusive). W. of the Meuse, it runs in the opposite direction (exclusive). Thence it runs in a N. E. direction (inclusive) turning due N. for 200 M. Thence due S. for 200 M. From here on, there is no change. This has not been confirmed. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 163 III. Enemy Disoedee of Battle (a) Mentifications 12tli Meulskinners — A prisoner of the 12tli Meulskinners recently captured confirms the belief that this is not the 12th Meulskinners at all but the 115th Schutzenfests. Order of battle confirmed. 11th Jaeger WuUens — A prisoner from this division captured between 3 hrs. last Wednesday, states that this regiment was recently disbanded and transformed into the 10th Flanelrapper Battalion. Order of battle confirmed. 3.33 KUKs— The 3.33 KUKs have been replaced by the 17th ICAKs. Order of battle confirmed. 449th Gesundheits — The 944th Butterbrots have been identified as the 449th Gesundheits. They recently came from the Uskub front. Order of battle confirmed. (b) Presumed Enemy Order of Battle The efforts of the enemy to fill the gaps in his line appear to have resulted in a confused order of battle. There are divisions on the right and left. Apparently some are in the rear. Others are on the roads between these points. Several prisoners recently captured state that they have no idea what the enemy order of battle is. This shows the extreme confusion in the enemy ranks. (c) Comment on Enemy Units 42d Landwhere Balloon Kumpanie — A prisoner from the Kvmi- panie states that when our attack started they were 40 kilometers to the north. When the news of the attack reached them, however, they came down immediately. Prisoners report that the 402d Landsakes Division now opposite our front is composed entirely of one-legged men impressed into the service from the great SauerKraut Factories at Essen. This and other documentary evidence indicates the terrible internal disorders in Germany. (d) Enemy Intentions That there is great indecision on the part of the German General Staff as to the point to which the line 'W'ill be withdrawn is indicated by the statement of a prisoner of the 77th Krapshooter Battalion. When questioned on this point he replied significantly "I don't know. ' ' It is generally supposed that the enemy will fall back first into the Katzund jammer Stellung (From a captured map dated April, 164 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 1913). From here he may fall back into the Meuse. There is every indication that a stand will be taken at La Trine. IV. Enemy Infantky Activity The enemy infantry were extremely active during the day, jtimp- ing up and doAvn and climbing trees. A number of nests have been observed in the Bois de Bandylegs. Perhaps it is safe to venture the assumption that these were made by machine guns. A counter attack during the morning succeeded in establishing a deep pocket in our lines in the region of the Hullabelloo Bois "Woods. Later in the day our troops turned this pocket inside out. V. Enemy Artillery Activity The artillery now opposite our front readily lends itself into two main groupings : (1) The East Meuse Grrouping; (2) The West Meuse Grouping. It is very significant that since the beginning of the attack all batteries reported in action have been in one of these two groups. A careful study of the terrain shows the river Meuse separating the country on the right of it from the country on the left of it. The country varies from hilly to fiat with woods and open spaces. Eoads run between the towns. All conditions make the country ideal for the artillery which we are safe in presuming to assume is there. During the day (and night) the firing all appeared to come from a northerly direction. The preponderance of fire was from 77s, 105s and 150s. Gas, H. E. and shrapnel were chiefly used. A battery at J 0000 was reported by a prisoner. This was con- firmed by photographs which show nothing at this point. Mangey-Anne was shelled with duds during the afternoon. Bat- tery J. 7.11 was immediately counter-butted. This was apparently effective for toward morning the shelling stopped. Our artillery successfully counter-buttered 17 batteries (enemy) during the day (and night). Two batteries were reported in action; J. 0. 789 and J 098.7. Upon reference to the Plain Director one of these appears to be in the middle of the Meuse Eiver. Our only explanation of this is that the enemy must be using torpedo boats. VI. Enemy Movements Visibility : Poor and intermittent during the night. Eailways : No unusual activity observed. Most of the railroads seemed to remain in the same place during the day. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 165 Roads : An old man in a wheel chair going from Bar-devant-Meuse to Bar-derriere-Meuse tends to confirm the belief that the enemy is retreating. At 12.64, 600 men were seen going from Vandyanne to Andyvanne. It is thought that this move was made by the enemy with a view to increasing the circulation of his troops. During the day an old man was seen sitting outside a house in Vingt-et-Un. No other unusual activity was observed round the town. At 15.82, 12 wagons, believed to be a battery, were seen on the Ancy-Buzancy Road going in both directions. Two men were seen to come down the Harricourt-Barricourt Road and enter a small wooden hut at 322 X 11.4.5. This is thought to indicate a relief. VII. Enemy Works Fox-holes and occasional rat-holes have been observed in front of the Bois de Bois Woods. A captured Grerman map has been found showing a new Stellung. This Stellung is indicated by a line scratched across it in pencil. This is undoubtedly the point on which the enemy will fall back Thursday. The map fails to show the Stellung east of the river. We have drawn in the missing portion on the attached map. A study of recent photographs confirms the presence of the Meuse river as shown in the Plain Directors, A STUDY OF THE MEUSE Photographs show that the Meuse River runs in a northerly direc- tion to Stenay. From here it turns in a westerly direction. This tends to confirm the Plain Director. There are no unusual bridges between the towns and many of these have been destroyed. No photo- graphs north of this point are available, but there is every reason to suppose that the river does not end here. (Be sure and get to-morrow's study; "Wild Towns along the Meuse.") VIII. Enemy Aerial Activity The enemy was very active during the period, particularly on the right and left and in the center. Most of the enemy planes crashed. Otherwise there was nothing to report. Enemy balloons were observed north of Verdun, west of Souilly, and east of Bar-le-Duc. 166 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY IX. Miscellaneous Extract from a captured German document: "I received your letter and was glad to hear that you are sending down on extra pair of knitted socks. Since I put on the last pair you sent me, six months ago, I have never been without them. ' ' (Signed) Wilhelm. This is undoubtedly a message in code from the Kaiser and is thought to contain the order to fall back on the Kurzundlang- Stellung, thus confirming our previous assumption. Order of battle confirmed. X. Activity of Otjk Own Teoops Our troops spent the day tightening their lines and improving their positions which were very awkward. XI. OuB Aeeial Activity The dampness made the day impossible for flying. In spite of this, our planes were up in great numbers destroying numerous enemy planes, and taking dozens of photographs in spite of the dense fog which rendered visibility impossible. Our scout patrol of three planes met 20 Fokkers. The Fokkers immediately burst into flames and crashed. The ceiling was so low that at times our planes were forced to run along the ground. In spite of this, we penetrated deeply into the enemy's territory bringing back invaluable information as to the location of towns, rivers and roads behind his lines. Lieut. Cholmondelay Brown destroyed three enemy balloons in their beds by descending upon them so suddenly that they became tangled in the bedclothes and were unable to escape. Lieut. Dunwiddy brought down a balloon at dawn. Owing to the darkness, Lieut. Dunwiddy brought down one of our own balloons. Luckily it was an old one. The observer jumped but was not seen to land. Confirmation is requested. XII. Oedek of Battle Confikmed Note: Be sure to get our next number: "The War Number." Sbw. HISTORY OF BATTERY A Througlioiit its vicissitudes, from the time of its formation up to and through the memorable trip cuhninating in a realistic "Ameri- can Wacht am Rhine," Battery A has successfully and uniformly maintained its initial proclivities of primacy. By this time, especially the original members of this organization have a wealth of reminiscence behind them, back to their first glimpse and first impressions of those interminable vistas of identical wooden structures vanishing in a distant and monotonous perspective. That was Camp Sherman, and in one of these wooden buildings, in Sec- tion Q, the Battery Avas organized, as far as the main part of its enlisted per- sonnel was concerned, on September 19, 1917. That building was to house us for many months to come, and from under its roof we were to step forth at a future time, to do our hitch over in war-stricken France. How crude and unmilitary was that beginning, and how quickly thing's de- veloped into form. We can still recall when our later efficient though ever crude Cpl. Musgrave, upon being asked from what locality he had been drafted, innocently, but with gusto, informed the Captain, "Billtown, by God" ; several times the question was reiterated, eliciting the same reply, till Musgrave, in utter disgiist of the Captain's geographical ignorance, shouted out, " Williamstown, we call it Billtown for short. ' ' At that time, though, little did Ave understand or realize the grave task which confronted us. Little by little the rudiments of military life dawned upon us. Slowly but surely Ave became impressed with / ;- 'V^- Executive Officer, Battery A, Lieut. Lane 168 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the true nature of what it all meant. So much so, in fact, that in sev- eral weeks we had all learned to kick about the chow. The first example of what was to be expected in the future was demonstrated when we were apprized of the fact that a competitive drill would send the best-appearing and best-drilled platoon back to Dayton to show the folks at home what two-months-old soldiers could do. Battery A decided to cop that honor, and cop that honor she did ; so handily, in fact, that the judges were unanimous in their minute selection. As before stated, this was just the beginning of the long trail of our future victories and aggressiveness. We organized a football team and had very little trouble in defeating the other teams of the Regiment. Right here we wish to state, that for everything the Bat- tery has gained, for every victory on the gridiron or diamond, for every honor on the drill ground and later on the battlefield, we have our efficient and ever willing officers to thank. For it was they who taught us all we know about military bearing, courtesies and duties. Capt. Marting to us always seemed to have two ambitions in life: first, to be the best soldier in the army ; second, to lead the best organization in the army. How well he succeeded in both, every man in our outfit will attest. As days were whirling by at Sherman, and each day brought with it a further enlightenment as to what our duties really were, so started the real organization of Battery A. Non-coms were ap- pointed, and of these men who were then appointed Corporals the following have graduated to commissions : Thomas Brubaker, George A. Shell, Joe G. Turpin, Robert R. Lighthiser and Robert S. White, not to say anything of our congenial and ever willing Regimental Sergeant Major, Harry J. Nichols. Corporals soon became Sergeants, and then the real work began. After playing for many weeks with toy wooden cannons, somehow or other the Regiment acquired four three-inch guns, and along with Maj. Gen. Glenn Addressing Soldiees on Mothers' Day HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 169 tliem came plenty of horses, and we believe it was just about that time Avhen we first heard that melodious command, "Stand to heel," an order that has caused many a weary driver since then to express Ms opinion of how he would run an army. Coincident with the above-mentioned fact, if memory serves us right, we started to sing before mealtimes and if the singing was not to the liking of the Mess Sergeant, someone was going to eat rice and prunes for breakfast. Time passed fast, and Battery A with the passing time was slowly but surely being recognized, not only as the best Battery in the Regi- ment, but also as the best-drilled organization, which was proven at the divisional review held about that time when we copped first place for having the best alignment when passing the reviewing stand. We will never forget our first Halloween as soldiers, when, in our lower squad room, we first learned the true meaning of "Buddie," a word that meant much to each and every mem- ber of the A. E. F. Yes, we played "Where are ye, Moriarty ? ' ' and drank beaucoup cider. Later came Thanksgiving and with it a wonderful dinner, never to be forgotten and muchly appreciated. And Thanksgiving was followed by Yuletide, and from the size and number of Christmas packages, the innocent bystander would have imagined that we were blessed sons of the idle rich. Changes were being made in the personnel of the Battery. Through transfer we lost some of our most esteemed men from time to time, among these being Corporal Cohagen, Lester Sawyer, Fred Clear, "Tack" Lownsberry, Edward Megahy, "Fat" Vandevender, Howard Brookey and a great many more. In reviewing our experiences at this time, we cannot conscien- tiously omit the thrilling and freezing days at Stony Creek. How well can we recall the first thrill, the first experience, the initial sensation of firing our first shots, even if they were at imaginary targets. 170 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY The five days of our stay at the range were filled with novel and interesting experiences, for there it was that we were first organized as an artillery unit. The severe weather, if twelve degrees below zero can be termed such, was no hindrance again to the ever present spirit of our men, for their work, both with the gmis and horses, was commented on by the Regimental Commander. In speaking of some of the pleasant recollections at this time, we must recall Pride, Ohio 's never-to-be-forgotten pies, specialized by its first citizen and mer- chant, Morgan Wood, nor can we forget when our housewife, the congenial Supply Sergeant, went out in the bitter cold to gather up coal along the track only to return empty handed, Lester Sawyer hav- ing raked the entire vicinity before him. Nor can we refrain from snickering when we think back to the time when this same young man upon being questioned upon how many candles were burning in each tent daily, spoke up by saying "two," while the order to blow out the additional six in his own tent was at once enforced. We returned to Sherman, then, to take up the tactical pai't of the artillery school. Firing the piece and grooming horses were no longer thrilling episodes, so firing- data became the topic at non-com schools and among cannoneers. Our erstwhile Sgt. Dadisman used to expi'ess so clearly his views upon the breech-block. Transfers played havoc -with our roster and for a time there were hardly enough men to take care of the horses. And along with the transfers came also a change among the special duty sergeants. R. S. Fisher became First Sergeant and Thurman L. Matthews, Stable Sergeant. Days were flitting by with nothing out of the ordinary happening, unless occasionally we would have Stanley or Grimes sitting up guarding a corpse on their bimks for most of the night. Inspections were held more frequently than comfort would permit, and then, night hikes were added to the weekly drill schedule, and if there ever was a hazy blue streak of misusing the English language, we could always be certain it was time for another night hike. Don 't Wake Us in the Morning HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 171 Right here, we should stray away just slightly to recall some of A Battery's better known, namely: 1st Sgt. R. S. Fisher, who by this time had learned to blow that whistle, which at a later date was to play such a big part in running the war. Our Sgt. Trautman, we believe, ran out of shoes at Sherman and hasn't caught up with us yet ; but boys, there always have been plenty of sox, so why grumble. Then Sgt. Matthews, ever willing "Matty," passing on down the line with the command, "Refill feed bags here." Our Sgt. Hirsch, who, unfortunately for all, as well as for himself, served our prunes and rice, could best be remembered to us, not as much for what he gave us to eat, as for the fact that he took it upon himself to report the band present at reveille on several occasions with the result that the liand actually had to stand the formation after that. Sgt. Henry Nor wick, smooth, clever, Bohemian Henry, with a line of talk that would fathom any Hun into total sub- mission, a n d enabled our Henry, while at Sherman, to send Ms blue denims back to the stockroom, even as he accepted them, totally un soiled and un- touched. Nor can we forget our friend from Teimessee, Sgt. Patten, who, besides eating, did his share of telling 'em how. When Pvt. Sillin M^asn't cutting hair one day, they made him a Corporal, so he shot craps, etc. — Eh, Kelly? Can we ever recall the Bingville Bugle and not remember a true example of its leading character come to life in Cpl. Pierson"? Besides getting more furloughs than the rest of the Battery combined, our Elvin did quite a little eating and inquir- ing. Cpls. Ehrhart and Barney, affectionately dubbed the ' ' Siamese Twins," are still bunking together with the score two to one in favor of Barney getting into the mess line, pay and candy formation first. Cpl. Armentrout, once a prominent candidate for 0. T. C, finally decided to soldier in the orderly room next to Harry J. Nichols, and right here, let us eulogize our mail clerk for the pep, minuteness and speed in getting our missives to us. All hail Joe Devanney — built for comfort, not speed. Battery A — 1917 172 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Another never-to-be-forgotten incident, marked down in A Bat- tery records, Pvts. Bowling and Creed, discussing witli "Snail" Oswald and "Fat" Vandevender, who the ugliest man in the Bat- tery was, and when the vote was finally taken, it was a tie between Cpl. Wilkin and Henry Grimes, whereupon Henry said he would forego the honor and passed it on to the ever-ready-to-accept-any- thing-for Jim. It was hard to remember Sgt. "Jack" Idlet walking post No. 2 on exterior guard with zero weather, but we do ; and then our own "Guinea" Geis, the boy with the violin voice and the funny little giggle; Sam Wertz, whose only worry in life is "Serg., what are we going to have for dinner?" Neither must we omit to mention the boy with the constant smile, none other than "Smally." No one enjoys military life any bet- ter than Dave Bolen and in case there could be his rival for pep, the name or person hasn't been brought to our notice. How well do we remember Cook MacCon- naughey in his inimitable way, "Well, what's the matter with you, young man?" And so on through the entire Battery we have our little fun, without which life indeed would be a dreary affair. The more finished our training became, the more we were taught, the closer it came home to us that soon we Avere leaving Sherman for actual battle. Spring approached, and with it the first intimation of just when we were leaving Q 31, Camp Sherman. We organized a baseball team, and, as our football record, we kept our diamond record free from defeat. On this team were such men as Sgts. Fisher, Dadisman, Rosenkranz and Sever, as well as Nichol, Quinlin, Davis, Stewart and Smith, men who played base- ball even as they soldiered, the keynote, as it ever is in good old Battery A, being system. As spring faded away, and summer came to us, we were standing at attention awaiting our call to go further on. Our Division Commander had returned from Europe and had given us the assurance that soon we were to join and be part of the A. E. F. The boys seemed restless, their sole ambition being to get into the world conflict. Our tailor, Pvt. Tom Ruffa, wanted to return to ' Corona ' HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 173 Italy, Sgt. Eyler to Frankfort, Ohio, and Bugler Quinlan to Fort Laramie. So they figured as well as the rest of the bunch, that the sooner we came over here and finished it up, the sooner we could return again to our respective homes. Besides quartets, crap games and guard duty, Ave were kept busy, then, for a few weeks in moving out of our barracks into the different homes of the other organizations of our Regiment, which was rather a hardship on every one in Battery A with the exception of the cooks. Much of interest did not materialize around this time with the pos- sible esception of the continued rumor that we were to leave shortly to go to some place, in fact, anywhere from Camp Taylor to Camp Merritt. The only thing regarding our departure that was- n't qiiite clear to any of the boys, was how each one of us was going to carry a bar- racks bag, haversack or saddlebag, blanket roll, canteen, some trunks and the nu- merous other things that went to make up our full equipment at Camp Sherman. Finally, on Sun- day, May 4, we were to take part in the last review held by the 83d Division, before its departure from camp, this parade also being held in honor of Governor Cox. An immense crowd was at Sheri''^an that day, and for a few days previous we had much drills and ck"e order formations. This, then, was more than a review, it was a farewell to our governor and to thousands of our friends and fellow citizens. That is why, on that bright spring afternoon, midst the glare of music and sunshine, each man marching with head erect and eyes straight to the front, realized the importance and felt the thrill of the occasion, for in a few short weeks, they Avere to take that journey for which they had trained so conscientiously and faithfully these many months. They were soon to do their duty on the firing line and make a name for Regiment and organization, which at a not distant Camouflage for Gun-Pits 174 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY date was to be the fireside story in many an American, and prin- cipally, Ohio home. But even with the review over, and rumors flying thick and fast, A Battery was still at its minimum strength in numbers. Drills had stiffened, discipline had been enacted more exacting, it is true, but we still lacked some fifty or sixty men to bring us up to our required strength. But that wasn't as grave a matter as it seemed. The Depot Brigade was drawn upon for unassigned rookies, and the Battery was immediately at war strength. About the middle of May, we learned rather authentically, that we could expect to be ready for departure at approximately the first of June. Though rumors were common dope these days, we felt that for some reason this time we'd go. So applications for extended passes began to present themselves in inter- [ views with the Battery Commander, and every- one prepared to take leave of his relatives and friends for a more or less extended stay abroad. All who could show a legitimate rea- son for a short leave received a liberal pass, as far as passes could be given. Finishing work in gun drill and equitation was rushed along, and extended lectures on packing and deportment during the trip, constiti ted the program for the next few days. About June 1, pack- ing harness and other equipment was rushed through, and pounding could be heard far into the night and even into the early morning hours. On the morning of June 2, there was a long train of cars on the siding at the east side of camp, and we realized that we must bid good-bye to our garrison life at Camp Sherman. For several days, friends had spent as much time as they could Avith the boys at camp, but now, their visits must end. At 1.00 p.m., we were marched up to the string of waiting cars. We were admonished, in assembly there, by the Battalion Commander, to make the trip a credit to the good name of the Regiment. A few last touches were given to the Stable Police HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 175 police work at the barracks, for we were to establish a record in that line, and we piled aboard the cars. At 3.00 p.m. adieus were waved to the friends who lined the platform, and we were on our way. It can candidly be said, that entering upon this, the second phase of our military career, was not as hard as breaking away from civil life to go to Camp Sherman. A train of day coaches was what we drew. We had rather ex- pected sleepers, since it was to be a trip of a couple of days, but eyen at that, we didn't know that we had really secured compara- tively good accommodations. Possibly, it might have taken many a fastidious boy's breath, if he could have visualized himself a few weeks later, knocking about Europe in a "side door puUman" and packed in tight. A lit- tle A Battery ingenuity converted a lot of the seats into bunks which we occupied later in the evening, as the train neared Cleveland, Ohio. Our route carried us by way of Cleveland and Syracuse, near to Albany, and was inter- rupted on the second af- tei'noon as we drew into ■HHBHUHiB^L ** Ravenna, New York, without orders. There we detrained, and under direction of the Bat- tery Commander, took the travel kinks out in calisthenics. Then Battery B challenged our prowess in a game of baseball, and re- gretted it — score was thirteen to nothing with Battery B on the little end. This was regrettable, for now we were doomed to suffer the fate of conquering heroes, and had to follow in triumphal procession behind banners and colors, and the band of the townspeople. We marched and sang, but soon groaned and grunted and ditched the outfit, leaving the band and procession to go on down the hill alone, while we continued toward our train, which we boarded. Some time in the night the train pulled out of Ravenna and, with- out further stop, bowled on down to New York, where we arrived in the morning, over on the Jersey side. The ferry conveyed the outfit do^vn the Hudson, around the south end of Manhattan and up the East River, circling around wonderful lower New York, a new and 176 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEET bewildering view to many, and greeted as an old friend to others, both views being equally impressive and pleasing. Passing under the wonderful suspension bridges, the ferry diagonaled across the river to its pier up at Queens, Brooklyn, where we debarked. The Long Island Eailroad whirled us up Long Island through beautiful Forest Hills, Garden City and a few of the other charming residence suburbs of New York City. A short distance from Camp Mills, near the Country Life station, we got off the train, and made it on foot, with all our personal equipment, to the camp. Mills was a squad tent camp, and we had to accustom ourselves to its outdoor conditions, the cold Long Island nights and the open-air showers of cold water. Adjoining it was Mineola Aviation Camp, and airplanes and all the possible feats they can be sub- jected to, soon became a common scene. A short distance away was located Hempstead, a beautiful old and historic village of the old Dutch Colo- nial days of our coun- try. There we could go at practically any time in the evenings without much restriction. Taps being blown at eleven, a fellow might even take a chance on making Jamaica, if he found Hempstead a little inadequate for his needs. Norwick and Ross tried it once and would have gotten by fine except for Norwick 's unaccountable attachment to a strange girl, who evi- dently had him spellbound as they stood there seeing busses and cars going back to Hempstead as though that meant nothing. The trips extended a little further, too, but by special pass. These were twenty- four-hour passes, and a good many initiated themselves into the mysteries of New York City. A little close-order drill and calisthenics were on the daily pro- gram, and were accepted as a matter of course, but we did get some- thing new in the way of fire-control instruments — one B. C. telescope, prismatic binocular, and one range finder, and the officers after having tried them out themselves, and boned up on the possibilities of their use, sprung them on the unsophisticated N. C. O.'s as a new and Battery A en Eoute to Artillery Eakge- February, 1918 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 177 higher phase of the artillerists' training. The prismatic binocular was some tool, and great for observing some aerial gymnastics which were pulled over Mineola. By means of the range tinder one could determine within a few thousand meters the distance to or from any distant object. Since this is written incognito, we don't hesitate to recall the almost daily inspections which were inflicted upon us at this camp ; it's really painful, but must be touched upon, but as lightly as possi- ble, in the interests of an accurate chronology. These inspections consisted in a complete display of everything in our possession, and the possibilities for camouflage were ren- dered almost nil by the fact that the tent had to be draped around the center pole, eliminating all friendly shadow. The folds of the canvas were called upon to hold any unlawful excess. Things in the way of clothing and other equipment were issued, which, if they didn't fit, at least provided a method of transporting this stuff to Europe. Early on the morning of June 12, we left Camp Mills, and if you'll look back a few paragraphs and reverse the order of the ride, it'll answer for our ride to the steamer. Instead of landing on the Jersey side of the Hudson, however, we steered towards a pier on the Manhattan side. Our ferry glided alongside and passed a lot of big transports, camouflaged by every conceivable flight of the fancy in the art of paint slinging. We studied these en passant, and having nothing else to do, conjectured as to which of these might become our ocean home. We disembarked from the ferry into one of the immense, typical piers of the New York water front, on each side of which lay one of the big transports. But we didn't have much occasion to go into any transports of joy when we beheld our White Star Canopic. The customary interim which usually prefaces such movements was taken up by a few more check roll calls, listening to a speech by somebody, 'Breaking the Ice' 178 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY perhaps an embarkation officer, whose duty it was to boost any organi- zation, and their home state, which happened to be embarking. We wrote to our homes some cards announcing the fact that we had arrived safely "over there," and partook of a beverage resembling coffee which was circulated by a few ladies of the Red Cross. Then we boarded the Canopic, receiving at its gang plank, for the mere announcement of our names, a card which decided for us our fate on board, decided between a stateroom or a steerage bunk in the hold. For strategic reasons, the exact hour of departure of the boat was to be kept secret. The men were to be off deck and lights doused. Under the conditions there was nothing much to do but to turn in to one 's assigned accom- modations, or anything better that was to be obtained, and the next morning found us at sea Avith still a distant glimpse of land visible. After the last lin- gering gaze at our na- tive land, the attention was arrested by the proximity of other troop transports. We were not aware of the number of transports that our convoy was to consist of until we were out on the high seas and they began to assemble, forming the complete fleet of thirteen under the protecting convoy of a IT. S. cruiser. Life on board could hardly be other than a repetition from day to day. Besides the immensity of the ocean, we had only our com- panion vessels to observe, but that alone was a spectacle which no pleasure tourist had ever witnessed or ever would. Thirteen huge liners with their unique camouflage, riding the waves in constant view of each other, and the vigilant cruiser, crossing and recrossing their path with a speed which enabled her to navigate circles about us. But caution and vigilance were observed throughout the fleet, constantly, many lookouts were on post, and at night all exterior lights were scrupulously avoided. The entire 322d Regiment was on board the Canopic, taxing its capacity to the limit, hence all available room was used. Down in the 'c^^-i^i^Y >'©-^ First Section, Battery A HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 179 hold, with the order for closed portholes prevailing at night, we enjoyed anything but a salubrious atmosphere. When rolling into the bunk at night, natural sleep was unneeessaiy, a comatose condi- tion shortly followed, like an anaesthetic, during which the little crawling biological specimens could operate without pain to the victim. Reveille was occasionally missed by inability to come to quickly enough. There being rather a few more men on board than the normal capacity of the liner called for, the eating proposition was divided into three sittings. Of course, it was possible, without making one- self conspicuous, to attend all three, but the desire was lacking, for two reasons : one, that the English menu didn't quite seem to conform to our American stand- ards, and secondly, the — — — -- - I apparent difficulty on I the part of many of the men to retain what they had eaten. Especially during the first few days of the trip, the Atlantic received its daily contributions, and many a time the end of a formation on deck was marked by a rush for the railing. Many a man missed a formation by being seasick, and absentees were excused or reprimanded in direct ratio with the physical condition of the B. C. ; even his husky physique suffered, but when he was feeling well, he couldn't see his way clear to condone sick leave. In order to try to preserve to a certain extent, our customary habits and prevent stagnation, calisthenics and games were had in the limited space on the decks. The balance of our time during the day, according to the orders, had to be spent in the open air on deck, in order to counteract as much as possible the atmosphere between decks. There was a canteen up on deck, which was patronized freely, and especially by those who couldn't get away with the issue diet. Inspections, of course, had to be, and here on board took the nature of daily, so-called, "medical inspections." Sometime during the night from June 21 to 22 our cruiser left us and the early morning, as the fog lifted, revealed some ten or Second Section, Battery A 180 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY twelve destroyers visible on tlie horizon at various points, and bear- ing towards us. Their number, by noon of that day, was augmented to about twenty of these fleet and elusive little vessels darting in and out among the troop ships. Our course by this time was pretty well to the north. The ships passed around the noi'thern part of Ireland and entered St. George 's Channel, and then into the Irish Sea. The first sight of land was a joy, and after eleven days of ocean travel the debarkation was anticipated with pleasure. Liverpool was our immediate destination, where Ave arrived on the night of June 23, lying in the harbor that night. On the moiming of the 24th we were tugged through Liverpool's complex system of docks to our pier of de- barkation. Carrying all of our effects, we started on foot through a section of Liver- pool, mostly uphill, and continued some eight miles through the outskirts of Liverpool to one of the so-called rest camps. Knotty Ash ^^^^^^ was the name of this beautiful suburb. We L§MrJ|^^^H|L| arrived there in the evening, absolutely tired ^~=!^^^^^^^^ fj.Qj]g^ ^]jg long hike. Camp Knotty Ash was a comfortable place, well situated and with beautiful nat- CoMMTOicATioN AT B. c. ^^^^^ . surroundiugs. The English tents were Station spacious double tents with wood floor. The camp itself was a pleasant one, and it was only through the conditions under which we occupied it that we still bear it a lingering grudge. Since we Avere restricted to the confines of the camp itself, our knowledge of the vicinity is based on that gained on a little exercise march the day after we arrived. Age, and con- stant uniformly directed development, had made this country in parts resemble a well-kept garden, with an equally Avell-kept adherence to musty traditions and customs. The following morning, on June 26, we were ready to leave again, on our way to France. We boarded the train just back of Knotty Ash, and by way of Nottingham, Birmingham, etc., we rode on to Southampton, our first experience in the European compartment railroad carriages. These trains were about like playthings com- pared to our life-size American rolling stock. At Southampton, the Battery arrived and unloaded in the wharf district at about 2.30 p.m. After a short hangover in one of the big freight sheds, Ave started on our way towards e\'ening along the piers and dry docks of South- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 181 ampton to the old side-wheel steamer that was to take us across the Channel to Le Havre. Besides the Regiment, there was on board this crowded old boat an interesting mixture of Australian, Canadian and English soldiers returning to the Front after leave or duty in England. This was really our first personal contact with such men, and especially the Colonials were interesting, as their views seemed to emphasize our half-formed im^Dressions of the English, as pre- viously gathered on board H. M. T. Canopic and the casual passing contact on English soil. From the boat before we started, could be seen a few minor and medium-size steamers in dry dock for repair, and a few other battered victims of the submarine which had been towed in half sub- merged. The boat, mar- | ket capacity 275, and i ■with nearly 2000 on j board, left its moorings at about 9.30 in the eve- ning. Sleep, if at all possible, could be in- "'''' ^^^^H^KH^BiP^^BiH^^'''^ dulged in only with diffi- culty. The decks were exposed to an exces- sively cold wind for that time of the year, and below in the hold, the men were lying about so close on the floors that it was impossible even to step between them. Soon after daybreak, the French side of the Channel became visi- ble and after a few hours we passed through the sea walls into the harbor of Le Havre. The Regiment debarked into one of the big piers and waited pending the official solution of problems incident to the next move. We Avalked about the pier, observed the shipping, some heavy guns in transport and a group of 75 's. These latter had evidently seen action and were battered up in almost every conceiv- able way by shell fire, and as they concerned us more or less directly, gave considerable food for thought. When we left the pier, we marched, headed by our band, through a section of the beautiful city of Le Havre, and passed out and beyond it to a British camp, there to await arrangements for our trip to the French village where our preliminary training was to take place. This camp was merely a place for temporarily quartering incoming troops aM^aiting their further disposition. We saw units come and 182 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY leave, and among those who were there when we came, and left for parts nnknown, was our own 83d Division Infantry. There is prac- tically nothing to be said in its interest except that it was situated at a considerable elevation and commanded a majestic view of a por- tion of the city of Le Havre, its harbor and the Channel beyond. We had our first sight of prisoners of war here, who were engaged in various kinds of work, mostly structural. By subsequent comparison, we could appreciate their superior physique and appearance to pris- oners taken later in the war when Germany's man power stood at lower ebb. Our organization appreciated the departure from this place and had its first introduc- tion to French methods of troop transportation on July 1. We marched on down through Le r— Havre in considerable military form, using the band at the head of the ^ i column to call the atten- tion of the populace to our existence. Arriving Winter at Camp Shekman at one of the big freight depots, we beheld our train lined up for us — a train of freight cars with a few passenger cars of first-class coaches for officers, who don't seem to take kindly to freight-car travel, but that may be due only to a lack of previous experience. During four years of war, it appears to have become almost a business with the French ; they speak and think in terms of war, and things are gauged by their capacity of usefulness to war. All the freight ears had been drafted into the service and a legend on the outside of each gave a clue to its capacity ; not in terms of cubic con- tents or weight, but thus, "40 hommes or 8 chevaux." Not to be outdone by these French, we showed them how to get forty-eight hommes into these cute little cars by employing the simple use of packing them in double strata. That may sound a little fishy when we add that hommes is the French Avorcl for men. A few cans of "cornwillie," "goldfish" and hardbread were thrown in for anyone who might, during the next day or so, feel gluttonous enough to want to eat. This completed the loading. Our baggage, which had come HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 183 over on the Canopic with us, had been sent by other means, and with a detail in charge of Lieut. Lane. Our first impressions, then, of the interior of France Avere ac- quired from this ride. We passed through Rouen, Evron, Alengon, Laval and Eennes, and on the evening of July 2 detrained at the village of Messac. Then through a readjustment of the regimental units, transferred on the morning of July 4 to Guipry, another charming old village not far away on the opposite bank of the Vilaine. The big national holiday passed without any particular events except quartering and orienting ourselves in our new surroundings. It's safe to say that almost all of us were pleased with Guipry or devel- oped a liking for it and its people in a very short time. One could not other than respond whole-heartedly to the simple graces and ge- nial good natui'e of these rural French. One quickly fell in with their ways and manners and even the difficulties en- countered by a differ- ence of language were much more easily bridged over than the average outsider would imagine; sophistry, always the basis. Of course, if it hadn't been so matter of fact and reasonable, it might have looked irresistibly ludicrous to observe how, for the sake of a simple want or requirement, all manner of gesticulation with the hands and feet had to be called into service, and that augmented by the few words in our mutual vocabulary. But it was interesting, otherwise it might have taxed the patience to the point where results wouldn't have been worth the effort. The village itself is small and of possibly four hundred population. The surrounding country is hilly, fairly well wooded, and with the farmland and meadows divided into smaller fields by picturesque hedges of bushes, smaller trees, and frequently the blackberry, always causing the impression, from a distance, as though all were heavily wooded. The little fields are well kept and variously planted and the poppies showed in vivid Mount their willingness and lack of 184 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY splashes of red as the breeze opened rifts in the fields of ripening grain. Besides using a nice little auditorium for quarters, in which was also the orderly room, the men were billeted about the town in a number of haylofts. As the weather was nearly perfect at this time, the living conditions may be said to have been pleasant, and with Sgt. Hirsch's well-ordered and well-regulated kitchen now running smoothly out beside the little auditorium building, there was little left to be desired to make life at Guipry worth while. He who required a little higher pitch of life might gesticulate himself into the graces of one or the other of the native girls, or he could frequent the little cafes, where ' the French vintages i r were still abundant. Every store, no matter what it specialized, had its stock of drinks and ^l»4^, - ^ -^^Kli^l^^Wflffi£ ^^^ table or two and ^W^ ""^H^^^^BlHrai chairs. But we will all remember ' ' le cidre ' ' which was the old standby. Our training re- sumed and continued along a more definite basis. Our officers had gotten a line now on the actual stuff which our presence in France made feasible. We worked daily along these definite lines and studied the methods in actual use at the Front insofar as was possible. Soon we received our 75 mm. French guns, which were the weapons we were to take with us to the Front. A young French Sergeant, who knew them like an old friend, came with them for instruction, and the guns became the daily centers of interest. Besides this, there were the daily classes for the non- coms under Capt. Marting, where the finer details were taken up. A Battery was also absolutely fortunate in having drawn the energetic Lieut. Sherwood as its reconnaissance officer. The Battery Commander's detail, that group of specialists who look after the more technical requirements of a battery's work, was under his guidance. At Guipry, these men pursued their specialties and ac- quired the systems in practice at the Front. Firing data and correc- tions and all the possibilities of fire under various conditions were calculated, road maps, traverses and panoramic sketches were pro- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 185 fusely executed and signaling in all its phases was studied. The physical part of drill was continued, such as a little close order, some calisthenics, and the pleasant, brief afternoon swims in the Vilaine. The real and final training of the American artillery units in France is carried on at camps like Camp Coetquidan where they go as brigades, and it wasn't long before the 158th Brigade came in order to go there. We had since changed our American garrison hats and leggings for those of the A. E. F., and were ready to take the next and last step of training. All the pleasant associations of a seven weeks' stay at Gruipry were severed on August 15. At the time we had but few horses, these were ridden, and the guns Avere trailed be- hind trucks which car- ried the heavier equip- ment. The men hiked it »h-;.%-., .^^ with their personal Kil^fe-.!!' packs the entire dis- tance of about twenty- eight kilometers on a hot day and a dusty fe road. The outfit was pretty well fatigued when we arrived at about 5.00 p.m. at Coetquidan, and quartered in a sector of the camp with the balance of the Regi- ment. We quartered in the newer part of Camp Coetquidan, where the barracks, though built of wood, resemble in size and in plan their old stone prototypes further on up the camp. The upper part of the camp was that portion of the old artillery school founded by Napoleon, that first of military men to recognize, develop and use to his maximum ability the full value of artillery as he then knew it and taught it. There is still the old stone building which was the head- quarters of this military genius, and farther on, are even the old stables. A group of big, barren cement straetures, formerly the Bcole d'Artiilerie, now do service as hospitals for the camp, which has been added to by wooden structures to the extent of accommodating about three brigades. We can all remember vividly that heterogeneous confusion of shops and wine rooms which had sprung up as they do when a boom hits a western mining camp, starting where the main artery of travel intersects with the front entrance of the camp and straggling with an 186 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY arrogant disdain of uniformity down the road towards Gner. With the true spirit of the American, we knew we were being rimmed and enjoyed it, for there could be found every means of separating the soldier from his francs. Schools were in session for the different specialties and each organization commander sent his quota of the men to be trained for that specialty. There was the telephone and radio school, orienta- tion school, machine-gim school, bakers' school, gas school, etc. The firing range was located out beyond the Camp of Coetquidan where a vast area of miles of territory had been turned over to the firing practice. Several old villages had been located on this tract, villages that had been condemned after the ravages of a disease had visited them, and subsequently used as targets for the guns, and were lying in ruins as the result. Firing the piece in all its phases and under all conditions was indulged in and when A Battery was through it finished with a record equal to that attained by any organization trained at the camp, and emphasized its high standing. Now we were to leave Coetquidan, a fully trained and perfected artillery organization, to do our little part on the Front. The Battery Avas put into march order the same as it would be on the field and pulled out of camp on the road to Guer to entrain there. Matei'iel and equipment were loaded, and the men themselves traveled in consid- erable luxury as there were only about fourteen men per car. We passed through Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Versailles, almost touch- ing Paris, then through Montereau, Troyes and Vitry. Vitry was the very first point where we noticed the effect of shell fire, it being on the farthest line of advance of the Germans. Also, the first scat- tered graves of the fallen we can remember in this locality. We were going direct to the Front in lieu of a replacement camp where we would have to await our turn in relieving some other warworn artillery unit. Two nights' and two days' travel in our (forty hommes or eight chevaux) box cars cari'ied us to Souilly, where we detrained in a driving rain and ankle-deep mud. Little difficulty was experienced in unloading the Battery, even though it was with the aid of only a few lanterns. Detrained, and in order, we marched a short distance into a wood where the nig'ht was spent and also the following day until dusk, at which time we were in order and ready to begin our march up to the active Front. Never will that first-night march be forgotten, for our Battery was only one of the many units of the army which congested the road ; HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY 187 mile after mile of doughboys, artillery, tanks, trucks, ammunition trains and supply trains, the traffic going both ways. Also, that night, we had our first sight of the newly wounded who were being taken back to the dressing stations or hospitals. Passing through ruined villages and a village in flames, en route, were details we soon grew accustomed to. All the previous night and day, we had heard the reports of the big guns at the Front, and to-night as we marched nearer and nearer, the sounds became more audible and the flashes could be seen in the darkness of the night. It was getting daylight when we dragged the carriages up a hill and into a woods, there to rest for the day and also to be the better hid from enemy obser- vation. As soon as night was with us again, we were on the road, only a few kilometers from where we were to go into posi- tion. At about ten o 'clock, the caissons were halted at an am- munition dump to pick up a load of shells, while the firing battery and the kitchen went on ahead to establish the echelon. We were soon to know how it feels to be under shell fire, for as we went up the hill and through the woods and down into the valley again, the continual burst of shrapnel overhead, and the ensuing rattle amongst the leaves and trees, told us only too plainly that at last we were up Front. Without a doubt many a pair of legs had a great desire to carry their owner at double time into one of the near-by dugouts, or to some other place equally safe from harm. It was not long before this new sensation wore off (mostly) for we were kept busy carrying ammunition all day. At nine o'clock on the night of September 25, we ran our guns out into an open field at the edge of a woods, in the vicinity of the AUieux Ferme in the Foret-de-Hesse, the fourth section going into position first, followed by the other sections in order. It was at this time Exterior Guard — Camp-Fire 188 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY that gas alarms were first used by us, and it might be added, that they were used freely, the Boche shelling the woods with arsenic gas. Nothing dangerous about it, but inconvenient as it caused us to stop work frequently in order to adjust gas masks. We were favored by having moonlight, which was well, for owing to exposure to enemy observations, particularly by plane, lights of any kind had to be dispensed with. Our orders were to be ready to open fire at 11.20. In the short period of two hours and twenty min- utes, the gun-pits had to be dug, platforms had to be placed and leveled, pit for trail had to be dug as well as cannoneers' safety trench. But by 11.15 the guns had been laid and all was in readiness with the cannoneers at their posts awaiting the command to fire. Sub- sequent orders delayed the execution of fire for some time. In the meantime, the section sergeants got busy with their sections to im- p rove the conditions affecting their gnin posi- tions. At one o'clock more ammunition came. Every man that could be spared from the gun crews was put to carry- ing ammunition and piling it in close to the guns. It was only by the close cooperation of all the men that so much work was done in so short a time. Soon, the cooks arrived with the mess, each man obtaining a canteen of coffee and a cupful of hot beans with bacon. At 5.20, orders were given to be in readiness to open fire at 5.30. All night long as we worked, we had listened to the rolling roar of artillery on our left flank, and when promptly at 5.30 our own and neighboring units opened their fire, it was as if all hell itself had broken loose. A rolling or creeping barrage was what we fired, timing accurately the steady increase in the i*anges and the rounds per minute. The barrage lasted till 10.45. During the barrage our infantry made its objective and we had hardly ceased firing when we could see Boche prisoners being marched to the rear. These were part of the reward for an undei'taking which was one of the decisive features of the world war. The Boche had been forced to retreat till they were out of range. We had, on that Wintertime, Camp Sherman HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 189 day, taken part in the largest concentration of artillery tire of the war, or of any time. The men lunched on a little corned beef and jam at noon — rations Avere scarce the first few days, because we had moved in such haste that supplies could not follow us. The afteTnoon was spent in the cleaning of person, horses and materiel — all standing in urgent need of the attention. September 27 was spent mostly in hauling ammunition to the g-un positions. It seemed as if the entire world's share of the mud was concentrated here, and it rained almost continually. The pup tents were mere mudholes, and during the haste of moving in, many rolls were misplaced or lost, consequently some men had no tents, blankets or other personal equipment. The following morning Ave moved out of the mudhole, up along the road nearly in front of our gun posi- tions. The neAv place Avas much better, and Avith the aid of fires, which were noAv permissible night or day, it wasn't long before we made ourseh^es more comfortable. On the evening of October 1 we Avere informed that we were to lose Capt. Marting. Maj. Brumage had been taken to the hospital, and our Captain was chosen to act in the vacancy thus created. All wondered as to Avho would take command of the Battery, but before Capt. Marting left he introduced, as our ncAv B. C, Capt. Mather. All remembered Capt. Mather of F Battery at Camp Sherman. He had since been Operations Officer on the Brigade Staff, was clever and well liked, and eA^eryone felt gratified. One of the first things that happened or took place under him was the signing of the September pay roll, Avhich took place on October 2. Next day an inspection of men and materiel Avas held, and orders were issued to be ready to move out at 5.30 p.m. It was raining Avhen we pulled stakes and got everything into march order, aAvaiting the signal to move. We Avaited, and finally came orders to make our- selves comfortable for the night. The guns Avere pulled into park again, horses unharnessed and picketed, and the men repitched their tents on the Avet groimd and a good many had rolled in, when again came the orders for march. Once more cA-erything Avas put in order and at 9.30 we actually moved out. Our road Avas through the Hesse Woods until about 2.30 a.m., AA^hen Ave got on a main road, passed through Blerieourt at about 6.00 a.m., and it AA'as nearly eleven AA^hen AA^e pulled into Camp G-allieni near Nixeville, Avhich Avas to be our rest camp for a fcAv days. Although appreciating a chance to rest, and finally getting the carriages parked and other things in order in this Avould-be rest camp, 190 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY the Eegiment, as a wliole, was not much hnpressed with this tempo- rary location, Camp Gallieni. On the fourth, orders came to the effect that the Regiment be i-eady to move at 5.00 p.m. That was carried out to the letter, but the command, "Forward," was not given at that hour. We waited — one hour, two, three — and by this time several fires were started and each drew its quota of shivering soldiers. At ten o'clock recall was blown and the orders to unhitch, unharness, were given. Again the pup tents were pitched, but quite a number did not go to that trouble and simply rolled up and went to it. The following day permission was given to allow one man per section to go to the . " ' j neighboring- villages to I buy what he could in the way of eats for his sec- tion. Some were for- tunate enough to secure some chocolate, but the majority had to content themselves with a mis- cellaneous variety such as sardines, cheese, canned cherries, etc. Rolling up Pup Tents During the middle of the afternoon we were ordered to be ready to move at 3.00 p.m. ; moved out at 4.30 and after striking the main road, moved on in good order. Bearing to the north, our attention was suddenly drawn to the vast number of searchlights beaming out from all sides, that were searching the skies for hostile planes. Immediately, as the hum of a motor is heard overhead, these vigilant electric guards are instantly made to project their penetrat- ing shafts of light restlessly about through the darkness, hundreds of feet above. After plodding along through the dark night for several hours, with our usual halts and the road congestions to contend with, we turned to our right on to what seemed a mere lane running parallel to an almndoned railroad bed. We knew this road to be within easy shelling range by virtue of having just witnessed a few close ones. The Battalion was halted after having proceeded about two kilometers off the main road. The carriages were then unlimbered, pulled off to the right of the road, and after unloading the ammunition, everything was camou- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 191 flaged. After quite a little confusion in passing and doing a left about, the limbers finally pulled off to the echelon, and the men mth their equipment went to a near-by wood for shelter from observation. Being a worn-out and tired bunch, they soon picked out little bushes and nestled under protecting boughs. The following morning the first section was informed that imme- diately after mess they were to report to their piece for laying. The piece was put into battery, laid and registered by firing three rounds. The camouflage having been put up as soon as possible, the gun-pit was put into good shape by the constant use of pick and shovel. Although putting in a hard day, it was really H^^^?^^»TpBB a pleasure to dig in the dajd;ime. The whole Battalion sought shel- ter in a little grove and relied on the nets over the guns to protect them from hostile eyes. After a day spent in concealment, the rest of the guns were ordered dug in that night, and being a rainy, disagree- able night, and no lights advisable, the task, to say the least, was no pleasant one. The ones not busy on the gain-pits, plying the pick and shovel, were doing yeoman's service carrying ammunition from the dump, which was about one kilometer from the gun position. It was on October 10 that the Battery pulled out of its position taken up during the Meuse action, and moved up to the positions to which it was assigned, about one kilometer from Brabant. We went into position in daylight and it has always been a bit of mystery as to why we were not observed by the Boche and were not the recipient of a barrage that would have caused us to move. 'Tis true, that we were almost continually under fire while in this position, but the Germans, not having our exact location, did us no harm. They knew that we were on the hilltoi) somewhere, for our shells were causing considerable destruction and annoyance to them. There was hardly a day of the nineteen that we were in this position that the Boche did not receive his daily rations from our 75 's. That does not signify that all our firing was done in daylight, for B. C. Detail, A Battery 192 HISTORY OF THE 322d ITELD ARTILLEEY many a night the eortimand, "Barrage," would send the men out of their improvised shelters, slipping and sliding through the mud and water, to their positions. It was at night also Avhen the Boche sent over the most of their G. I. cans and whizzbangs. Several pieces of the materiel bear witness to the fact that all of the flying, whining pieces of the Germans' high explosive shells could cause much de- struction if they succeeded in getting the correct range. When not firing the time was put in at strengthening and better- ing the gun positions, added to this, the fact that it rained almost incessantly at first and that the men had to sleep at the guns in all the mud and water and that as soon as darkness came, there was always much ammunition to be carried and that the amount of food delivered did not meet the demand, it is no wonder that the men looked forward to the time when it would be their turn to be relieved and to go back to the echelon for a "rest." Then they were all the more glad to get away from that echelon and back to the guns, not because there was more danger of being damaged by some Boche shell, but because of the never ending and incessant tooting of the one and only whistle. Later, instead of going to the echelon for their much-needed rest, some of the German dugouts were cleaned out, stoves found and set up and there the men found rest and also peace. In view of the fact that there was much rain, water was scarce ; that is, drinking water. For washing purposes the water that collected in the big shell holes would serve. There was always some hesitancy about using it, how- ever, as one could never be sure but what the dreaded mustard gas may still be lurking in it. In order to play safe, the men walked about a kilometer and carried the water from a big spring. Later, big auto tanks brought up water, and water carts generally came up with the kitchen. The kitchen, with very few exceptions, came up on the road in front of our position, and always before daylight in the morning. It was at this time, also, that Fritz took occasion to shell the road in the hopes of knocking off some of the many kitchens, ammunition trains, ambulances and doughboys, who utilized the hours of darkness to conceal their movements. No matter how fast the shells were dropping, or the shrapnel bursting overhead, the kitchen always came, and the men always were there to receive whatever there was to be had. It never was hard work to guess what we were to eat, for the variety was very much limited. Also, the kitchen left us a cold lunch to be eaten at noon and invariably consisted of bread or hard- bread, and some of that nutritious and appetizing canned salmon. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 193 better known as " goldfish, " or that other old favorite and much- sought-after "cornwillie." Again it might be some of that stuff that comes in cans under the appellation "roast beef" — they always fed that in place of using so many of the C. C. pills. Again after dark, the kitchen brought up a warm meal, or rather something warm to eat and drink. Usually Fritz sent over a few H. E. shells containing arsenic gas which was gently wafted to us on the evening breeze and helped considerably to add to our discomfort as well as make lis lose all appetite in case we might breathe in enough. This gas is not dan- gerous but very annoying, causing one's eyes to smart and water, and also making the stomach very sensitive, sometimes causing it to over- flow. The ration dumps along the roads lost quite a few cases of eats that could not be ac- countedfor,even: though there were guards in charge. Some of these cases found their way into our dugouts, and at such times as the men had their day off, they first of all gave them- selves a good cleaning up and then got themselves a feast, for with beaucoup cornwillie, cab- bage, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, milk, coffee, sugar and bread, that was no job at all. As the dugouts were dark, and the issue of candles was almost nothing, it was only natural that these same ration dumps lost considerable lights. A favorite way for these things to disappear from the dump would be for some of the party to engage the guard in conversation at one end of the pile, while the comrades made away with whatever was convenient at the other end, or frequently, some- one would be carrying a heavily loaded box of the size and variety used for rations, and when the dump was reached, set his box down for a rest, in some cases begging the guard for a loaf of bread, and when ready to leave take some box other than the one he had brought. Without a doubt there was more grub in those dugouts than in the kitchen. A better home was, of course, the next thing to be done when at leisure, and after that came extra sleep or a game of cards, and it Physical Exercise 194 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY was said that several of the boys when they left one certain dugout where cards were a favorite were talking to themselves. There came a day of ill luck which caused much anxiety. Our guns were banging away, trying to stop a counter attack of the Huns. Also the rumor got out that we were to go into another position and prepare to stay all winter. That sure took the heart out of the boys to think that they would be there for so long a time. The cause for the above-mentioned immediate anxiety was the burning of one of the camouflage nets. The smoke and blaze could easily have been seen and everyone thought that the Boche would locate our position and send over a barrage that would either annihilate us or run us out of our position. As the day grew late and night came, and still no effective fire from the Germans, the anxi- , ety began to wear off and everyone wondered at the miraculous es- cape from detection by the Germans. Orders were given out to prepare to leave at 5.00 o'clock on the evening of October 29; with everything in readiness to go at the appointed time, about four long, cold and anxious hours were put in at waiting for the limbers to come up. When they arrived, it did not take long to limber and get on the road. One accident marred the quick getaway. In turning into the main road, one of the fourgon wagons was upset. There was a lively twenty minutes put in at un- loading, righting the wagon, and then reloading. Marching all night and till noon the next day, we once more pulled into Camp Gallieni, for what we supposed would be a ten-day rest. The following day, October 31, we took the road for a march to a new position. March- ing nearly all night, then a few hours' rest till daylight and again taking the road for all day and part of a night, we reached a place near Madelaine Farm, a camp that had very recently been in German hands. Here midst the rain, mud and shell-ridden buildings, Ave tried to gain rest. When daylight came, we were able to see what kind of a place we were in, and sure it was one hell of a hole. We Physical Exercise HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 195 existed in this place for nearly a week before orders came for us to go forward in support of the infantry. At three o 'clock in the morning, Saturday, November 9, we awak- ened to the odious sound of the whistle echoing through the woods of that decrepit wreck of a German recuperation hospital near the Madelaine Farm. Soon after, we were in march order and left the foul stench of its mud behind us. We passed through Cunel and crossed the Meuse at Dun, and then southeast to Liny, where we arrived at about noon. We lunched there and unharnessed and stuck around for an undecided interval till we got orders to proceed at 3.00 'clock. McClellan, at least, thought we would have oodles of time and when told to get the stadia rod out of a certain fourgon wagon, he gazed long and blankly into its tightly packed interior. Still the stadia rod didn't come out, whereupon, "Mac" proceeded to unload the fourgon and having gotten about everything off with the excep- tion of perhaps the wheels, Sgt. Eyler says to him, "What are you looking for?" "The stadia rod, ""says "Mac." "Well, it's in the other fourgon wagon," says Eyler. "I know it," says "Mac," "but 1 was told to look for it in here, ' ' whereupon he commenced throwing things back into the fourgon where chaos now took the place of its previous orderliness. Lieut. Brumbaek comes next for his boots. ' ' Ah ! fine, ' ' says he, as he sees one sticking right out the end ; ' ' Hell ! ' ' says he, as a half hour later he finds the mate clear up front. Leaving Liny, we took the very beautiful road on to Haraumont, but its beauty was obscured by fatigue and the occasional sights of corpses by the wayside, mangled in every conceivable way, and the carcasses of horses in the last stages of deterioration. Retreat of the Germans had been recent and rapid over these parts. At Haraumont the Battery arrived at about 7.00 p.m. On account of the unusual tactics called for by the conditions under which we were to appear in our next immediate action, the Battery was, to facilitate its proper functioning, divided into its two platoons. After a time the arrangements for this were perfected, we had something to eat, and by nine o'clock turned in for sleep, most of us in a large, partly wrecked stone barn adjoining the chapel. Positions were to be occupied before daybreak, hence a departure around midnight could be expected, and to the hum of a few German Mercedes motors overhead, we slept, dreaming possibly of cannons and caissons tear- ing over the top with the doughboys. At twelve o'clock that night, the second platoon, Lieut. Lane in 196 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY command, was on the road to Brelieville. For the most part we went on double time over roads shell torn and strewn with dead horses and men, and through Grerman stockades, we soon reached the heights above Breheville. Here we were to give support to the 127th Infantry. As nothing could be done before daybreak, we utilized the intervening time by rolling up in our blankets on the ground and getting another hour of sleep. We were on the move again at four o 'clock and in a few minutes passed through another stockade at the edge of Breheville. Pulling through this, we were halted by a scout, who told us to do an about face and get out of town. We learned later that the enemy was still holding the opposite end of the village, some four hundred meters away. Again gaining the hilltop overlooking the town, we put our guns in position covering the roads to the east where we knew the enemy to be, and calmly waited for the fog to rise. The infantry reserve and machine-gun com- panies passed our posi- tion on their way to the village. The Boche seemingly scented the massing of our forces, and before our infantry arrived, the village had been evacuated by the Grermans, who had taken position possibly near La Roche Farm, some four kilometers distant. The morning wore away with no communications from our infan- try and very little action except a few heavies coming over on our left and considerable more to our right flank, with many return shots of light ai'tillery, which we presumed to be from the first platoon of our own battery. At about eleven o'clock we seemed to have lost communication with our rapidl}^ advancing infantry, and, taking it upon ourselves, limbered up and proceeded forward through the town. Here we learned that the infantry was facing the enemy near La Roche Farm, and we went into position for support. Without resistance, the enemy pulled out from La Roche Farm, through the woods beyond and again took position on a crest about one kilometer from the farm. Our infantry continued to follow and we with our two guns HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 197 took a position behind them, at the farm, covering the crest occupied by the Germans and ready for support of our infantry. So the day ended with the infantry holding the line, and our guns in position, near the farm building, for their support. Even as we laid the guns in the dark that evening, thereby accidentally disclos- ing a dim light, a few rifle bullets came whizzing by, reminding us of the close proximity of the Germans. We quartered at the farmhouse, and also stabled our horses in its ample barns, where there was still plenty of hay for them. This place came nearer to being a whole building than anything that we were in since we entered the war zone, and it was the first tight roof that our horses had been under since we acquired them. At midnight an in- fantry sergeant came bolting into the farm, and calling for a C Com- pany runner, gave him a message to carry to the front lines, and to the effect that all at- tacks were to cease at seven o'clock and all firing at eleven in the guaed detail morning. We had heard and anticipated many rumors before but this had the force of authenticity by virtue of its being an official dispatch. Morning con- firmed the news of the Armistice, which was accepted in a matter-of- course way, and even failed in producing as much enthusiasm as did the arrival of E Battery's kitchen a half mile back, with its bully- beef and army coffee. The second platoon stayed the day over at La Roche Farm, and slept there the next night, the first time without the music of the gams. Started out the next day for Ecurey to rejoin our first platoon and the Regiment. Let us go back for a moment to the night of November 9, at Harau- mont, and start out with our first platoon. About an hour after the second platoon had left, or about one o'clock on the morning of the 10th, the first platoon started on its part of the action, which proved in the end more hazardous, tense and interesting than that of the second platoon. We started on our six kilometers to Ecurey, the 198 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY roads were muddy and the cannoneers had to help frequently at the wheels. At 4.00 a.m. the platoon arrived, and men, cold, wet and exhausted, found shelter in a building at the edge of the village and slept for two hours. The first platoon was in command of Capt. Mather, and was to support the 128th Infantry. The advance began at daybreak. The platoon was to follow the second wave of infantry whose first bat- talion passed by and our 75 mm. guns were brought up behind them. The platoon passed through the village, crossed the railroad beyond it, and took the road to Peuvillers. The machine-g-un company of the infantry laid down a barrage in preparation for the advance of the artillery. As we neared the village of Peuvillers, we were subjected to heavy shell fire from the Ger- man artillery. The shells were bursting on all sides of the men, throwing dirt and mud over lis. A few of the men were struck by pieces of bursting shells, but no one was seriously injured. As an advance seemed impossible un- der these conditions, Capt. Mather gave the order to withdraw. In attempting to tuni around in the narrow, muddy road, the poles of two of the carriages were broken, and the carriages imbedded in the mud. By the time the poles had been replaced by new ones, and the carriages pulled out by the men, the shelling had abated somewhat, and Capt. Mather gave the command to advance into the village. This was done under continued shell fire, and the Captain halted us while he went forward to reconnoiter. As he started toward the Gei'man lines, he saw some twenty or thirty of the infantry, pursued by Germans, retreating towards the village. He at once gave the command, "Action front." Fearlessly standing within plain view, he pointed toward them and said, ' ' Tar- get, those Germans, 300 meters." Five shots were fired by the first piece, which alone got into action, at ranges of 300, 500 and 600 meters, and the Germans were driven back over the hill. As we were HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 199 located in a poor position, with a hedge on our right and buildings on our left, our machine gunners were ordered into position to protect us. This part of the battle seemed like the artillery literally going- over the top with the doughboys. So close were they to each other that some of the doughboys were helping to carry ammunition to our guns and remarked, "I don't know anything about this kind of work, but here's one, give them hell." The guns were then moved to a more open position near the eastern edge of the town and pre- pared for action. A telephone line was run over the hill to the front- line trenches and the Captain, accompanied by the Instrument Ser- geant and an operator, went forward to establish an F. 0. P. He spotted a number of targets, such as ma- chine-gun nests and a telephone exchange, at ranges varying from 1500 to 2200 meters. So accurate was he in his estimation of ranges that the platoon made several direct hits dur- ing the firing. During the engagement, the 308th Ammunition Train brought two caissons of much-needed ammunition into the vil- lage under heavy shell fire. About 150 shots were fired at the Ger- mans, the platoon doing very effective work in its support of the infantry. By this time the 128th Infantry had been outflanked, owing to the failure of those on its flanks to support it. This necessitated a retreat of the infantry, and also of our platoon. The platoon re- treated about one kilometer and again went into action, but no firing was done from this position. We then withdrew to the edge of Ecurey on a hill just outside the village, and the guns were laid for action. This was the one instance in which Battery A was forced to retreat, but it rendered very efficient service before it yielded to the inevitable. On the night of November 10, the first platoon remained in posi- tion outside of Ecurey. During the night, communications with Winter Scene — Ellenhausen 200 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Battalion Headquarters in Ecurey were established. A half-hour barrage was prepared by Capt. Marting and sent to the platoon to be fired at 6.30 the following morning. About six o'clock on the morning of November 11, the Germans started a surprise shelling, and several shells landed in veiy close proximity to the platoon. It was while laying the guns for our morning barrage, that the Battery suffered its first casualty in action, that of Ralph B. Clemens of Dayton, Ohio, our Instrument Sergeant. He was struck by frag- ments of an H. E. shell and mortally wounded. He was at once taken to the first aid station and his wounds dressed, and about two hours later he died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital. Clemens was an energetic, enthusiastic and genial young man, beloved by all. His loss was personally felt and mourned by officers and men alike. The first platoon fired its last barrage of the war from 6.30 to 7.00 a.m., Monday, No- vember 11. Upon its official receipt of the news of the signing of the Armistice, it with- drew into Ecurey and the men were billeted there. Many of our Battery A boys have performed valiant deeds of heroism worthy of the Croix de Guerre, but owing to their modesty and reticence, their acts have never been heralded abroad. After the declaration of the Armistice, the first platoon was returning to Ecurey from its last gun position. As they marched along the road, our little Napoleon, the Top Sergeant, ever zealous for the safety of his men, peered long and searchingiy into every recess and crevice for signs of the enemy. Suddenly his gaze became fixed, his muscles tense, his nerves taut and visions of the D. S. C. flitted across his mind. He gave the com- mand, "Halt," in a calm voice, drew his trusty "45" from its holster and fired upon — a German overcoat. On November 13 the second platoon, with its two gnns, arrived at Ecurey, and the Battery was once more together. A little more Yanks at Ellenhausex. Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 201 ease and peace of mind were indulged in here. A few inspections were held and the equipment gone over and replaced where necessary. The mechanics section had made a cross with insci'iptions to the memory of Sgi. Clemens and on Friday, November 15, Capt. Mather, Lieut. Shei'wood, accompanied by Norwick, McClellan and Barney, rode their horses back to Haraumont, there to erect this simple monu- ment. The grave was located beside the chapel, at this place from which the two platoons had left on November 9, for their final action. Already, groups of prisoners, French and Italian, released by the Germans, were beginning to journey through our village. Poor men, worn, ragged and lean as rails. We gave them a hand-out, they quartered overnight in the village, and contin- ued their journey west- ward. The movements and work of the firing bat- tery, generally speak- ing, typify the activity of the Battery as a whole. In view of the nature of artillery op- erations, the Battery must be divided and the men outside of the functions of the firing battery are, by nature of their work, separated from it. There is the group back at the echelon, where the horses and limbers are waiting and always ready for the call from the guns. The hard-working drivers kept horses and equipment under the most adverse conditions. The kitchen and mess supplies are here, and to one who has served meals under shot and shell and seen the constant stream of seconds . and thirds passing the altar of steaming stew, one does, indeed, wonder what it really does take to spoil these Yanks' appetites. The all-important question at the Front seemed to the Mess Sergeant to be the oft-repeated question of, "When do we eat?" Now preparing and serving meals while iinder fire is great service, for during a day's workout one is liable to be in the standing, sitting or lying down position a great many times. The first time we were called upon to serve a meal to the firing battery dui'ing actual fire was on September 26, 1918, when the command came in to us to pull our kitchen limber filled with hot food up to the immediate rear of our ECAD TO ElLENHATJSEN 202 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY guns. The Mess Sergeant looked over the list of cooks and the list of cooks looked over the Mess Sergeant, for it mattered not how frightened they were, or how mnch in need of sleep or rest, that sense of duty always so prominent in the Yank asserted itself again and as one, they offered to go. So four went up and, although every time that we sent another greeting over to Fritz, they would miss the mess kit and let the food drop back into the boiler because that dipper just wouldn't behave, yet each man received the usual seconds and thirds. Gunners, number ones, etc., were eating practically between shots. So much has been written of the prowess, nerve and courage of our doughboys, machine gunners and artillerymen, and so little about the men who day after day, uncomplainingly and unceasingly pre- pare our food, that I deem it an obligation in their behalf to insert just a word of our warm appreciation and thanks for their untiring ef- forts. Who is it after a day's hike has to Avork still harder at the end of the day's march but the cooks f Who is it that arises every morn- ing in the wee small We cannot, of course, Ellenhausen, Germany hours to prepare our Java and, but the cooks ' state the conditions under which the other kitchens in the A. E. F. labored at the Front, but regarding our own this much can be and must be said, the Avork of the cooks was admirable. A true example of a duty well done. Always working for the interests of the men, ever ready to help lighten the burdens of those around them. We have seen them carry ammunition, drive and even work on the guns. Many amusing and laughable incidents occur in the mess lines on all occa- sions. The favorite epithet going the rounds in our organization for the cooks being "Mulligan mixers," "Dirty Alley Four," "prune conveyers," etc. In going into position at Dead Man's Hill, where the kitchen was practically buried in the side of a big hill, our ration cart filled with rations upturned, food and all. Another organization was ordered to take its kitchen, ration cart, and water cart back to the echelon while we were to cook for the firing battalion. Never can we forget the forethought and consideration of that battery by empty- HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 203 ing their rations in the middle of the road and beating it back while we had to get everything under cover before daybreak. So consid- erate, also, of our water-cart driver, who drove the cart into a big ditch and left it there, about one kilometer from the kitchen position, and hurried back with the limbers. Comical also was the scramble for cover when the Regimental Commander ordered the mess line concealed at one noon meal. It's a funny thing, but in the army, the other fellow has always got the bigger appetite, and that's why all the rest don't get anything to eat — so it is said. This squawk usually comes from men like Samuel Werts who calls it a poor mess if thirds aren't served, and runs to the Mess Sergeant on the double when he gets a tummy ache and indignantly wants to know, "Whatcha been feeding us, Sarg? ' ' When we moved from Hill 304 to Bra- bant and reached the echelon, we were in- formed that we had been elected to serve the firing battalion again, and were told to report to the Battalion Commander somewhere up that road to the right of Brabant, it sure was a tired crew of men. We marched up two kitchens and equip- ment complete, but lacking any prepared food to serve upon reach- ing our destination. When we had gone about three kilos, we located our gim position and the Mess Sergeant reported the detail as pres- ent to Capt. Marting, who mlted the poor soup disher with the ques- tion, "Are you ready to serve?" Upon being informed that no meal was or could have been prepared, we were ordered to return whence we came, prepare one, bring it up, serve it, and go back and do like- wise for breakfast, both meals to be served before daybreak. Well, if ever a bunch of men expressed their views on how to run an army and how many socialists were being made; we honestly thought we were with a gang of anarchists. Our visitation at that Front was one both tragic and yet a series of laughs. We recall on one specific occasion, when frying doughnuts, we amused ourselves by picking steel splinters out of the grease. Every night mess Avas being brought up to the guns twice and en route we were forced to pass a regiment Town Ckier — Ellenhausen, Germany 204 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY of 155 's that had a habit of cutting loose just about tlie time we passed them. At first it used to be an awful scramble to get under cover at the first report, but experience maketh us wise, which recalls the fact that we had a driver on the kitchen, who was affectionately dubbed "Pansy," no doubt because he resembled a mule, whose sole effort all those weeks was to find a man he could sell his position to for one hundred francs. We finally moved the kitchen up to Brabant, cutting off about two kilos of our march each trip up, and it was then that the real fun took place. It was indeed an extremely amusing and no less pathetic sight to see the sincere welcome we received by the boys every night when we got there. Yet we might mention that not even the kitchen was a lure for some of the boys to come up from their holes. We served from the road at the head of a trench that had but a few short weeks ago been the Grerman first-line d e - f ense. A company scramble for a mess line is a pretty tough affair, but a battalion rush makes a football game look like a game of domino, especially when the uttermost ambition of each man in line was to get his chow and beat it back to where he belongs. Seconds were rare, the boys taking a chance on the first portion and back they would go. The noon meal was, of course, proportioned out to each organization, and was a cold lunch, the kitchen not making the trip. ' ' Goldfish" predominated at noon. Needless to say, salmon can be taken off the market as far as the A. E. F. is concerned. Of all the incidents long to be I'emembered is one evening when the kitchen came rolling up at dusk as usual, after a day of unusually heavy shelling and when the word had been sent around that supper was ready, after the mess line had been formed and we had started to serve, Fritz started to "strafe" again, and threw some over in our direction. One shell in particular burst about a hundred feet from the kitchen and all that could be seen for quite some time after that were heels doing an about face on the double, mess kits flying in all directions, and despite all the pleadings of the cooks for the boys German Schoolroom, Ellenhausen HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 205 to return and get their chow, we returned that evening with boilers but half empty. The Mess Sergeant Avas kept busy during his few spare hours, by ravaging salvage dumps, looking in dugouts for some of the cooks, and K. P.'s from some of the other batteries that were helping us out in cooking, and above all, in acquii'ing that most pre- cious of all luxuries at the front, namely, chocolate. On one occasion do we recall where he had talked the Y. M. out of some of it by a fake order, the kind most of the boys at the Front had, and before he could pay for it, Heine sent over a couple of messages of love, the Y. M. man hopped in his Ford and said, "Good-bye, keep the chocolate," all of which angered us im- mensely — yes, it did not. Many amusing- things also took place during our march to the Rhine, foremost, the n e V e r - 1 o-be-f orgotten first day, when we were to be advance guard. We started on time all right, but hadn't gone very far when the famil- iar cry of, "All can- noneers on the wheels," was heard. Everything was righted except the kitchen, which was left stranded, with our old friend Tuman doing his utmost not to drive a four-line team, when finally we were on the road again, Avith a broken Avagon tongue and spilled soup, Ave received the command to double time it up to the battery, Avhich had in the meantime reached its position in the column. There AA^as infantry, machine-gun bat- talion and a troop of cavalry, not to mention the auxiliary branches which it was up to us to drive around. So Ave all climbed on the kitchen and told Eickhoff, who obligingly relieved Tmnan, for Tuman 's sake as well as our own, to start them off. Such a Avild ride, we dare say, for four kilos, no steaming rolling kitchen ever made, ducking around anything from a corner to caissons, the kitchen swinging from one side of the road to another, cooks jumping on and off, organization commanders yelling for the mess sergeant to halt and inquiring by Avhose authority Ave Avere performing such a stunt. We finally reached our positions Avith about half as much food left in the boilers as Avhen Ave started. It Avas indeed a humorous School Kids, Ellenhausen 206 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY sight. In many respects the march to the Rhine was a great deal more of a strain than some of our work at the Front, especially is this true of the cooks, who were always called upon to prepare and serve a meal wherever and whenever we made camp. In one town where we stayed overnight, we had to practically get down in a well ourselves in order to get enough water with which to cook. Bleck- hausen was the name of that village, and it surely lived up to its name. We also will never forget our turn at Haraumont, where we practically stayed up all night serving wounded and fatigued dough- boys and artillerymen. At the guns, the echelon, at the command and observation posts scattered about form- ing the go-between with other units of the ser- vice, is the B. C. Detail. Men who perform the technical services for the Battery, perform the calculations for the direction and control of the fire. For the pur- pose they have acquired the mastery of the vari- u s instruments for the measurement of angles and instruments of observation. The goniometer is the most versatile and valuable tool of a bat- ter}'. All other materiel of a battery is reliant for its proper use upon the manipulation of the goniometer. It is regarded as a sacred instrument by those most intimately connected with it. Being so con- sidered, only officers and noncommissioned officers are intrusted with its care and use. To me it was an inseparable companion. I felt its presence on the long night marches, yea, I even shared my bed in the pup tent with it, that the dampness might not incapacitate or diminish its use- fulness. Its magic number was woven into my dreams at night. I knew its very faults or shortcomings even to the plus 4. By it I oriented myself; when it did not function properly I anointed its head with oil ; my thoughts were ever of its safety. It is with a feeling of sadness, as though I had lost a friend that I realize I must one day part with it. In the fullness of my grief. 'Chow" for the Cow HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 207 I cannot speak what I fain would say, but leave the deeper expres- sions of sympathy to the greatest goniometer expert in our Regi- ment, Lieut. Sherwood, who could do anything with the instrument. Figiiring out barrages Avas frequently done with great speed; in fact, usually done that way. The data for barrages used to come down from Headquarters an hour or forty-five minutes before the barrage was to be fired, and Lieut. Sherwood and the detail would invariably have the thing all cocked for action at the psychological moment. One evening the official dope arrived via runner from Battalion Headquarters. Lieut. Sherwood looked at his watch — "Fifteen min- iites until this is to be fired," said he to the table in the dugout, and taking this extraordi- nary feat as a matter of course, he called the Instrument Sergeant, they seized plotting board, maps, protrac- tors, scales, etc., and with the abandon of calm efficiency, coordinates were plotted, ranges determined, correc- tions of the moment applied and the unprecedented time limitation imposed didn't affect the accuracy of any of those intricate calcu- lations. Cool; that's our reconnaissance officer and his detail. The data completed, it went over the wire to the guns, where they had just time to set it off, and on the exact second the barrage started. At his P. C, Acting Major Marting hears firing, and apparently from Battery A gun position. Nonplussed, he calls up to ascertain the cause of the sudden action. "We've started the barrage that you sent; over twenty minutes ago," he added, as his first remark didn't seem sufficiently enlightening. "Why, that was for to-mor- row, the 22d," says the Captain. A few seconds later, the man at the gun position's phone gleaned out of a streak of vituperation that came over the line from Sherwood, the words, ' ' Cease firing. ' ' Battery A had an excellent liaison crew, and the experiences of these men were many and varied. This work was beset vnth many difficulties, among which was the location of the P. C.'s in dugouts, ,1^ ^*:.;m'">;:MeJ!e: ^^^^^^s^H ™'»»^^^W Battery A Mess Hall, Ellenhausbn 208 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY following devious trails through dense woods and carrying messages through gas and shell fire. Naturally, these men had certain land- marks by which they oriented themselves. In one instance, a cer- tain P. C. Avas located by means of an abandoned German machine gun on the top of the trench at the entrance to this diigout. Inad- vertently, this gnn was removed one day; result — the liaison runner from Headquarters spent fift}^ minutes in traversing trenches trying to locate this P. C, which Avas within fifty meters of Headquarters. Orientation, where frequent trips were involved, has been done by driving stakes into the ground at intervals. These men had topped off the stakes, to render them more conspicuous, with empty cans garnered in the locality. In a general way, this scheme was useful to others, in that the available cans gave a clue to the objective of the trail; those Avhich had once been containers of jam or milk would give evidence that officers or a mess sergeant was quartered at this extremity; those cans, which at one time contained the bully-beef, might reasonably be expected to terminate at the haunts of some ordinary enlisted man. Where frequent trips induced the liaison man to ferret out, for his convenience and speed, a short cut over some pathless terrain to a busy P. C. or 0. P., streamers of white tape have been employed by him to identify and mark definitely this trail. Eed tape came into play considerably in communications with P. C. 's of a higher order. Several times the liaison men went over the top with the dough- boys. At the Argonne Forest, three of our boys advanced with the infantry and were gone for several days, one of them being lost from the Battery for three weeks. Several times they carried messages through gas and shell fire between Dead Man's Hill and the Bois de Consenvoye. Three of these men were gassed, and one of them so severely gassed and shell shocked that he was sent to a hospital. On one occasion, while on liaison work, Cpl. Keller wandered into a dugout which had very recently been taken by the infantry. Quite unexpectedly, he came face to face Avith three Germans, Avho had remained undetected by the infantry, which had so recently swept through. It Avould be difficult to say who was more frightened, Chris or the Germans, but upon their yelling, "Kamerad," Chris was master of the situation; he took charge and marched them to infantry Headquarters. Scouting for food occasionally came under the varied duties of liaison work, when driven to it by the meagemess of our noonday rations. This was, at times, even a very active branch of that work. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 209 and so lucrative that the results exceeded in amount and in quality the regular rations, which, at such times, were then contemptuously scorned. Cans of beef, milk, tomatoes, molasses, etc., coffee, sugar, cabbage and other delicacies were garnered from other organiza- tions ' dumps to make up for the deficiencies in our own service, which was occasionally characterized by happenings such as one evening on the Brabant Hill. After long waiting for supper, we finally heard the melodious and ever pleasant voice of Gus giving orders to Slubecky. (Of course, there is no need of explanation as to who Gus may be; he is the soldier who put "me" in mess, and "gent" in sergeant. ) And how we so eagerly lined up by batteries for one usual goodly portion of slum, bread, " black jack" and coffee, and after eating same, file in for seconds in a line reaching far down the road toward Brabant, and then when pros- pects were so bright for that ever relished dish known as "sec- onds," there came a quick whistling and in an instant later a terrible explosion, thro'wing mud and gravel over the mess line and rattling- stones against the kitchen. Instantly there was great confusion, and so great was the confusion that only our brave and noble Mess Ser- geant is capable of relating the incidents thenceforth with any degree of intelligence ; so the narrative must be written as we have it from him. "When the explosion came, I was standing between the kitchen and the limber sharing a cup of cocoa with Capt. Mather, and instantly realizing the seriousness of the situation caused by the great shower of rocks and splinters, I sprang upon the kitchen and beckoned the rapidly departing men to calm themselves and not to fall out of line as there were beaucoup "seconds," but notwithstanding my efforts, in one minute not a man remained to whom we could give even the ladle of slum that Slubecky half uplifted in his hand as he too yelled, 'Come and git 'er, boys.' "Logically, the only course left for me to pursue was to mount up Mess at Battery A, Ellenhausen 210 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY my drivers, do an about face, and plod our weary way back to tlie echelon. ' ' It seems as though we must confine the remainder of our narrative to circumstantial evidence, as discovered the following morning. On the spot where the kitchen had stood was found a mess cup in which had been cocoa. Skidding wheel tracks of the kitchen were to be seen, where it had made an all too sharp left about. Near a stone- filled shell hole in the road toward Brabant was found a large spoon. A short distance nearer Brabant was a gallon can partly filled with molasses, near which the wheel track connected with a large stone and then departed some fourteen inches to the left. At the point where the road turns sharply down the valley, only the outer wheel tracks were visible. Of course we were much humbled the following evening, when, after hiking down to Brabant for our supper (it seemed that Sgt. Hirsch had received orders not to go on the hill again for a few days), we listened to the Sergeant deride us for being so wasteful as to leave the kitchen so unceremoniously as we had the night before, with nothing for him to do, after begging, even imploring, us to eat heartily, but to take much good eats back to the already overfed men at the echelon. The men of the detail even found time for other work, work of co- operation. They have carried ammunition and have loaded and unloaded equipment. The evening we were relieved at Brabant Hill was marked by a number of exasperating incidents. Owing to the heavy shell fire to which the position was constantly subjected, just enough teams were sent up to remove the guns and caissons and all the extra equipment of the Battery was to be loaded into one fourgon wagon. In antici- pation of a relief shortly after dark, supper was had early, packs were made up, the camouflaging removed from the guns and all necessary preparations made for an early start. The command, "March order," had been given at the guns, which were pulled out of the gun-pits, and everybody stood about waiting for the arrival of the drivers and horses. They did not arrive. Finally, an order came to lay the guns once more; the guns were rolled into their pits again, and their direction established by the man at the goniometer. Then, after waiting for a few hours without an order for further action, the horses and drivers arrived. While the guns were being limbered up, the detail was confronted with the problem of getting all the surplus equipment into the fourgon wagon. It looked like a hopeless task, but they tackled it; in went HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 211 instrument, plotting board, telescopes, monoculars, etc., signal equip- ment, telephones, switchboard, reels of wire, flags, officers' equip- ment of vast bedding rolls, musettes, mechanics equipment, boxes of tools, cans of grease, machine guns and cases of ammunition; gas masks, shovels and picks. Lieut. Wright then proceeded to pilot the wagon on to the road. As the turn into the road was being made, the wheels struck a shell hole. The wagon being top-heavy, went over on its side in the mud and water, dragging down the horses with it. Immediately the men started to attempt to get the horses up and to upright the wagon. Nothing doing on that; the French beasts refused to move, and the combined efforts of the men could not even stir the overloaded wagon. So they started to un- load and all the mis- cellaneous contents was thrown out promiscu- ously on the ground until the last article had been removed, when it was possible to get the wagon into proper posi- tion again. In the meantime, Avith much sweating, sweai'ing and muscular exertion on the part of the men, the horses had been induced to assume an upright position again. Then came the job of reloading, with an occasional bursting shell to lend interest and activity to the work. Due to the fact that the equipment was now covered with thick layers of mud, it was impos- sible to get it all back into the f ourgon wagon again, but a small item like that was easily remedied by throwing the stuff away with little discrimination as to its comparative value. Once more everything was set to rights, the wagon proceeded on its way, and the men re- ceived the reward of their labors in the shape of going on the double time all night in order to catch up with the Batterj^, which had a two-hour start. Practically as complete and little the Avorse for wear, we prepared for a departure from Ecurey. Not fighting step by step but on a veritable parade march on the trail of the vanquished and evacuating German. Making Bootees for the Kittens 212 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Almost to a man, it was the identical outfit that had come to the Front together and fonght together, which now on the early morning of November 17 left Ecurey as the advance guard of the 32d Division on its march to the Rhine. We took the trail towards Peuvillers, the same mud road, by the way, which had been traversed by our heroic first platoon on its famous final action. As on the occasion of that last action, we also got our carriages stuck in the mud, only now the shells didn't fall about in that surprising manner peculiar to shells. This was traveling in comparative security if not comfort, and across gently rolling country, we arrived in the evening at Arrancy. A few of the French civilian population were here, in fact, had remained throughout the war. We quartered in this village. Most of us in a small chateau of a more mediocre type, which had been used by the Germans as a hospital, and chancing it on the cooties and other German germs, the hospital bunks were used for the night. We took the road again in the morning, hardly twenty-four hours behind the hastily evacuating Germans. Parties of French civilians, mostly women, were journeying Avest, hilarious and in high spirits over the liberation of their France, and villages were decorated in its honor. It was here on the road that our Lieut. Lane was placed in a very embarrassing position by being embraced and fervently kissed by a cute girl of an oncoming party of French. He had been walking at the head of the column, leading his horse. After that, he rode. That day took us into a hilly country, through Rehon and Longwy, in the iron region, part of the secret of German staying power. A little further on, near the village of Mexy, we prepared to tent for the night; first putting the gims into position. On Tuesday, November 19, we left the position in order to rejoin the Regiment, Avhich was located at Cons la Grandeville. That was a squalid place, but wonderfully situated, and boasted a castle, his- torical, of course, and architecturally beautiful. We arrived at the place at noon and were confronted by an inspection by the Division Commander, which they pulled on us at 2.30, and made it last till dark. But that blanket of darkness helped to mitigate the effect of the filthy quarters we were forced to billet in, all that was left, since the whole Regiment had had its choice, and all that could be found in the limited time. The next morning, Wednesday, November 20, the Regiment left Cons la Grandeville in a body, passing through Lexy, Longwy and Rodange, to Differdange, Luxembourg. It was on this day at about noon, that the Battery crossed the border into the Grand Duchy of HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 213 Luxembourg. Differdange was a considerable place — we stayed over- night in a large modern school building and had a few hours in the evening to be about town, but at the prevailing prices of things here, we couldn't have spent much more time. From Differdange through Soleuver, Niederkorn, Niederkerschen, Dippach and Luxembourg, we arrived the next evening at Neudorf, a suburb of Luxembourg. The day's march took us through the central part of the little state, and we covered a distance of thirty kilometers. As the Battery passed through only one edge of the city of Luxem- bourg, the capital and main city of the state, we had no opportunity to witness an infantry parade which was held there that afternoon and headed by Gen. Pershing". The city was elaborately deco- rated for the occasion. As we came in after dark at Neudorf, the horses were picketed on the main street of this suburb, and the men quartered in the houses along the street, comfortably quartered in their homes with the peo- ple, and before the evening had passed our little association with these people was the beginning of our esteem for them. A short trip till noon the next day brought us to Niederanven, just off the road from Senningen. We spent the afternoon, however, in cleaning and rejuvenating our equipment and horses. We quar- tered comfortably for the night and continued to the village of Man- ternach the next day, arriving in the afternoon of November 23. Manternach is only a few kilometers from the German border, and we stayed here aAvaiting our time to cross into Germany. Though Manternach is small, and possibly doesn't present that varied and many-sided insight into the ways and viewpoints of a nation that may be gained in a large city, yet, it probably is typical of places of its size. At any rate, it was this village and its people upon which we are mainly dependent for our impressions of Luxembourg, by virtue of our prolonged stay there, which developed into one week. It is safe to say that the majority of the men were favorably im- Always Line Up — This Time to Feed Horses 214 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY pressed by these people and their ways, their thorough methods, neatness and capability of deriving results from limited means at hand ; the expression of an old and well-developed civilization. Thanksgiving Day passed while here. Though perhaps charac- terized largely by reminiscences of other occasions, quite a few of us managed to float quite some congenial little parties as private enterprises. There was enough to be thankful for, but we did not need to wait for this day to allow ourselves the luxury of that inward sense of gratitude. On November 29, by orders higher up, we lost our esteemed friend, Capt. Mather, he being transferred to Regimental Headquarters, and Capt. Marting again assumed command of the organization. A week at one place, the consequent settling into a certain routine, and the accompanying return of the garrison-like scrutiny and stress on minor details of clothing, equipment and bearing preparatory to the entrance into Germany, began to be irksome after the looser ways and manners of the Front, and we welcomed the onward march, especially as the next move would take us across the border and nearer our objective. Manternach was left on Sunday morning, December 1, by a beau- tiful valley road through the finest scenery of Luxembourg. At noon, we came to Wasserbillig and crossed the bridge over the Sauer River into Germany. As might be expected, we had no hilarious greeting, but were looked upon as a matter of course. We covered a consid- erable nimiber of kilometers and it was not till after dark that we arrived at our first stop in Germany. We left Mohn at daybreak for Orenhofen. That day embraced, scenically, one of the most beau- tiful parts of our trip. We can all remember the wonderful winding road, wildly picturesque, down into the valley of the Priim at the little station of Auw, and then up the other side of the mountain, with each turn revealing a new charm in the landscape, with glimpses of the bright little stream ever farther and farther below us. On the 3d, we left Orenhofen at 8.30 in the morning for the little nine-kilometer hike to Herforst, where we arrived before noon and stayed over the following day. Germany wasn't so bad after a man got acclimated, and leave it to a soldier to do that with beaucoup vitesse. So besides washing the carriages and harness, grooming horses, etc., waffles and beer were popular in the evening. It's surprising how many things a vocabu- lary of a few words, with the appropriate gestures, can get for a man. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 215 That day's rest called for a more extended march when we left on the 5th, and after a fatiguing trip over hilly country, we pulled in at night at a God-forsaken place called Bleckhausen. More curses, when we had to lead the weary horses a few kilos after that, to water them. Furthermore, it rained a large part of that day. Rolled along smoothly the next day on the fine Coblenz highway, and for the night, sidetracked ourselves at Kelberg, where, owing to the presence of a number of other organizations in the town, we drew a prize in the billeting line, of two barns for the Avhole battery. Barns, anyway, seemed to have become the accepted method of billeting. Our billeting officer, Lieut. Sherwood, and Sgt. Norwick, developed a regular instinct for looking into barns and saying, "Forty men," where twenty might be comfortable. Barns with electric light were desirable, but rare. Luxem was our next stop, where we arrived on Saturday noon and spent a hangover till Monday morning, with the usual work of con- ditioning equipment. Our hike to on the 9th took us through the pretty little city of Mayen, a place of about twelve thou- sand population. As usual, it was our luck that our route took us nearly through one edge of the place, but here, fortunately, it was just on the road, winding about the beautiful old castle. A short march of ten kilometers on Tuesday morning brought us into Kerben at noon, and on the succeeding morning we went on to Rubenach, which was to be our last stopping place Avest of the Rhine. That was the termination of another distinct section of the trip. The Battery billeted in a school building and in houses, and a day and a half was spent there. On Friday, December 13, early in the morning, we received travel- ing orders for a 10.30 departure from Rubenach. We made prepa- rations and the Battery stood ready at the appointed hour. A heavy and incessant rain was pouring the entire morning as we started on this, the really ultimate goal of our long journey. Coblenz was only about five kilometers away, and could be seen in the distance. We Kehrig 216 HISTORY OE THE 322d EIELD AETILLERY obliqued to the north. It always seemed that by clever circumnavi- gation and ingenious manipulation, the powers at the helm had man- aged to bring us this entire distance, without getting nearer than a distant view of a large city. They developed a fiendish shrewdness for discerning them from a distance and steering ns clear of the temptation. As we approached Urmitz and the bridgehead, we got our first glimpse of that famous river, the Rhine. The rain continued unceasingly and a dim fog hung over the stream, obscuring what there might be of scenic beauty, but conducive to retrospection which, to one versed in the history, could conjure episodes of a stormy pa'fet. Victory, triumph and despair were all spun about this beautiful silver thread, so intimately connected with the history and the fate of the German nation, back to a remote past, when the formidable and picturesque castles first began to dot its sylvan, rocky banks. The crossing of the famous river was facilitated by a majestic new steel arch bridge, constructed, along with two others, during the period of the war, and certainly conceived and executed for purposes other than for the convenience of an invading army — an army coming to relieve the native, much sung "Watch on the Rhine." Inadver- tently, the mind turned back to the mines and furnaces of the iron regions through which we had passed, which had made those struc- tures possible, and which Germany had conquered and meant to hold — a mere glimpse of a detail of her colossal scheme. The crossing, though perhaps devoid of interest as a pleasure ride, could, under the circumstances, be of moment only in the revela- tions made more intimate by the actual fact of crossing. Continuing northward through Engers, the bridgehead on the eastern bank of the stream, the Battery arrived and prepared for a night's stay at Sayn. Coming into Sa;^'xi, as we did on a rainy and disagreeable evening, and leaving again in the early morning, we had only the most superficial impressions of this really charming little place. A part of the Regiment Avas quartered in the newer castle of the Marquis of Sayn, behind which rose the steep hill on whose summit were the ruins of the castle of the once powerful founder of the House of Sayn erected in the year 1151. The ruins of two lesser castles broke the slope. On leaving Sayn on the morning of the 14th, after passing one of the woi'ks of Krupp on the outskirts of the town, we entered the valley of the Sayn Creek and followed its interminable windings to the little village of EUenhausen, which was the place that Battery A HILL- 3f4 p^'i-' HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 217 was to hold as a unit of the American Army of Occupation. Though on the map for a long time, Ellenhausen is still a small village. Back as far as the year 1100 its first buildings, being the estate of one Fran von Ellen, Avere erected, but these have vanished and of its existing structures the oldest are from the eighteenth century. It's not a place to go into ecstasies over, but on the basis of our previous luck, we could hardly have expected a large place for A Battery. But we're not living so much in the present; life now is anticipation and looking ahead, and there are all kinds of rumors and hunches to promote and keep alive this anticipation of an early return to the States. Anyway, why growl, there are thirty-nine houses in Ellenhausen, one being a saloon, and only one whole bat- tery? All men are quartered in the village homes, and a good many have beds. EALPH B. CLEMENS To the memory of Ralph B. Clemens, a stranger to me before the war, but a man whom I learned to love and respect during a friend- ship that lasted but a year. Sgi. Clemens made the supreme sacrifice for his nation on Novem- ber 11, 1918, at Ecurey, France. Sgt. Ealph B. Clemens Friend of mine, best of them all, It came your time to bleed and fall ; You said good-bye, smile on your face, You joined Him, in that better place. We miss you more than we can say. Our sorrow 's deeper ev 'ry day ; We'll ne'er forget how well you work'd. No irksome job you ever shirk 'd. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 219 man of men, none truer born, You said good-bye that fatal morn ; We knew that day, we always shall, We'll never find a truer pal. Spirit of gold, with mind so clean. That word or thought could not be mean ; The mem'ry of a friend so true. Will always fill our hearts for you. A mother and a sweetheart, too, Were left to mourn and sigh for you : They know it was your time to fall. They're proud it was for country's call. My prayer when my Father calls. My spirit to His marble Halls Will be, that there again. Old Friend, 1 may be with you without end. I ACH! ] mmMEL t} .BdJiKk REMINISCENCES OF BATTERY B As tlie whole Avorld knows, it Avas on that memorable June 5, 1917, that the male population of the United States between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one were called upon to register for Selec- tive Service in the United States Army. It was not long after the registration that the big drawing was held in "Washington and men Avho had never been lucky enough in their whole previous lifetime to win a ten-cent watch at a church picnic raffle had at last lived to see their lucky day, for be- hold, upon the front page of every daily newspaper throughout the land their names appeared in big, bold print announcing to the world that they had been selected to knock the Kaiser from his throne. In due course followed the physical examination, then the little blue card with the words. Greetings from Uncle Sam, and then it was for the first time that the men who held the lucky numbers that were drawn from the big bowl realized that they Avere about to get the chance that comes but once in a lifetime to go to war, and after it was over, all they had to do Avas to hire an auto truck to carry home all the medals they Avould receive for brave deeds done upon the Front, but sad to relate, the only medals the majority of them brought home were the tAvo I. D. Tags donated to them before they left the States. At this particular time it Avas customary for the people to give a banquet in honor of the boys who Avere about to leave for the training camps, and it Avas at one of these banquets that quite a fcAA' boys, Avho M^ere afterwards assigned to Battery B of the 822d Field Artillery, Dishwashers. Oh! Boys- 222 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ■were guests when the subject arose as to what kind of food the boys would get when they were taken under the fatherly care of Uncle Sam; one of those present went so far as to state that he posi- tively knew that ice cream and peach cobbler were on the daily bill of fare, but to the boys who were about to shed their civilian clothes that little vegetable known as the navy bean now sui-passed by the well-known bully-b e e f had the better of the ^<^' -• .' (■ h a n c e s t o a p p e a r on the daily bill of Drill fare. On arriving in the mess hall for the first time, on the kind invitation of Mess Sgt. Pat- rick O'Brien, to line up for chow! the odor of fresh-baked peach cob- bler was wafted into their nostrils, and in an instant their appetites arose to a great height only to take a very sud- den tumble, for they were given but one pan and one cup, and when they arrived at the serv- ing coiTuter the first man put some rice into the pan, the second dumped in some beef stew along with the peach cobbler; then it was that the boys real- ized that Sgt. O'Brien's crew should have been horseshoers and blacksmiths and not cooks. Mouse deserves a place in the history of B Battery, however humble that place may be. Mouse was a horse (now don't be down on her because of that), for she couldn't help being born a horse 224 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY instead of a cow or slieep or some other animal (that doesn't have to be groomed). She was one of the first horses assigned to the Bat- tery, and was a quiet, uncomplaining creature, who seemed content to let the aspiring young horseman, who had never been any closer to a horse than watching them from a point of vantage on a sidewalk, clamber over her anatomy. But army life soon began to pall on Mouse's nerves. And soon, the docile animal began to display such playful tricks as bucking, which, coupled with a habit she had of dashing madly for the stables, caused many an erstwhile horseman to cling tightly on by the mane, tail, and other prominent parts while they slid from bow to stern in a manner that was entirely unnerving to the green rider. What Mouse might have done to the Ger- mans in one of her wild charges, will never be known, for alas! she, like many others in the army, never got across. CoENED Beef Hash When the boys were back at Sherman, they used to take three- or four-mile hikes and sing such songs as, "Over There," "My Little Girl," "Mr. Noah," etc. Since coming over here to take thirty- or forty-kilometer hikes and sing such songs as, "When Do We Eat?" "Why Don't We Double Time While We Are at It?" and "Why Don't the Drivers Give the Cannoneers a Chance?" Little did Top Kicker, Bud Brown, think when he made his fare- well speech and left for the Officers' Training School that he would be commissioned and see service in a romantic, thrilling and daring S. 0. S. Some soft. The mud of Europe was nothing new to the boys of the 322d, that is, those of us who saw service in the battle of Stony Creek. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 225 Remember the days of hiking when we had a hard bisenit with jam and coffee for dinner? If you have forgotten that, maybe you remem- ber the days we occupied Williamsport, Frankfort, Greensburg, etc., when we had beaucoup pies. Ask UUom, he knows. Know All Men by These Presents: That at one time there was quite a rivalry between A and B as to which had the best song. Be It Also Known: That Mr. Noah was the personal property of Battery B ; and who in all the 322d F. A. can forget that night, when, after A sang "Noah" and added several verses to it, B came back with a parody about the Colonel, so timely, so appropriate, humorous and catchy, that the hall of Y. M. C. A. No. 76 thundered with hoAvls and cheering and the Colonel chuckled his approval from the speaker's platform? Oft while talking- round the bonfire I hear someone say: "When I leave the army, I want to forget everything connected with it. I never want my mind to wander back to what I went through," and it starts me to thinkin' of what there is to forget. Of all the experiences of more than a year, stretching from the United States, across the sea, through England and France, up through Luxembourg and Germany and across the Rhine, my mind wanders back even to the days of foot drill at Sherman, to the horses and the time we were learning to ride. Many a man expe- rienced for the first time what is known as a strawberry. Only those of us who went through from the start really know what it is to groom horses. When we got materiel, we were introduced into the mysteries of artillery firing, of hitting that which we could not see, then road hikes followed in order during which we camped out overnight, and finally after months of hard training, came that never-to-be-forgotten trip to the Stony Creek Range, over icy roads on the way there (I wonder how many remember the pie wagon) and more mud than Action Left 226 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Shoot the Pill When we got there, I will never forget the volleys we fired. With the American triggers we could get our shots off to sound like one thunderous shot, which thundered away through the hills until the sound was cut off by the following one. And who cares to forget our trip from camp, up through Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York? And the ocean voyage where the men were given such bum feed"? Our stay in Liverpool and our ride to Southampton in com- partment cars afforded us our only view of Eng- land. I never think of Liverpool, but what I think of the fine public swimming pool, where we spent enjoyable afternoons (I). Contrast against this the camp at Le Havre. Hot as blazes and a hot sand that blew into our tents and over our equipment made the Sahara Desert look like a dime souvenir. It was at this camp that I saw my first G-erman prisoner. I was glad to leave, even though it was a side the door puUman of "hommes" style. I Avill always recall with a great deal of pleasure my stay at Messae-Gruipry. The people with whom I stayed, the daily swim in the river, the hikes out into the country, where we fried our own dinners. I can smell the bacon and eggs as well now as if I had my pan before me and was stirring them around mth my fork. Here, too, we received our first insti'uetions in the service of the French 75 mm. and received our materiel, with which we went into action and which we took even Watering Place, Battery B, Deesen, Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 227 beyond the Rhine. At first, the 75 mm. seemed about as awkward a gun as could be made. But when we got to Coetquidan and began firing, we soon learned to handle the gun and proved to ourselves that it could not be beat. I think no one will forget our experience when detraining at Revigny. Pitch dark and raining, we started on our hike to the Front under rather gloomy circumstances. But the gloom was all vanished when we reached the Foret-de-Hesse. That first night in action is in itself something to remember. Inconceivable confusion, untold misunderstanding and unending work. The Cap- tain and Colonel cussing like sailors, Judy trying to get the French off the road so the caissons could get through and the Major down in the mud with the bucks, passing up ammunition. Our travels about Verdun, where we saw most of our fighting and our long hike, past Ecurey, through Lux- embourg to Germany and across the Rhine affords a continual panorama of changing scenes and circum - stances, Avhich delight the memory and steal away the mind from the present to wander back over a wonderful past. These are experiences of a lifetime and well worth remembering, and he who would have obliterated from his mind these things is a spend- thrift of precious memories and is of small mentality. ■ ^^- L. Battery B, Deesen, Germany The Hun submarines may have stayed under the rollicking waves for long laeriods, but they had nothing on our friend Ackley from B Battery. Once upon a time, back in the dear old golden training days at Sherman, Ackley dove into a peach pie, and according to reports, never came up for air until the pie had vanished into that vast com- partment where all good eats vanish. Sam Boss is a great lover (?) of labor, especially manual labor, as all men in B Battery know. But there was one time when he did take up working for a living. 'Twas on that memorable first night on 228 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY the Front. Everything was confusion and in the inky darkness prep- arations were being made for the barrage that was to open at break of day. But a few minutes remained for the Battery to get into position, and after what seemed hours of waiting the guns were finally brought up and placed. And then it was noticed that all of the tools had been left behind — excepting one lonely pick which Sgt. Meyers was using with good effect. Whiz-z-z-z, bang ! G-erman shell came close to the Bat- tery — whiz-z-z, bang! another came. Through the darkness came the voice of Sam Boss, "Meyers," he yelled, "gim'me that pick and let a man dig that can Battery B, Deesen, Germany dig.' When the boys left for the Front, many of them had a sort of feeling that they were soon to be in a land of enemies, but as 1st Lieut. George D. Bacon will tes- tify, this is nothing but an illusion which comes over the boys, and in reality is not the case. It happened that Lieut. , '^Jl,' Bacon was invited by i "■ . the War Department to spend a few weeks' va- I* ■ cation in the neighbor- h o o d of Brabant, France, the delightful climate of which place would either kill or cure according to the ad- vance agent's informa- tion. On arriving at this place he found it pretty well crowded with guests, and the best he could get in the way of accommodation was a dugout some twenty or thirty feet under- ground. The main reason for choosing such a place was that it was very nice and quiet, and he fig-ured that he could get a much-needed sft ff Deesen, Germany — Billeting Place of Battery B HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 229 rest, but much to Ms surprise lie found that he had selected the home of one of the most friendly families with whom he had ever had the honor to be a guest, in fact, they were so friendly that they were afraid to let him sleep by himself, and they would stay up at night in order that he might be well protected, and every few minutes they would pinch him to be sure that he was not dead. In fact, they were so friendly that when he left for home he found several of his hosts' children in the seams of his undershirt. Somehow or other they hated to leave him ; he surely had a winning way with strangers. ! ' Cpls. Smith and Ferguson, two of B Battery's most famous im- personators of the tired telephone girl, once pulled off a Noah's Ark expedition. Noah possessed an Ark, whereas Smith and Fergnison did not. The two at the Brabant position, that quiet place where nothing ever fell but rain and several mil- lion G. I. cans and beaiicoup gas shells, were stationed in a hole near the guns that a Grerman H. E. shell had blown out. A tin roof over the top made the shell hole quite homelike, with almost enough room to raise a telephone receiver to your mouth. By imitating a snake, one could crawl into the hole. For a time all went well and then one night the skies wept and wept and wept. Soon Ferguson and Smith were sailing on a high sea in company with a mouse, a box of fifty ink tablets and a telephone. When dawn came, bringing relief, Smith was found with one hand pressed against the ceiling to keep from being floated out through the roof, and his clothes were stained a lovely shade of blue, from too close contact with the aforementioned ink tablets. As for Ferguson — well, he was stand- ing out in a poui'ing rain, ' ' trying to keep dry, " as he put it. Battery B, Deesen, Germany Eggs is eggs! That is — sometimes — as Speed Henderson, alias William T., can readily testify. It was in darkest Germany that 230 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Speed saw an egg wliich some lien had left carelessly reposing on a straw pile. Henderson, executing a flanking movement, took the hen fruit by surprise and captured it. Carefully and tenderly he placed it in his pocket, and speeding to the billet of B Battery's B. C. Detail, held his trophy aloft and crowed, "Ha! ha! now I'll have a fried egg for supper!" The fire was hot, the frying pan was on. Click, click, click, he tried to break the shell. Again he essayed the job. Nothin' doin'. "Humph," grunted Henderson, "this egg must be of the hard-shell variety." He looked closely at his prize and then the truth came out. The egg was nothing more than one of those china affairs with which farmers fool their hard-working hens. DUGOUTS My Dugouts always were to me A place where solace I could find, There I regained that luxury Of lost quiescence of the mind. In tranquil calm I there could light My pipe which was a pal to me, And to the friends at home could write And visions of my sweetheart see. A few stray shells might hurst around, I 'd smile and puff quite unperturbed, As I would hear the mufiled sound Which left sereneness undisturbed. At night I could enjoy repose. The touch of Morpheus' subtle hands, When deep unconscious thought arose And carried me to other lands. BATTERY C ^w^!i3^:s^-^^^;v5i.jEii ja On September 10, 1917, in the warm rays of a declining autumn sun. Battery C, 322d Field Artillery, was assembled on the battery parade ground in advance of a hike over the winding roadways of the Chillicothe hills. Rolls were called and the entire Battery was found to be present, all twenty-one of them — nine officers and twelve en- listed men. This might seem to indicate a preponderance of officers as compared to the en- listed personnel. The calling of the roll, how- ever, had not indicated this, for Lieut. Charles D. Wilcox, Acting 1st Sergeant, had reported Acting Mess Sergeant, Lieut. A. N. Fishburne, Acting Supply Ser- geant, Lieut. F. W. Gunther, Acting Stable Sergeant, Lieut. James F. McCaslin and Acting Chiefs of Section, Lieuts. J. G. Lowe and E. H. Jones, as present. Since this was destined to be a day of his- toric interest to the Battery, it might not be amiss to recall the names of the rest of those present. The Battery Commander, Capt. Rutherford Fullerton, had in store for him the command of the Battery during its army life, with the exception of the time when he was temporarily detached for instruction at the Fort Sill School of Fire. Depai'tment A (materiel) was under the supervision of 1st Lieut. William McK. Green, later destined to become Captain commanding Battery B. Department C (mess) was in charge of 2d Lieut. Edgar E. Hillyer, who continued to supervise that vitally important department until the final roll call of the Battery. Department D (supply) was in charge of 2d Lieut. Josiah D. Thompson, for whom the vicissitudes of war had Camp Sherman, October, 1917 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 233 in store a promotion to First- Lieutenant, the position of Battery Reconnaissance Officer and a wound stripe. The enUsted personnel of tlie Battery on that day, with the ex- ception of Sgt. Allen Brann and Cpl. Samuel W. Gordon, who dis- tinctly bore the mark of the trained regular army soldier, was a non- descript line-up of embarrassed-looking individuals, clad in a strange admixture of civilian and military clothes. Pvt. Ernest A. Garrison, who has the distinction of being the first enlisted man assigned to the 322d Field Artillery, and who soon was to become a Corporal, and as Battery Clerk was to have charge throughout its history of the office When Camp Sherman Was Paet Cornfield affairs of the organization, Avas the proud possessor of khaki breeches with doughboy leggings and an 0. D. shirt, but was finished top and bottom Avith pointed patent leather shoes and a beautiful green felt hat. Pvt. Charles W. Keiter, later destined to be permanently in command of the third section of the firing battery, looked rather apologetic in a 1916 model "Knox" straw hat, a blue-striped shirt with his initials on the sleeve, a pair of army breeches without leg- gings, and army shoes at which he kept looking down as though he suspected they were about to float him into further strange and untoward experiences. The other rookies, likewise clad in a strange composition of army misfits and citizen left-overs, were men who were destined to be carried on the roll of the Battery as Mess Sgt. Edwin C. Abe, Signal Sgt. Russell C. Pritchard, Saddler Melvin P. Gregory, Cook Victor VanScoyk, Line Sgts. Benjamin C. Morris and Howard E. Dils, Pvts. Oliver G. CoUings and Harry Tangeman. Most of them Avere to stay with the Battery throughout its history ; 234 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Cannoneer's Equipment the exceptions being Sgt. Dils, who was returned to a base hospital, with blood poisoning, on the day the Armistice was signed. Sgt. Morris, who was transferred to the Officers ' Training Camp at Camp Sherman, Cpl. Gordon, transferred to Headquarters Troop, 83d Divi- sion ; Pvt. CoUings, transferred to Supply Company, and Pvt. Tange- man, who was relieved from duty with the army, it having been de- cided that he was not rightfully subject to draft. The intricacies of the tactical movement, ' ' Right face, forward march," having been executed, the Battery proceeded to "one, two, three, four" out of the barracks area and then in column of route con- tinued the march along one of the many shaded roads that radiated from the camp. After a half hour of hiking, during which time Pvt. Keiter could not deflect his gaze from the amazing army shoes so recently acquired, and the rest showed the strain of assumed non- chalance, the .Battery halted and Avas ordered to fall out in the shade of a spreading Buckeye tree. Under orders from "higher authority," the Captain proceeded to a lecture on the subject of Army Discipline. He was secretly glad that his two years' lecture tour through the United States, England, France, Luxembourg and Grermany was thus having its inception with such a small and select audience. It was considerably easier to take his first flight in the realm of oratory before this group than it would have been to make his maiden speech in the presence of a battery organization of full strength. The subject of Army Discipline having Camp Sherman Jewelry HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 235 been tlioroughly covered in a succinct discourse of about ten minutes, the Battery Commander Avas about to reassemble the organization when there happened an incident that was destined to have its effect on the entire future history of Battery C. The enhsted personnel had been seated in a semicircle listening to the words of wisdom of their Battery Commander. Pvt. Morris was in the center of this group. The flow of wisdom ceased. Pvt. Morris, with his thoughts still in Dayton, reached out for another succulent- looking wisp of hay. He grasped instead four four-leaf clovers. He got up and with a mixture of salute and bow, presented them to the Battery Commander. The Battery Commander found it a bit easier to extemporize about this precursor of a happy future for the Battery than he had found the big subject of Army Discipline. To cut a standard length drill period down to its usual duration, it will suffice to say that the Battery was soon thereafter dismissed at its parade ground over- looking Mt. Logan, but that the four-leaf clovers were carefully preserved. They Avere turned over to one of the many helpful sisters, mothers, wives and sweethearts of the Battery. Thanks to her artistic touch, they were placed in a little red frame, gracefully arranged about a hand-painted replica of C Battery's cross cannon insignia and beneath them the momentous date of 9-10-17 was inscribed. This little red frame soon became our most valued piece of orderly room furniture and served as a reminder of "C Battery luck" wherever on the face of two continents and the British Isles fate had it in store for Battery Clerk Grarrison to open up shop. The deep study of the psychology of the soldier is one that has engaged the minds of scientists for ages. If any member of Battery C is ever asked for an expression on the subject, he has but to look ■wise and tell the story of the four-leaf clovers. These four little plants have to their credit a great deal of the buoyant spirit which permeated the organization throughout its history. As the member- W^ Cannoneers 236 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 'Cannoneers, Posts!" ship of the Battery grew, the story of the four-leaf clovers Avas dis- seminated among the rookies and with the emblems always on view in the orderly room, the good luck of the Battery soon became an estab- lished fact. The psychological result was that every member of the organiza- tion formed the habit of expecting C Battery luck to make itself evi- dent whenever it was needed to help us over the bumps and vicissi- tudes of our army expe- rience. It was the de- sire to see the clover leaves deliver the goods that developed the ten- dency among us all to look on the bright side of things. This caused us to compare ourselves with less lucky batteries of the Regiment rather than to look with envy and disappointment on any one battery which may have secured better billets or fared better than C in some other respect. The very best evidence that the influence of the four- leaf clovers had lasted throughout the war was given when someone chanced to notice that the Battery was cross- ing the bridge over the Rhine near Coblenz at 13 minutes past 13.00 o'clock (army time des- ignation) on Friday, the 13th of December. He had no sooner announced this fact than some other member of the Battery said, ' ' This is certainly an unlucky moment for Germany. ' ' Such was the spirit of the organization from the Scioto to the Rhine. Esprit-de-corps ! There wasn't going to be no corps, it was esprit- de-four-leaf clover. Arms Over Head — Eaise ! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 237 After this momentous hike to the hills, the Battery began rapidly to develop into a well-rounded organization. Officers who had been attached for duty were shifted to other fields as the development of the noncommissioned staff made their assistance unnecessary. On September 19, eighty-seven recruits were received from Dayton, on September 20, fourteen from Eaton, and on October 3, seventy from Middletown and Hamilton. On October 10, the first noncommissioned officers were appointed — Pvts. Pritchard, Morris and Keiter being promoted to Corporals. From then on promotions to the grades of Sergeant and Corporal were frequent occasions until the total author- ized number were on the rolls. November 6 ushered in the first of the equine members of the Battery — six black geldings whom we sus- pected of having passed the draft age. We had plenty of drivers, but no currycombs, brushes or other equipment. Equipment of all kinds was our crying need from then on. Had we not been preparing for war, our efforts to drill with homemade wooden guns and caissons would certainly have been pathetic. How- ever, the mysteries of "squads east and west" and other foot move- ments were still new to us and were good for several hours each day, while generous time allowance for athletics gave us something be- sides soldiering to think about, and with our baseball, basket ball and football teams helped to build up a strong battery spirit. "C Battery luck" seemed to stay back in barracks when we participated in baseball and football, but this was forgotten when we captured the Regimental basket ball championship. We admitted this was not luck, either, but was due to the masterful training and coaching of Lieut. Hyer and the excellent work of Guard Francis Miltner and Forward Leo Sajovitz. The fall and early winter passed with few milestones other than celebrations such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, pulled off in our Annex or dining room, apartments which, as 238 HISTORY OF THE 322d I^IELD AETILLEEY we looked back on them from the billets of France, Luxembourg and Germany, appeared the acme of luxury. On December 1, 1st Lieut. Walter W. Allen and 2d Lieuts. John A. Hyer and Francis W. Kultcher were attached for duty. These officers remained with the Battery throughout most of the remaining time sjDent in the United States and their separation from the organiza- tion was to the deep regret of the officers and men, all of whom had formed a sincere regard for them. On January 5, 2d Lieuts. Wilcox and Thompson were promoted to First Lieutenants and 1st Lieut. Grreen was commissioned Captain and transferred to Battery B. During the period of Capt. Fuller- ton's attendance at the School of Fire at Fort Sill, Capt. Grreen was reassigned to and had charge of the Battery. n February 1 4 , with four three-inch . gxms which then com- prised the artillery materiel of the Brigade, Battery C took up its first actual tiring posi- tion on the target range at Stony Creek, Ohio. What Valley Forge was to the spirit of '76, Stony Creek was to the esprit-de-four-leaf clover. The novelty of gim fire was not sufficient to dispel the gloom caused by the weather conditions. Luck was with us, however, for at the little station of Pride on the N. & W. Railroad near by was a lunch counter where could be obtained in the shape of large and luscious mince and apple pies, the nucleus for the happy memories which now ai'e uppermost when Stony Creek is mentioned. The next few months developed into a period during which the Battery in a sense marked time while the commissioned staff were perfecting their artillery education at Fort Sill. The Battery was successively under the command of Capt. Green, Lieut. Thompson and Lieut. Wilcox, until each of these officers was ordered to the school. Plenty of horses, some harness and a nondescript assort- ment of artillery materiel were on hand and were put to use in road marches and maneuvers. An extremely muddy spring following the HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 239 severe winter only served to make marking time a sloppier operation. The determination of the Battery to see the bright side of things always predominated, however, and some of the episodes that made us "Pack up our troubles" are deserving of a place in this history. Pvt. Linsmayer won't mind personal mention, for if his claim to immortality is based on his inability to keep step, we all know that in time he became a past master of that art. Sgt. Keiter, his section chief, had worked diligently with him, but the phrase "Sergeant, why can't you keep that man in step?" still served as one of those un- answerable questions which the higher in rank delight to fling down- ward. Sgt. Keiter was marching the entire Battery back from the drill field one day when he saw that they were going to be given the "once over" by the B. C. He called them 1 attention but of course Linsmayer, con- spicuously placed, was out of step. It was a time for quick thinking, and Sgt. Keiter deliv- ered the goods. Chang- ing step himself, he be- gan loudly to "Hep, hep," in the cadence with Linsmayer. The whole Battery shifted to the other foot and swung like a perfectly articulated machine past the Captain, whose self-satisfaction was patent. Pvt. Habkemeier made a place for himself in the annals of the Battery when, after only a week or two of soldiering, he was sent up to Headquarters to act as orderly. He didn't have a very clear idea about the job as subsequent events indi- cated. "Well, sir, I guess I was sent up here to help you work," was his reply to a crisp interrogation from the Regimental C. 0. Shell shock had no terrors for Capt. FuUerton after the shock to which his nervous system was subjected during the "march past" in the first big review by the Assistant Secretary of War. The men had re- ceived only their preliminary training in foot movements and no attempt had been made at maintaining a marching front of a platoon, much less a battery line. It was with feelings akin to horror that the announcement Avas received at the Battery Commanders ' meeting Field Rations 240 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY the morning of tlie event, that the reviewing stand would be passed in a eohimn of batteries in line. We were recruited almost to full strength by this time, so this meant a line of about one hundred and sixty men (front and rear rank), trying to keep abreast of each other. The Assistant Secretary was going to be on the left flank so the guide had to be announced as left. There was a lot of in- tensive training that morning and until the eventful hour arrived. The Battery Com- mander had it all planned out in his mind just how the show was Hash Line to be staged. Column of squads until the markers were reached, then "Squads left," followed by "Guide left," then a few paces further, "Eyes left," and a snappy salute from the B. C. All went well until the point arrived when "Guide left" was to be flung back over his shoulder. " "Left dress" were the words that awoke the echoes of Mt. Logan and the Buckeye stalwarts, some slightly dazed, others totally uncon- scious that they were doing anything extraor- dinary, snapped their left hand up to their hips and looked ear- nestly for the button of the coat of the second man to the left. The command had literally been flung backward so that it wasn't until an intangible something told him that all was not as it should be to rear- wards, that Capt. FuUerton took a backward glance. There were his heroes at the full thirty-inch stride doing a single-handed arms akimbo, jogging each other in the ribs and looking like chorus boys -,;fia.,.:.^kSSr~^S^-. Feeding in Field HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 241 in some comic opera fantasie. -If a shell hole had been handy he would have taken his first steps in an art at which he Avas later to become a past master. As things were, he had only time to shont, "Front," and "Eyes left," before Battery C's part of the review had passed into history. Another good one on the B. C. happened soon after the Kentuckians had arrived. The introduction of their south- ern accent had added a few more to the many ways of answering "Here" at muster. Some other things had gone wrong that day, so it was with gusto that the Captain stopped short in the midst of a monthly muster for pay to correct this disparity in pronunciation. "That word is 'Here,'" he said, "not 'Ho' or 'Whoa' or anythingelsebuthere, 'i?-e-a-r,' here, and I want you to remem- ber it." They certainly did and always will. Many other bright spots will always serve to illuminate in retrospect the passage of Battery C down the corridors of time, but space will not permit of their being mentioned in this chronicle. Toward the latter part of May, 1918, the sudden recall of Lieuts. Thompson and Wilcox from the Fort Sill School prior to the end of their course, and other portentous events began to point to our early departure for the promised land. The Battery had passed through many weeding-out and replenishing processes. It had at one time been up to full war strength of 194 enlisted men, but had been gradually reduced by transfers, exemptions and other processes to a strength of 117. Then, on May 31, when we were wondering from what source our strength would be augmented, our luck came to the fore again and a consignment of jovial, whole-hearted boys from the hills of Kentucky arrived from Camp Ta3dor and were immediately taken into the fold. On June 3, Batteries C and D, under the com- mand of Capt. FuUerton, left via the B. & 0. for parts unknown. The Battery felt rather hurt that they were required to travel at night in day coaches. Again they were lucky for they could not fore- see the box cars for "hommes — 40, chevaux — 8" from which they were destined to view the hills and dales of la belle France. The daylight trip through the Cumberland Valley, followed by a Along Scioto Eiver 242 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Mke in Washington, witli a distant view of the Capitol and Wash- ington's Monument, opened the eyes of many a boy from Dayton and the Kentucky hills to the wonders of the land for which they had been so long preparing to fight. The trip on a ferryboat from Jersey City around Manhattan Island to Brooklyn, the short stay of a week at Camp Mills, Long Island, the return "Seeing-New- York" trip from the deck of a ferryboat and the embarkation and early morning passing of the Liberty Statue are other points which will be remembered by every soldier of the Regiment. Other pages of the history which the Battery has in common with the entire Regiment are the docking at Liverpool on June 24, with Real Soldiers in Four Months the funny incident of the wild scramble from the hold when the anchor dropped with its deafening clangor. It sounded like any- thing from a torpedo to a depth bomb to our overwrought sensibili- ties and everybody grabbed for a life preserver and made a rush. Everybody but Straub ; he arrived on deck among the first but in his haste he had grabbed up a pillow on which to float shoreward. Then there were the two days at the rest camp at Knotty Ash with our short experience at marching with left-hand traffic rules. This was followed by the beautiful daylight trip through the heart of Eng- land and the nightmare of the Channel crossing from Southampton to Le Havre, with room enough for the men to sit on the floor by turns. At the Southampton docks a sight had awaited us that was food for thought. The British had just shipped back for repairs a large num- ber of eighteen pounders. Light artillery which gave evidence of having been through what we might expect. Some of the broken HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 243 Individual Cooking breech-blocks and tubes were clearly due to prematures, but certain g-uns with their trails bent skyward like the tails of scorpions, and others with shields perforated like sieves, gave evidence of direct or near direct hits from the Boche, which had a distinctly subduing influence. After the Channel trip, four days at Le Havre gave us our first opportunity to use our French phrase books and our first sound of the big guns booming at the Front. The life of the Bat- tery became more a story of its own after we had reached that vil- lage of sweet memories, Guipry la Porte, lUe-et- Vilaine, France. Here we certainly considered it luck to be billeted in this quaint village of Brittany on the bank of the Vilaine River, where during the warm days of July and August we could take time off for daily plunges in the river under the heading on the drill schedule of ' ' Swimming instruction. ' ' It was there that we were initiated into the mys- teries of billet life. We all look back with senti- mental reflections o n the belles of the vil- lage — Rosie and Louise. The river, the two lit- tle cafes, and, above all, the endearing little French kiddies, will remain a Battery memory until the last tottering veteran of us has answered the final roll call. It was there that we received our instruments of death — our French 75 's, "Jack Rabbit," "Yankee Girl," "Broncho" and "Buckeye," which served us so unfalteringly throughout the remainder of our army experience. There, too, we were first left unprotected by the 244 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY skirts of the W. C. T. U. in the face of the dread demon wine, and solved the problem of defensive tactics by the introduction of the "Buddie system." All men were paired as buddies and both suf- fered equally for the transgressions of either. This developed a marked spirit of solicitude for the good behavior of others and an indisposition to subject one's buddie to disciplinary measures for one's own transgressions, more particularly if said buddie was of generous physical proportions. It resulted only two or three times during our six weeks ' stay in a partnership contract to dig with pre- cision and then refill, a buddie hole of specified length, width and depth on the outskirts of the battery park. Our march of twen- ty-five kilometers to Camp Coetquidan gave us a foretaste of the then little-s uspected fact that in France the artillery moved a pied. Throughout our train- ing expei'ience we had confidently looked for- ward to a time when each man would be mounted, either on a horse or on a carriage seat. It was not long after our arrival at the target range at Coetquidan, however, that the sad knowledge was borne in upon us that we were in large part foot soldiers. Again for a period of five weeks we returned to barrack life and the daily routine of the Battery became an integral part of the regimental activities. On September 4, 2d Lieut. James E. Hayes was attached to the Battery.. As a graduate of the Artillery School at Saumur, France, and an ex-cavalryman who had participated in the recent Mexican campaign, he brought to the Battery a knowledge of artil- lery and horses, together Avith an endearing personality, that soon assured him a permanent place in the organization. During the clos- ing days of our training period, we fired over 3000 rounds at inani- mate targets with our 75 's and left Coetquidan with them on Septem- ber 21, feeling that we could make them talk business to the Hun at any point on the Front where the directing powers decided to send us. The final makeup of Battery C as it went forward to do its bit All Down for Mess HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 245 Battery C — Orderly Eoom should certainly be made a part of this history. As an appendix hereto will be found the roster of those who made up its war strength of six officers and 173 men as it marched out of its training into its fighting days. Our trip from Coetquidan was our first experience at railroad travel with full artillery equipment. Both the entraining and detrain- ing were accomplished in the dark. The fact that our French horses were in large part vet- erans entitled to sev- eral stripes for service at the Front, was of marked assistance i n the work of loading and unloading. They evi- dently had had more experience than we with the "hommes — 40, chevaux — 8" system of the French railroads. The batteries of the Regiment left, each in a separate train of fifty cars, at about four- hour intervals. Battery C was the last of the six batteries to leave Coetquidan, and was followed by the Head- quarters Company. Without any knowl- edge of our destination, we traveled for forty- eight hours through a beautiful section of France and were given a glimpse en route of Versailles, Melun and Batters L '.s Hume i\ Germany all that part of gay Pai'ee comprising the upper one-third of the Eiffel Tower. When we left Coetquidan, we had been warned to expect a five days' trip and were therefore un- prepared for an order which reached us at midnight of the second day, to detrain at Revigny, a point fifty kilometers from the Front. Luck- ily we received this order during a stop of sufficient length to allow our g-uards to make a dash through the rain and inky darkness to 246 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY wake the "hommes — 40" reposing on the floors of the dinky little French box ears. This gave them time to get their belongings to- gether and be ready to unload the "chevanx — 8" from each of the exactly similar Pullmans which comprised the horse section of the train. Before dusk that evening, we had been told that the train would proceed without lights and that no smoking inside the cars would be allowed, due to possible enemy airplane attack. It was, therefore, with our first sympathetic feeling for the chicken that senses a hawk in the sky, that we detrained at Revigny. As soon as we had been able to grope our way about on the unloading platform, we found that there was another military train unload- ing on the opposite side of the same quay. This later developed to be Battery B of our Regi- ment. It was an added difficulty to unload on the same platform the horses and materiel of two batteries in the inky darkness of this rainy September night. How- ever, before the first glimmer of dawn both batteries, under the command of the senior officer present, Capt. Fullerton, had hitched-in and were on the march in accordance with instructions given to them by a Staff Officer who had awaited their arrival at Revigny. It was a very tired and travel-stained train of men and horses that slopped into Villotte-devant-Louppy, the town that was destined to give them their last taste of billet life until the Armistice was signed. Arriving about noon, the horses were watered, fed and groomed, mess was served about one o'clock and all hands went to bed. At four o 'clock orders were received that from then on all marching would be done at night and that during the daytime men, animals and materiel would be concealed from airplane observation. The order also con- tained the news that we were to proceed at dusk to a point at the southern extremity of the Forest of Argonne, near Waly, where we would bivouac in the woods before dawn. With men and horses far from revived by their three-hour rest, we pulled out about seven Dam, Breitenau, Germany HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 247 'clock and proceeded, still in rain and mud, along roads wMcli were now beginning to show evidence of "Front" activities. Innumerable trains of huge French trucks with never a lamp or even lighted cigarette beat their way rearward or overtook our slowly moving caravan. The sound of artillery firing and the flash illumina- tion of the sky made clear to all of us the fact that we were getting close to war's alarms. We reached our objectives just in time to avail ourselves of the woods' concealment before break of day. Our in- structions had been to await further orders there, so pup tents were pitched, picket ropes stretched from tree to tree and men and animals made as comfortable as a chilly atmosphere and ! rain-soaked ground would permit. Reveille was announced for noon and everyone slept until the 1st Sergeant's whistle announced its arrival. We had bid good-bye for the re- mainder of otir war experience to the mar- tial strains of the bugle. The day wore on and we had about decided that we were going to revert to the habit of sleeping at nighttime, had served evening mess and were beginning to think about turning in, when the ever watchful Staff Officer again reached us with orders to proceed at once and take up a position for battle on the outskirts of the Forest of Hesse. "Battle," that word made us pause. It sounded as though something was really expected of us and we began to wonder just how we were going to act and feel while delivering the goods. The officer bearing these instructions stated that he had only been sent to verify orders which had been forwarded to us earlier in the day. He was surprised to find us unprepared to leave, but the orders which he was supposed to be foUo'wing up had never been received. Breaking camp, harnessing and hitching in the darkness, were new experiences to us and we got started two or three hours later than we would have, had Ave received the earlier order and been able to pre- pare in daylight to proceed at dusk. With C Battery leading, the two organizations left in the clear moonlight, the Battery Commanders Dam near Beeitenau 248 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEBY realizing that only an undelayed forced march would land them at the designated position before dawn. It was on this night that even our limited knowledge told us that preparations for something big at the Front were being made. The roads were alive with military traffic of all descriptions. The ever present trucks were competing with a medley of foot and horse traffic, comprising all of the many branches of combat troops which go to make up a battle organization for present-day warfare. Eoad jams and delays were constant and at one crossroad our little artillery column was held up for over an hour. It soon became apparent that we would not reach the Forest of Hesse before daylight. Lieut. Bacon of Battery B was despatched to Brigade Headquarters at Vraincourt, the result of his trip being that we camped in the early morning hours in a wooded patch at a point south of Reci- court, about two kilo- meters away from the southern edge of the Forest of Hesse. "With the noise of a heavy bombardment, the flash of guns and the more prolonged illumination of rockets greeting us from the north, we pitched camp and again turned in for a sleep at daybreak. It Avas about eleven o 'clock when Col. Warfield arrived in a motor car with instructions that we abandon caution and proceed at once by daylight to the position assigned the Regiment for action near Ferme des AUieux in the Forest of Hesse, to the east of the Forest of Argonne. Here again C Battery history merges into the common history of the Regiment and can better be told by the chronicler of the larger unit. It happened that in the advance to the position, B Bat- tery was in the lead and traffic was so congested that, although C Battery's position was reconnoitered and telephone lines laid before midnight, the Battery itself was not in position until almost dawn. At 4.45 a.m., September 26, C Battery guns spoke for the first time in no uncertain terms to their vis-a-vis, the despicable Hun. They were destined during the month and a half of war yet remaining to spit out at him 11,051 projectiles. Shaking the Bones, Battery C HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 249 Washing Mess Kits, Battery C We remained in this position without a casualty and left it on October 3 with a rather mistaken idea of the horrors of war. We had become used to the sound of both shells and airplanes passing to and fro overhead, had seen two Allied balloons brought down by Boche planes and had watched from our terrestrial shelters many a bom- bardment from anti- aircraft guns of both Allied and enemy planes. Here, too, we had our first taste of dugout life, some with dugouts as permanent residences and others with pup tents pitched within easy jumping distance of a dugout entrance or trench. But on the day we opened fire the enemy had withdrawn their artillery so that we had been shelled- only during the first night when we took up the position. We were all working so hard then, getting our guns and ammunition through the traffic jam and emplaced, that we hardly realized we were under fire. So some of us felt like pooh-pooh- ing the horrors of war, not knowing that our experience so far had been very much out of the ordinary. After the Grerman retreat, many of us went up and made a close inspection of the Hindenburg Line. As far east and west as time would permit us to pick our way among barbed-wire entanglements, shell holes and mine craters, we found earthworks, indicating an expenditure of labor that hurt our Yankee pride in the Panama Canal. The trenches and en- tanglements paralleled a long, steep hill. This hill held the living- quarters of the Hindenburg linesmen. It was like a five- or six-story 1/1 Hf &.'- ^ 'Z-JiM'^-z^sm M Artillery Guarding Eoads, Wittgert, Germany 250 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY subterranean apartment house. It had long galleries with chambers hewn out to right and left and with stairways leading from one level to the next. The lowest level was like the usual basement, with a power plant, machine shop and storage rooms. The power plant consisted of two gasoline engines of about 150 Hp., each directly connected to 75 kilowatt direct-current generators. From this room radiated insulated cables in every direction. In another part of the plant was a water pump, motor driven, and still another modern convenience was a huge ventilating fan which carried fresh air to all parts of this abode. All quarters were equipped with stoves, chairs, large framed family portraits, shelves full of books and irrefutable evidence that much wine - ~ - ! had been entirely con- sumed before we ar- rived. It was one of our most vivid impres- sions of the reckless extravagance of the Hun when they were sure that France and England were going to pay for it all. All this nosing about Tractor ou our part was possible because the Germans had been pushed back out of range of our 75 's on the first day, so that only the heavies were busy. It was at this position that Pvts. Bond and Rodgers had an exciting time effecting the close defense of the kitchen during their first night-guard duty at the Front. Foot- prints found the next day in the mud seemed to indicate that the marauder was a cat, but those two sons of the Blue Grass State were going to take no chances. Our canned salmon sufl'ered the severest casualties and from the appearance of the kitchen in the morning, we all decided that the ' ' goldfish, ' ' even back home in their swift-flowing Yukon, could never have passed through the barrage that Hilary and Collie laid down. After leaving this position, where the entire six batteries had been in line along one crest, we saw very little of the 2d Battalion of our Regiment, A, B and C taking up positions as a Battalion and our movements being in large part not coincident with those of D, E and F Batteries. We left the Forest of Hesse October 3, and after a HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 251 Our Neighbors, 324th Heavy Artillbrt — 155 mm. cold and wet night march, very long from the standpoint of time con- sumed, we reached Camp Gallieni, a so-called rest camp, about twenty kilometers to the southeast of our first position. On October 5, we passed around the outskirts of Verdun and took up a position about two kilometers northeast of Cumieres, on the banks of the Mouse, in front of what had once been a Avell-built rail- road, but which at this late date in the war served only to impress upon us what the Boche artillery really could do when they set their minds to it. The tracks passed immediately in the rear of the guns of all three batteries, and there Avere hardly two consecutive rails which remained still joined together. Ties splintered and rails broken and twisted into innumer- able fantastic shapes, together with a maze of shell holes, told us that our war experience had as yet been limited. Here again, however, we were participating in a glorious push forward which gave the German artillery no opportunity to pay attention to a handful of 75 's, when safety in flight was their paramount desire. It was here, however, that we were given some attention at night by a German bombing plane, which threw gravel into some of our dugouts, but did nothing more serious than disturb our slumbers. During our stay, the Battery ran the gamut of artillery firing with defensive barrages, rolling barrages, accompanying fires, interdictions, harass- ing fires and other high-sounding procedures, all of which boiled down meant ' ' potting the Hun. ' ' Breitenau, Germany 252 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY Our range gradually lengthened and finally on October 11, we again advanced and took up a position at close range, about one kilo- meter northeast of Brabant. Here is where we saw more of warfare as it was enacted during the closing days of the great war than at any other point. Our Batteries were separated and camouflaged in the midst of an elaborate trench system which had been dug and only recently abandoned by the Grermans. We were adjacent to a main road extending northward, along which, both day and night, a con- stant ebb of troops and war materiel went forward, and an equally steady flow of ambulances and walking cases passed rearward. The Germans seemed determined to hold the Allies at this point and during all of the eighteen days that we occupied the position we were subject to shell fire, both high explosive and gas. It was during Church at Breitenau, Germany this time that Lieut. Hillyer and Scout Cpl. Lodge, while on liaison duty with the infantry, which our battalion was supporting, became inti- mate with Grerman gas shells. So intimate that they had to retire to the rest and seclusion of their respective dug- outs for several days thereafter. Other gas casualties here Avere Cpl. Einer and Pvts! Carter, Cox and Stogsdill. But C Battery luck was still with us. There were enough other close shaves to enable any of us in the years to come to cause spinal chills even in the w^arm glow of an American fireside, but our only "hospital case" was the result of a bullet in the foot of Pvt. Myron Eoberts, which we all felt was more than counterbalanced by the wound stripe to which it en- titled him. That we fared better than other units while the Eegi- ment was at this position in the vicinity of Brabant is indicated by the total casualty figures for this eighteen-day period: gassed, 59; wounded, 20; killed, 15. We had by this time become entirely inured to the life of the hum- ble mole. For three weeks w-e lived in dugouts of either early French or late Grerman architecture. The cootie had become our comrade- in-arms and with the constant rainy weather, we had adapted our- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 253 selves to a kind of amphibious mixture of land and water existence. At the last two positions the Battery had been split, the Battery Com- mander, Reconnaissance Officer, Executive and an Assistant Execu- tive, together with the B. C. Detail and two gun crews for each gun had lived a dugout life at the gun position, Avhile the remainder of the Battery, with the horses and limbers and other wheeled materiel, had been maintained at an echelon at a point a few kilometers in the rear. Not so far in the rear, however, but that this portion of the Battery had its share of enemy shell fire and bombing. On October 29, we were once more ordered back for a rest at Camp Grallieni. Like our previous experience at this same haven, we remained there one night and on the 31st started again front- ward. Three night marches with their com- plement of three days and a night spent in bivouac or abandonee 1 dugouts brought us to a German "Sol date n- heim" near Nantillois. These marches, like our previous ones, had been of a strenuous nature, made mostly in cold and rainy weather amidst a congestion of hetero- geneous traffic. A new feature, though, was the innumerable trucks loaded with pontoon boats, evidently destined for the Mouse. This " Soldatenheim " had recently been a German "Camp Gallieni," where troops had evidently been returned for recuperation and re- organization. When we arrived, the camp showed the effects of a recent hard struggle, the walls of all the wooden buildings were per- forated by rifle- and maehine-gTin fire and the large number of soldier graves as well as the admixture of American, French and German helmets, canteens, haversacks and similar equipment, gave evidence of the severity of the struggle which had taken place there. During the five days of our stay, the Battery became addicted to the gentle sport of souvenir hunting, also that of nicknack making and many German cartridges and rotating bands were fashioned into paper knives, ash trays, etc., for the uses of peace, and destined to grace the homes of returned heroes. It Avas there that a good many of us Battery C Cooks 254 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Important Formation, Battery C contrived to again take a bath. Here, also, the whisperings that had been coming to us of a possible armistice began to grow louder and one night we actually went to sleep with the mistaken assurance that the end of hostilities had arrived. It turned out later that the basis for the rumor which so quickly became a belief was that trucks moving along the road no longer traveled in darkness but operated with head- lights ablaze. This we found out the next day had been due to a change of operating or- ders, but it was the ar- rival of several large caliber German shells which first awakened us to a realization that our convictions were unfounded. Another reminder that we were still operating under conditions of warfare was an experience, exciting, to say the least, which Lieut. Hayes had during this period of comparative inactivity. On November 7 he was ordered to proceed with Lieut. Harold Rond- tlialer and two en- listed men of Battalion Headquarters on a for- Avard reconnaissance for possible battery posi- tions. In some way the party got past our fore- most infantry outposts and ran into a detach- ment of German foot soldiers officered by a Captain and Lieuten- ant. The first duty of a scout is to return with his information, and it was to the monkey drill of his cavalry days that Lieut. Hayes was destined to owe his escape from capture, or worse, at the hands of the Huns. His horse was shot from under him but by a short dash on foot and a leapfrog jump to a position in rear of one of the men, their mutual escape was effected. The escapes of Lievit. Rondthaler and the other man. Battery C Mess Hall HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 255 both, severely wounded, are stories for the Regimental historian, so will not be recorded in the pages of this strictly Battery C history. We left the morning of November 9 and traveled by daylight to Haraumont, where we ^___,. ^ spent the night and re- I ■■" 1 snmed the journey the ' i next day, arriving at Eeurey about 11.00 a.m., November 10. Although only twenty-four hours were to elapse before the Armistice was to become effective, we ^^SriifycC. ^£st ^tt.. «Smvw//K Battery C Mess Hall had nothing but ru- mors on which to base our hopes that peace was dawning, and the next few hours had in store for Battery C more of the bitter side of warfare than all of its previous experiences. As usual, the 1st and 2d Battalions of the Regiment were separated, and on this fateful morning, A and B Bat- teries had led the battalion column and were first to be placed in position, while C had to undergo one of their most unpleasant army experiences, the await- ing of orders, with noth- ing to do but watch German shells falling on a near-by branch of the road we were on. In this area the German airplanes seemed to have everything their own way. Twice while we stood on this stretch of road a German plane sailed over our heads close enough for our machine guns to take it under fire. We, of course, felt sure that this plane was directing the German artillery and that a shift to our fork of the road would follow its return to the German lines. The town of Eeurey was a nest of French and American artillery. It and its environs were being shelled continually. At about noon we were ordered to take a position to the west of town and did so, with Stand to Heel! Battery C 256 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY G-erman ISO's dropping nncomfortably close to our left flank. They were evidently searching out a battery of French artillery, which was about twenty-two meters in the rear of our position and they luckily missed us by about the same distance that they missed the French. Our position was in a little vegetable garden in the rear of a row of warehouses and stables. We dug our gun-pits as quickly as possible and were ready to fire at an early hour in the afternoon. It was on this afternoon that our four-leaf clovers showed their first signs of failing strength. Lieut. Josiah D. Thompson, while on a forward reconnaissance, was wounded by shell fragments in the hip and hand and was sent back to an evacuation hospital. His wounds necessi- tated his retention in the hospital until long after peace was assured, and without again joining the Battery, he was returned to the United States. All that night, the usual barrage, interdiction and harassing fire data were being prepared, and the "H" hour for an accompanying- barrage was set at seven o'clock. We had hardly fired the initial volley, however, when the welcome and memorable order came down from Battalion Headquarters, "Cease Firing, End of War." The Germans had received no such orders, however, and at the very moment that the command was transmitted to the guns, a number of shells fell in the immediate vicinity. It was with no thought of cheer- ing for peace that the men broke for cover, and the ensuing three hours, from eight to eleven, November 11, were the longest ever put in by any member of the Battery. We had been told that the Armis- tice was to go into effect at eleven o 'clock, French time, and while we were in buildings with thick walls and with shells dropping in the street in front of us and in the garden to the rear, we were wonder- ing when the middle of the roof would be the center of impact. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 257 Battery C Hiking in Germany Between 9.30 and 10.30 of this bombardment, one shell so severely Avonnded Wagoner B. G. Wilson, driver of our kitchen, that he was later reported as having died at a hospital, while three other shells wounded Pvts. Eugene I. Harris, Harry Wert, Netter Lee, Martin West and William H. O'Neil. The nature of the wounds of all these men was such that they never returned to the Battery. At the same time, three shells fell among our horses, which were picketed ad- jacent to the building. Three were killed and three so severely wounded that thej^ had to be shot, while several others were more or less disabled. At ten o'clock, we were ordered to fire eight retaliatory rounds. This we did, and at 10.07 was fired the 11,051st and last round "fired in anger" by Battery C. Eleven o'clock ushered in the new era of world peace. It was welcomed by nothing m ore demonstrative than a feeling of relief. To walk about without a steel helmet and gas mask and the ever pres- ent little subconscious feeling that the unex- pected might happen was like at Bunk Fatigue sea from the dangers of a heavy fog into clear sunlight. Flags which had been carried cased throughout the con- flict were unfurled, and band instruments made their appearance and blared forth the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "La Marseillaise." Thus ended C Battery's short but long enough war experience. The rehorsing and refitting of the Regiment at Ecurey during the next six clays, in preparation for the march to the Rhine, and the 258 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Harness Shed, Battery C incidents of that never-to-be-eqnalled historical journey of one month through France, Luxembourg, then past Coblenz and over the Rhine to the little German villages of Deesen and Breitenau will be recounted in the history of the Regiment of which this C Battery record is to be an ad- junct. It has been the endeavor to set forth in this account such por- tions of C Battery his- tory not brought out in the history of the Regi- ment, but it has been difficult not to tread on the heels of the Regi- mental historians. It only remains to mention strictly for the ears of Battery C men a few additional episodes which will bring back the old times more clearly to them than any grim historical facts and it has been thought best to make this in the nature of a postscript, which the earnest seeker for historical data may ignore. There were several associations and incidents connected with the Battery which will always b e interwoven with Battery history so far as members of the organization itself are concerned. The buoyant spirit and inspiration of Lieut. J. D. Thompson were never fully appre- ciated until his wound caused the severance of his association with us. To 1st Sgt. Brann, who was "Top Kick" from first to last, is paid the sincere esteem of every officer and man of the Battery. Edwin C. Abe, who held the diplomatic post of Mess Ser- geant and who served us our three squares per day through all the vicissitudes of barrack, billet and dugout life and train and horse transportation, will remain in our memories to the end of time. Bat- tery Clerk G-arrison and Chief Horseshoer Jones are two men whom German Cemetery HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 259 we have to tliank for accepting an invitation to join our war machine, for they were gone out after in a successful attempt to get the right man for the right place. And who will forget Jones's able assistant, Chester Parks? Chester, who on our barn- storming trip of one-night stands through Luxembourg, had to admit one night that he was mistaken about there being a goat stabled below his billet, as no goat could have stood the smell that permeated that stable. We can again thank "C Battery luck" for bringing to us such a joyous spirit as his. Then there was Pheanis, with his "Loyal Order of Snakes," and Slim Simpson, other than whom no one ever gave a cor- rect rendition of "Liza Jane." Two memories of the early days at Camp Sherman are "Big Boy" Weisman and the irrepressible Greek, Louis Seremetis. And there was Jim Davis, the juggler, who stuttered so when he went to ask the Captain for leave to get married that he was actually late for the ceremony. Will the B. C. Detail in days to come ever have a reunion and sing their favorite song, ' ' Kindling Wood," without a re- membrance of the three days' kitchen police it once brought them? And what about Ramey and Gardner? Wil'l they ever reach a time in life when they will themselves have a retrospec- tive shudder when they think of the time they stood out- side the dugout en- close ones" to come so they could throw gravel down the entrance and bring home more forcibly to a couple of Spraying Trees Sticking a Medal on "Eight Dress Bill' trance waiting for 260 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the boys up from the echelon, the risks of a job at the battery position. Doubtless in the days to come a "0 Battery Association" will be formed and it is easy to predict further that the meetings will be held at the Hotel Algonquin, Dayton, Ohio. There Sgt. Keiter, returned to his pre-war-time occupation, will welcome the boys as they assem- ble. For boys they will always be at those assemblies, no matter how far into the rosy dawn of universal peace the reunions may extend. And the compiler of this little history ventures to predict that year by year, as the time it is supposed to chronicle passes farther and far- ther into the shadow of things past, more and more details of your soldier-boy life will be remembered and more and more extensive will become the field of your war-time operations. This history will be- LuoK— Battery g come a paltry thing and with tongues unleashed from military discipline, the author, your Captain, he of the Full Knee Bend, will be discredited. And you will have it all your own way by the time you have reached that stage, for he is many years the senior of the oldest of you and won't be there to cry, Ten-chun! when you get too boisterous. Do I hear some one say, "C Battery luck"? ORGANIZATION OF BATTERY C ON SEPTEMBER 21, WHEN THE BATTERY STARTED FOR THE FRONT Battery Commander — Capt. Rutherford Fullerton Reconnaissance Officer — 1st Lieut. Josiah D. Thompson Executive — 1st Lieut. Charles D. Wilcox Assistant to Executive — 2d Lieut. James F. MeCaslin Combat Train Commander — 2d Lieut. Edgar E. Hillyer Department B (Horses) — 2d Lieut. James E. Hayes 1st Sergeant — Allen Brann Supply Sergeant — Owen L. Carlton Stable Sergeant — Russell C. Goodrich Battery Clerk — Ernest A. Garrison HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 261 First Section Sgt. Charley V. O'Neill Cpl. Clyde L. Shain Cpl. Louis Hetterich Pvt. Loren L. Gray Pvt. Charlie A. Morgan Pvt. Harry Schide Pvt. Victor VanScoyk Pvt. Clarence M. Willis Pvt. Howard Harlow Pvt. Clarence J. Madlinger Pvt. Fred Probst Pvt. Clarence Rhoads Pvt. Blgar Simmons Pvt. Lester Thomas Bgl. Frank P. Owens Second Section Sgt. Edward Harrison Cpl. Stanley H. Duke Cpl. Herbert C. Peirce Pvt. Ray W. Bennett Pvt. Alva W. Petty Pvt. Leslie W. Payton Pvt. James W. Peterson Pvt. Charles E. Bruen Pvt. Clyde M. Folger Pvt. Warner T. Kinslow Pvt. Harry Wells Pvt. Martin West Pvt. Winfield S. Belong Pvt. William McClearn Pvt. Myron Roberts Pvt. Albert C. Wissner Pvt. Philip G. Ryan Fourth Section Sgt. Carl Webb Cpl. Wilbur W. Bader Cpl. Oliver J. Bryer Pvt. John B. Billingsley Pvt. Joe Cleveland Pvt. Albert Cox Pvt. Willie P. Newell Pvt. Frank R. Cox Pvt. Amos Jones Pvt. Walter Knodel Pvt. Paul J. Michael Pvt. Raymond L. Reich Pvt. Ben Riley Pvt. William Straub, Jr. Fifth Section Sgt. Eugene Wager Pvt. Frank L. Harper Pvt. Charlie C. Thomason Pvt. Charles W. Ford Pvt. Charles C. Simpson Pvt. Morris Blum Pvt. Arthur Roberts Pvt. Clark 0. Wilson Pvt. General M. Edwards Pvt. Thomas E. Ozias Third Section Pvt. Thomas L. Wilson Sgt. Cpl. Charles W. Keiter James E. Weist Sixth Section Cpl. Frank C. Jones Sgt. Ronald K. Greist Pvt. Luther M. Witte Cpl. Robert C. Braun Pvt. William E. Canada Cpl. Leo Sajovitz Pvt. William English Pvt. Charles B. Abbott Pvt. Arthur E. Iverson Pvt. Oscar W. Hassan Pvt. Bryant L. Carter Pvt. Thomas A. Burke Pvt. Scott W. Little Pvt. Arthur Werts Pvt. Herschel Locke Pvt. Arl Byars 262 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Pvt. John J. Piatt Pvt. Carl W. Eley Pvt. Osiei- A. Hamilton Pvt. James W. Amburn Pvt. Charlie McDaniel Pvt. James A. Bland Pvt. Ivar N. Hanson Pvt. Ferdinand Linsmayer Pvt. Clarence W. White Pvt. Joe A. Wilson Pvt. John S. Skiles Pvt. Ernest Bowman Pvt. Homer Irwin Pvt. John H. Curry Pvt. Rufus Liebhard Pvt. Ora C. Sanford Pvt. Talmage Grider Pvt. Carl Siegrist Pvt. Clarence A. Sparks Pvt. Joseph R. Livesay Pvt. Guy A. Town Pvt. Neil Johnson Seventh Section Sgt. Fred B. Wallace Cpl. William C. Stiver Cpl. Walter 0. Moore Cpl. Glen S. Riner Pvt. Louis B. Burke Pvt. Lawrence Frederick Pvt. Albert Stuhlmueller Pvt. Eugene I. Harris Pvt. Ray R. Horn Pvt. Robert B. L. Lamb Pvt. Oscar Linville Pvt. James E. Paris Pvt. Bruce Taylor Pvt. Joseph L. Branson Cpl. William H. Boehner Pvt. Hilary G. Bond Pvt. William Garrett Pvt. Leslie Buckner Pvt. Walter Lytle Pvt. Netter Lee Pvt. Dale M. Woodson Pvt. Howard Barriger Pvt. Eugene D. Bangerter Pvt. I\Iartin V. Wilson Pvt. Dudley H. McDonald Eighth Section Sgt. Howard E. Oils Cpl. Carson Ivie Pvt. Charles G. Tucker Ninth Section Ch. Mec. William R. Hensel Mec. Robert D. Bowell Mec. Richard P. Breig Mec. Walter S. Clevenger Ch. Hsh. Hilbert F. Jones Hsh. Chester H. Parks Hsh. Simeon W. Pheanis Sdlr. Melvin P. Gregory Pvt. Thomas McGill Pvt. Harry Wert Cooks' Section Cook Leroy V. Fifer Cook Edwin H. Head Cook Fred L. Vanata Cook Joseph Wetzel Ap. Ck. William Morscher Ap. Ck. Chester McCoy Ap. Ck. Daniel A. Falconi B. C. Detail Sig. Sgt. Russel C. Pritehard Inst. Sgt. Cornelius V. Korb Cpl. Calvin V. Campbell Cpl. Martin J. Finn Cpl. Charles B. Gardner Cpl. Huber H. Lodge Cpl. John F. Owens Cpl. Carl A. Schmitt Cpl. Fred Widmaier Bgl. Gaston J. Lourteau HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 263 Bgl. Robert J. Saurer Men Sick in Camp Hospital Pvt. Carl Balonier ( j ^ ^ 1^^ ^ ^^ p^^^^^) Pvt. Vardy T. Bybee ^ ^ Pvt. Albert J. Burgmeier Mess Sgt. Edwin C. Abe Pvt. Claude D. Foster Cpl. Russell E. Long Pvt. Sidgell F. Gregory Pvt. Glenn R. Hoblit Pvt. Brwyn B, Huls Pvt. Aloys J. Liebhard Pvt. Harry E. Martz Pvt. Ben Mason Pvt. Lenard A. Matix Pvt. Louis A. Ritter Pvt. George J. Meyers Pvt. Vernon L. Hall Pvt. James V. Smithson Pvt. Charles E. Lacy Pvt. Richard S. Strassel Pvt. William T. Burden Pvt. Charles S. Stamper Pvt. James W. Slack Pvt. Arthur B. Everly Pvt. Collie Rodgers Pvt. John C. Miller Pvt. Amen D. Aldridge Pvt. Aubrey W. Porter Pvt. Oliver G. Stogsdill Pvt. Cosby L. Ramey Pvt. James R. Simpson C BATTERY RESERVE RATIONS Voice out of the darkness : ' ' What are you, buddie, artillery ? ' ' Tired cannoneer: "Naw, heavy infantry." New arrival: "What does the red arrow mean?" Falconi : ' ' That we 're the Spearmint Division and we 're wriggling toward Berlin." Why is a cootie like a pretty girl? (Ans.) Always keeps yoii scratching for new clothes. Inventory of Sgt. Greist 's stock in trade in No. 2 gun-pit, Brabant : Thirty-six cans of jam. One can of butter. Two bushels potatoes. One can of bacon. One bucket. Twenty-five rounds normal. One box long fuze. One box short fuze. Things that never happen : Ninth section in rear of mess line. Miller missing "seconds." Sgt. Brann saying, "What do you mean by grooming that horse so well?" Capt. Fullerton forgetting the F. K. B. 264 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY FOR SERGEANTS ONLY Sergeant Brann, our tireless "Top," Never knows when work should stop. 'Neill has charge of the first gun crew, For seconds at mess he 's No. 2. And Harrison of teamster fame. As a section chief he's safe and sane. When Charlie Keiter hollers, ' ' Front ! ' ' You sure will see the bell hops jump. And Webb, late boss of a Pennsy train, Treated the Hun with mock disdain. Gen Wager's next. Work! Man alive! He made two caissons do the work of five. Then Serummy Greist, with his buccaneers, Brought many a doughboy cook to tears. While Wallace, chief of the seventh crew, Was always there when the mess call blew. Grandma Dils was taken ill When the doctors gave him a "C.C." pill. And Sergeant Bader took his place, Doomed never to shave another face. Pritchard has charge of our telephones. But is much better known as a roller of bones. Abe, as Mess Sergeant, is our one best bet. He 's a maker of wonders with what we get. Korb was made a Sergeant, too, What he doesn't know, the instruments do. And Carlton handles our supplies. He's always sorry, but out of your size. If your horse needs a shoe, ask Jones what he 's got for you ; Take exception to him and he '11 sure make it hot for you. Bill Hensel next, with the battery pump. Keeps ahead of the Captain by about one jump. At our stables is Goodrich, since Meith made the change. He swears that his horses have not got the mange. These are the Sergeants of Battery C, A better collection there never will be. BEFORE AND AFTER "From the outside looking in, from the inside looking out." Under such favorable conditions my relation to the life and work of the Regiment gives rise to a great many reflections in the way of reminiscences, comparisons and contrasts Avhich just now are very confused and mixed up, but, at the same time, very sensitive. To one who would have been more disassociated from the 322d pre- vious to the time when he became a member of it, the element of sur- prise and contrast would have been uppermost in his mind when writing the ' ' before and after ' ' account later on. To me who had the privilege of gaining the intimacy with the inner life of the Regiment which work in the Y. M. C. A. then afforded, the matter of verifica- tion played an important part, especially in the earlier weeks after enlisting. Was the reputation which the 322d had in Sherman and vicinity a deserved one I Was the estimate of its works, as judged by outsiders, an accurate one? Would I make a mistake by casting my lot and taking my chances Avith some of the men Avhom I had come to know very well in the organization ? These are a few of the things which entered my mind toward the latter part of May and subse- quent events have answered the question for me. First, the 322d started well; it had an auspicious beginning. It was very apparent to those who were looking on, as the different regiments throughout the camp were organizing. In one of the regi- ments with which I came in contact, the attitude of doubtful expec- tancy as to the future of that particular outfit was very pronounced. Officers and the earlier arrivals among the men wondered and specu- lated as to what the Regiment was going to be, good or bad. Every- one seemed to be waiting for someone else to arrive to give it distinc- tion, one way or the other. Not so with our Regiment. From the very outset, everyone was absolutely convinced, by continuous attention to the fact, that the 322d was, and was going to remain, the best regiment in Camp Sher- man. If you didn 't believe it, you could go to the Regimental Com- mander and if you even hinted at a contrary opinion, you instantly found yourself in a very embarrassing position. 266 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Such an attitude could not help but have a very favorable effect upon the morale of the Regiment, which was quite distinctive. Every- one knew of it. If I happened to be talking to a " Y" secretary from the other side of the camp, I did not have to go at length in describing the spirit of the 322d. He already knew it, and the greatest tribute to this spirit was the fact that its reputation had spread. Undoubtedly, the dominating personality behind it accounted for this spirit. Col. Warfield had the reputation among welfare workers of a man who was always eager to entertain and encourage any pro- gram or scheme which would be advantageous to his men. Such an attitude doubled the efficiency of the work which men like Mr. Gee tried to carry on in the Regiment. Absolute cooperation was assured from the first, because it was a well-known fact that the Colonel de- sired the very best for his Regiment. Although the men of the Regi- ment know of some of his endeavors, yet from later experience I don't believe they ever quite realized the extent of the efforts of their commanding officer along these lines — effoi'ts which deserved the greatest praise. Thus, it is apparent that when I came into the Regiment, I entered with a great deal of faith in it. After discovering these things by working with the Regiment for several months, I was now to verify them by working in it for several more. It is not my purpose to paint a word picture of a perfect regi- ment; nor is it my intention to go to the other extreme. It is diffi- cult to rise above the details, the discrepancies, the likes and dis- likes of a large group of men, and try to generalize as to one's impression of them. We have all seen the Regiment in the best of spirits, and then again we have seen it despondent; we have seen it cheering and singing and then we have witnessed it crabbing and cussin'. At all times we have been sympathetic participants in each mood. Thus it is hard to formulate an opinion of a bunch of men when you have been one of them yourself. Yet some things stand out quite clearly. First, I am satisfied that I made no mistake in joining the Regiment; and, as I reflect now, it is strange but very true that I have never thought otherwise. Whether my reasons for thinking so were logical or not, it never entered my head that I had taken a wrong step even though I have often found myself in trying situations, as we all have. Then again, I was not disappointed in finding the Regiment dif- ferent from what its reputation had led me to believe it was. Even after living in it and being close to its defects, which were not few. HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 267 it can be truthfully said that the reason the Regiment was able to stand the gaff and endure so much, in all its varied history, was due to the high spirit, the stick-to-it-iveness and pep which the Colonel is so fond of using when describing the morale of his Regiment. The 322d had the reputation in Camp Sherman of possessing a high type of officers and it was my privilege there to know a few of them personally. I looked forward with some degree of trepidation to the time when they would become my own superior officers, won- dering whether this fact would ever change my opinion of them. It was with a great deal of interest, therefore, and I must say, with some amusement, that I observed the various reactions to our change in position during those first few weeks. Some took the attitude of ignoring altogether, some were plainly dubious and disconcerted, while some, and by far the majority of them, still retained the atti- tude of friendly interest which was characteristic of them previously. And I must admit, on my own part, that my relation to them since that time, as an enlisted man, has not brought a change in the high regard with which I hold the officers of the 322d as a whole. Hence, taking it all in all, I will never forget nor regret the day when I became a member of Col. Warfield's Regiment. We have all had our ups and downs, and have often thought otherwise, but when all is said and done, we cannot help but admit, if we are honest with ourselves, that being with the Regiment has left a lasting impression upon us which will become more valuable to us as the years roll on. HISTORY OF BATTERY D Battery D 's beginning was very similar to that of most organiza- tions in the National Army. From thirteen men who had never heard of "Squads right" when they arrived on September 5, we grew to a war-strength battery which could keep step if the sergeants didn't get tired of yelling, "Left-right, ..." etc. "Military cour- tesy" and "General orders" gave most of us a good deal to think about. The exterior decorations of Q21 were handled very well by Sgt. Van Alst. He really should have been in the Q. M., for all he needed to fill any requi- ' ' ' sition was a dark night and a detail of men to carry the stuff. When we weren 't doing squads east and west, we were * ' simulat- ing." Once you learn to simulate properly it is the easiest thing in the Avorld to change a pile of lumber and a few old cart wheels into a three-inch gun. You can even change yourself into a dashing steed and go trotting up and down a field at ' ' mounted drill dismounted. ' ' By December we were able to stop "simulating" for a while. The stables were built by this time and we were too busy grooming live horses to have any time to simulate. Finally, four real three-inch guns arrived and the cannoneers stopped counting-off, in order to learn the names of all the various "things" that go to make up the mechanism of a gun. In the meantime, our able scouts had discovered an artillery range at a place called Stony Creek, some fourteen miles from camp. D Battery was selected as the first battery to fire on the range, so the cannoneers were worked overtime at standing gun drill. Finally the time came to actually go out to the range, and we started out in a BuiLDixG Battery D Stable HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 269 heavy snowstorm. Everything went along all right till we struck a narrow road, and then "them wheel di'ivers jest couldn't keep the middle of the road." One of them even had to go and dump one caisson in a six-foot ditch. Camp at Stony Creek was a frigid affair, to say the least. The tents were equipped with Mr. Sibley's famous stove, which is said to heat a tent. We burned up all the fence rails in the surrounding country trying to find out the details of this heating process. When the Regiment had fired its allowance of ammunition, the four precious guns were turned over to the 323d F. A., and in return we got an old Russian gun that had seen better days. The cannoneers were kept busy for days digging off the rust. This gam formed one of the pieces of a cosmo- politan battery made up by the Regiment for the purposes of inspections and parades. Finally word came that we were actually leaving, and on June 3 we said "good-bye" to Camp Sherman. No one knew w here Ave were going until we were safely ensconced in Camp Mills. Here every man was carefully outfitted, even down to the last shoelace. After this equipment had been checked and rechecked, we were allowed to proceed to an "Atlantic seaport," which even the Germans knew was blessed with the name of Hoboken. There were grave doubts in the minds of many as to whether the good ship Canopic would actually hold a whole regiment, but after viewing the first, second, third and fourth decks and a few extra sub- cellars, all doubts and fears were calmed. We sailed on June 12, with everyone safely hidden below decks and all securely wrapped in life preservers. At first these life preservers had an element of novelty about them, but long before we saw dry land that novelty had faded in the dim distance. The ocean voyage was entirely satis- factory except for the English idea of what an American soldier can thrive on. After twelve days on the water, Ave docked at Liverpool. One's Explaining Squads Eight! 270 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY impression of this city, as he marched over miles of rough cobble- stones, was that of millions of small boys and many British Tommies clad in their light blue convalescent uniforms. Camp Knotty Ash housed us for two days and then we jumped to Le Havre, via South- ampton. Here we encountered a "rest camp." If a man can rest on hard board floors in the middle of a dusty field, we were in a rest camp. Maybe they gave us this five days' "rest" so as to prepare us for the French freight trains where forty men or eight horses are fifty-fifty. When we finally detrained, they shipped us to the village of Gruipry, so that we could spend all of our Fourth of July moving our equipment from Guipry 1 Messac. M e s s a c would hardly be termed a fit town for a leave area. Most of the bil- lets were too close to the family pigs and chick- ens, but with the discov- ei'y of "the mill" as a suitable hotel, the most intimate of these farm- yard billets were closed Airing Bunks up. At Messac we had to return to "simulated" drill again. The drill of the three-inch g-un had to be forgotten and the "Manual of the 75" mastei'ed instead. Baseball and swimming were two of the most popular items on the drill schedule. Some of the members of the Battery showed a dread of water at first, but after a little moral pressure was exerted, they finally decided that it wasn't half bad after all. On Saturdays we would watch Celena, the village butcher- ess, as she killed pigs for the Sunday sales. It was a fine way to harden ourselves to the horrors of war. The Supply Sergeant was kept busy supplying us with shoes, for hiking was one of our chief occupations. "We ain't done yet," and "Rip 'em on the head," were coined on some of these dusty hikes. Finally came the big hike of forty kilometers to Camp Coetquidan, on August 15. Everyone envied the cannoneers that day. They rode on the trucks which pulled the guns down there. Life took on a real artillery aspect at Coetquidan. We fired away ammunition at a rate that would have shocked us in the davs of HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 271 Stony Creek. Tin hats and other "front-line ' ' equipment were issued as fast as Sgt. Burns could go and get it. The process of packing was a lot easier than it had been at Camp Mills because we were cut down to what we thought was a minimum. Finally the long-looked- for day arrived, and on September 20 we loaded on the train for the Front, the first Battery of the Regiment to pull out. We were on the train till three o'clock in the morning of Sunday, the 22d, when we detrained a short distance from Souilly. There was a bright moon that night, so we wasted no time in get- ting into a near-by woods, where we spent the whole day amusing ourselves by watching the airplanes dodge anti-aircraft shells. E and F Batteries joined us during the day. At seven that night the Second Battalion started out for the Front, D Battery lead- ing. No one knew just where the Front was, but the general impres- sion was that it was, "just over that next hill." The night was one that would have done justice to the most ardent writer of war stuff for the home magazines. It was pitch black ; the rain came down in torrents, while convoy after convoy of French trucks came tearing past so there was no need to tell the drivers to keep to the right of the road. The ruined villages of Ippecourt, Jubecourt and Julvecourt were there to remind us that we were going where things sometimes dropped. The column was badly strung out as we started up the last few hills. In the distance we could see star shells every now and then but they seemed to come from every point in the compass, so the big question still remained, "Where is the Front!" The Battery got split in two just before we made camp in a woods near Brabant-en-Argonne. Making camp consisted of leaving the guns and caissons in the mud, camouflaging the horses under the trees and pitching shelter tents anywhere there was not a mud puddle. We had to stay in the woods all day, but as soon as it started to get dark we were on our way again. The roads were jammed ^\dth all Beginning Gun-Pits II 272 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY kinds of transportation which moved along by fits and starts. It was midnight before we reached Aubreville. From here to Neuvilly we had a clear road but at the crossroad there we got tangled up with American ammunition trucks and French tractors, all trying to go the same way at once. Of course, the traffic jam had to occur on a crossroad which the Boche artillery ' ' knew. ' ' Luckily we cleared the place before any presents from Germany started to arrive. We breathed a sigh of relief when we left that crossroad, but actually our troubles had just started. We caught up with four 155 Gr. P. F. 's which the French Avere trying to put into position, one at a time. We finally persuaded them to let us pass. During the discussion Ave had more gas alarms than should occur in a week. Everyone carefully t 1 4,4 J,' iSL^M'^ dressed his horse up in a gas mask. The horses did not like it very Avell, so after the fifteenth false gas alarm, we de- cided to let the horses get gassed if they wanted to. This was the one and only time that the gas mask tor- ture Avas ever inflicted on the four-legged animals. The rest of us got plenty of other chances to use our masks. It was daylight before we pulled into the Forest of Hesse. Here we got a f CAv hours ' sleep and then started hauling ammunition. We couldn't put the guns into position because they were to be put in an open field which could be seen from the German lines, on Vauquois Hill. The H hour was 5.30 a.m., September 26. We put the guns in position in the field on the night of the 25th. At two o'clock the big guns started their preparation fire. This made such a racket that there was no noticeable change in the sound when we chimed in at five o'clock. The woods seemed to be just full of guns; there were 75 's ahead of us and behind us and behind them Avere the 155 's and the bigger gams. The barrage lasted till 10.30. We were scheduled to go forward as soon as the barrage Avas over, but during the night the orders Avere changed and Ave stayed right where we Avere for five HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY days. During these five days we salvaged a lot of useless junk except our range finders. On October 1, we put the harness on, then took it off and then put it on again, and marched all night, to Camp G-allieni. This was supposed to be a rest camp, but all the rest we got was that of pitching shelter tents and then tearing them down again. We left here at nine o'clock and marched all night, to a position near the town of Marre. It was daylight before the last piece was in position, but a thick fog saved us from any Boche observers who might have spotted us. The gun positions here were almost ideal except for the fact that a gun needs ammunition in order to make it a useful object. The guns were on the top of a hill and the ammunition was unloaded at the bottom. The hill itself was a mass of mud, so the cannoneers carrying ammunition had to be regular Alpine climbers to make any progress at all. One E Battery man went slipping up the hill, and was heard to remark, "They're just making us carry these d shells up here so we can carry Capt. Newell Garfield them down again. ' ' His prophecy came true, for we received a lot of shells that were sup- posed to be smoke shells and which turned out to be gas. The infantry would have failed to see the humor of a gas barrage in front of them. After two days on the canal, we made our first acquaintance with Death Valley. The place looked harmless enough as we rolled into position, but we soon found that it was no health resort. Every- thing went along smoothly the first day until late in the afternoon. Then three Boche planes came over to take a look at the valley. What they saw was about fifty machine-gun carts camped within two hundred yards of our Battery position. The planes weren't gone long before things became intensely interesting in our little valley. They continued that way as long as we Avere there. The Germans were not quite sure just what was in the valley nor where it was, but they made sure of getting something by sweeping the whole place Avith artillery fire. It was here that we all learned the 274 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY great lesson in regard to German shells, "It is better to make a noise like a pancake than to stand up and be a hero while the shells are flying around." The Grermans had a particular interest in a little village of Haumont, which was situated on a hill just in front of the Battery. Lots of things that came our way were "overs" on Haumont. We kept our kitchen back about a quarter of a mile in the direc- tion of the village of Samogneux. The Grermans seemed to know it, for they always dropped a few over just around mealtimes. The kitchen was always a dangerous * place. The shelling wasn't a bit one- sided for we were called on to fire at all times of the day and night. The middle of the night was the most popular time to start things. The only reason we did not fire more was because the ammunition train could only haul so much am- munition a night. Artillery seems to be primarily a night affair. You never do anything in the daytime that you can possibly do at night. While in the valley we had enough cannoneers for two com- plete gun crews. The men not on duty at the gnins made their home in a trench on a hill on one side of the valley. Once in a while the men at the guns had to take to this trench when shells started drop- ping in piles of ammunition near the battery. There was many a time that we thanked the Grermans for including a few duds in their ammunition. Some of these duds were quite a nuisance, for they were always in the way when men had to walk from one piece to another. After ten days of Death Valley, everyone was glad to try another position near Brabant. Moving out of Death Valley was not as easy as it sounds. Just as the limbers came up, the Germans started shelling the valley. Horses always take kindly to little attentions like this. But if you're lucky and duck at the proper times you can snake a battery out without more than wounding or killing a few horses. Prepare for Inspection HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 275 We did. We left two men killed and eleven wounded as our tribute to the name of the valley. Rumor had it that our new position was fairly overrun with dug- outs, but when we went to look for these dugouts, the only ones we could find were filled with doughboys or battalion commanders. So we had to make our home in a trench which the G-ermans had dug, right near the road. At best this was no palace, but when it rained it resembled sleeping in a bathtub. Digging gun emplacements in rocky ground in the wee hours of the morning is not one of the most enjoyable phases of artillery war- fare. The ground at this position was a sort of mixture of rock and concrete, which defied picks and shovels to make an impression on it. The g-uns were about thirty yards from the road. To reach the guns one had to tread the straight and narrow path as wired off by our camouflage artist, Marshall. He and his assistants even went so far as to have traffic regulations. When you wanted to go to mess, you had to go around the block near E Battery's position. Coming back from mess or going to the road you were privileged to use the path. These traffic regulations had to go off duty when it came to bringing shells to the gims all night long in preparation for a barrage early in the morning. But no Boche planes spotted us here, so the path and the traffic regTilations were not growled at too much. Once in a while some overenthusiastic cannoneer would throw a cartridge case out from under the camouflage. It didn 't stay there long though. Then the third section decided to have a bonfire with their camouflage net, just to see if it really would burn. It burned all right. Up to this time we had not considered gas as a very serious matter in our lives. There had been so many fake alarms that no one attempted to put his mask on in the six seconds prescribed in all the drills that we had carefully practiced back at Messac. But about the third night on the plateau we had an alarm that was no fake. Anyone who doubted this had only to look at the telephone detail with Inspection 276 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY Rookies Learning to Tackle half its men on the way to the rear as gas casualties or to listen to the new voices which we had all acquired. We were a whispering bat- tery. Anyone who could talk out loud or enjoy a cigarette was a lucky man. Some of the men suffered in places other than their throats. The books said that mustard gas was dangerous when found on bushes or in shell holes. Several unfor- tunates will say the books weren't kidding. The arrival of sag paste, rubber gloves, chloride of lime and some other anti-gas equipment helped things out a little, but even then we had a few men get it. After about ten days on the plateau the rumor became prevalent that we were to be relieved. Of course there was a conflicting rumor to go with this to the effect that we were to dig in and get ready to stay there all winter. For once the favorable rumor won out and on October 28 word came that we were to pull out at ten o'clock that night. We all felt like celebrat- ing. All we had to do till ten o'clock was to fire a little harassing fire and get packed up. But at about four o'clock things began to happen. A battalion of infantry was coming out of the lines that afternoon. Their route was along the road which went right by our battery position. Some- one had told Heinie about this, evidently, for all of a sudden shells started dropping on our road in true barrage style. Most of the men were busy in the trench packing up when the thing started. The Tackle ! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 277 First Appeakance in Harness barrage tore things up in pretty bad shape all along the road, but did not touch the firing battery. At ten 'clock the limbers came up and we pulled out on the road for Brabant. The carriages were strung out along the road for about a mile, being mixed in Avith combat trains, trucks and limbers from the battery that was re- lieving us. But we were all together before the column was past Vacherauville. There wasn't a thing to mar the march from here to Camp Gallieni. Here we had a chance to get a little rest and a bath. The institution of re- veille was revived and the tin hat discarded for a whole day. Some of the gas victims got so they could talk above a whisper but, on the whole, the bunch was pretty much shot to pieces, as we had lost fifty-two men. After two days we were off again for another sector. We spent twelve hours the first night in going about four hours' march. The kind spirit who went ahead to pick out camp grounds that night either had a grouch or was given to playing practical jokes. He se- lected the muddiest hole in the Bantheville Woods for us to camp Battery D in Harness in. All we COuld do was pull the carriages into the mud as far as the horses would go and then unhitch and tie the horses to the wheels. Next morning we built a road to get the carriages out on, so when the order came to move on, we were in good shape to be first on the road. This march took us through what was left of the town of Avocourt and into the Bois de Mont- faucon. This place was certainly a tribute to the American artillery. They had plowed everything up so that it was hard to find a place 278 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY T> Battery Men and One of Their French 75 mm. Field Pieces that Went through the Hottest to pitch a shelter tent because of the number of shell holes and fallen trees. Just before we made camp along the side of the road, we had a shock in the form of an American Y. M. C. A. woman wearing a pink sweater of the most violent hue. Next day we har- nessed up at noon and waited till nine o'clock before the order came to move. We reached the Cunel Woods early in the morning. This place had been a Ger- man division headquar- ters. There were still evidences of where some German officers had kept cows and chickens as part of their military equipment. But the American doughboys had riddled every building with machine-gun bullets, and what they hadn't smashed up the artillery had. So we had the job of making extensive re- pairs before the place was anywhere near habitable. At this time the whole Regiment was terribly short of horses. In order that the Regi- ment might move at all, one battery had to go into " abatage " an d give up its horses. That was where we were out of luck. All the other batteries came and got our horses and turned over a lot of derelicts for us to take care of. Then they went gaily off to hunt Germans, leaving us to our own devices. We spent our time in re- pairing the shacks, cutting down trees that were half down from shell fire and hunting for more blankets and other salvage which the dough- boys had left behind in their hurried chase after the retreating Boche. Battery T> Supply Room, Giershofen, Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 279 Drawing Forage, uiekshofen, Germany They came to us without grooming kits or We still knew the war was going on, though, for a Boche bombing plane had a try at the woods and road one night. It jarred things around there prettj^ badly, but no one was hurt. November 11 was a day that has been written about so much that to be original all we'll say is that we were one glad bunch of men. It was a great relief to have lights at night and not to hear the contin- ual booming of the g-uns. Cunel Hill, just ahead of us, was a blaze of bontires that night, while the sky was bright with all kinds of rockets and flares. Three days later we got two hundred horses. feed bags, so taking care of them was quite some problem. As yet no one knew whether we were to go forward into G-ermany or back into France somewhere. We did not have any harness so we couldn't go anywhere at that time. This was the news we gave to an offi- cer from Brigade Head- quarters when he came to find out if we were ready to move. This news seemed to give them grave concern, for that night at about eleven o'clock Sgt. To- •bias had a detail out unloading a lot of salvage harness that had come in on two of the ammunition train trucks. Everyone felt that was enough for one night, but about two hours later the word came to haimess and hitch. None of the drivers had any harness. All we could do was to let each man scramble for his own. A bright moon saved things from utter r> Battery SIen Stationed at Giershoeen 280 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY confusion. But many remarks such as, "Where in goes with this bridle?" "Look at the way these - - is the bit that - traces are all balled up," etc., were heard to come from the gloom of the shack where the harness had been thrown. Finally the harness was pieced together after a fashion ^ -- and Headquarters Com- . pany started to move I out. They succeeded in 1 I ditching one of their fourgons so that it took half the Battery and a couple of picket ropes to drag them out. Then we had a fourgon drop through a small bridge which was built for the express purpose of BATTERA D I'll KET LlXKj GlERSHOPEN carrying that fourgon. One gun had a wheel nearly come off and another fourgon had two horses slip and fall. Aside from this we got away to a good start and were out on the road ready to go by three o 'clock. It was blow- ing a gale and was bitter cold, which made it fine waiting till six o 'clock for the battery from the 323d to get ready. We marched all day, pass- ing through the town of BrieuUes and crossing the Meuse River at Vilosnes. At four that afternoon we parked our carriages in a field just out- side of Ecurey, where the rest of the Regiment was billeted. Then there was a mad rush to get everything in shape to start on the march to the Rhine the next morning. We had to get rid of all but 130 of the horses, draw ammunition, new clothes, rations, and read about three weeks' back mail. In addition to that we were to be the first battery on the road in the morning. Our march to the Rhine got away to a bad start, for the first place there was any chance of going Avrong, the First Battalion took the HOKSESHOEING IN GERMANY HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ^81 Battery D Hokseshoees wrong fork in the road. It is all kinds of fun to halt a column and turn everything around in a narrow road. All the towns we went through had plenty of evidences of the recent German occupation. Every other sign was one of their ' ' Streng Verboten" affairs. About four in the afternoon we made camp in the town of Sorbey. "Camp" here consisted of the second story of a mansion that was just being finished. The walls had just been plastered and the floors laid. The Ger- man general who was to oc- cupy our billet would have wept to see two batteries of artillery peacefully sleeping in his sacred house. This was one town where we were more than sure of our welcome. All the populace had produced French flags from some hiding place or other and all were out in their best clothes. The next day's march took us to Cons la Grandeville. Our share of the billeting area here was three large houses which had been barracks for German troops. They were in terrible condi- tion. It helped some to get all the straw out and burn it, but even then the danger of cooties was large. We got our first dose of after-war inspections here. General Haan, the Divi- sion Commander then, was due to inspect us. Everyone scrubbed and mended for all he was worth and then the General didn't show up. We were all set for him to come again the next day, but we got orders to move instead. This march took us out of France and into Luxemburg. The change as we crossed the border was noticeable right away. The people in France had been under German rule for four years and had lost what little they had when the Germans were forced to leave. ^aiSj s^jj-J* Battery D Telephone Station 282 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Placing Piece in Position The people of Luxemburg, on the other hand, were well clothed and well fed. They had been neiitral all through the war and apparently had thrived on that occupation. When we reached Differdingen that night they told us that there was practically everything for sale in the stores. It was for sale if you (,■■, ^^mt^t^^K^^^^U ^^^ •i^^^ been paid or were ^-^ J - -A ^^^^^HnnHHil good at borrowing money. We slept that night in a large school building. Sgt. Knuth and his assistants had to call for a guard to keep all the curious people out of the kitchen. We spent two more days crossing Luxemburg, finally landing in Manternach, where we occupied a flour mill belong- ing to Herr Pretch. We spent a week here. Our supply department didn't work too well this week. For three days we existed on some German rations, which consisted of blood sausage, pickled onions, fish, potatoes and cheese. The G-ermans must have been fighting for three squares a day, judging by the kind of rations they were living on. Our horses didn't fare any better than we did. They existed chiefly on horse covers and the hair on each others' tails. Several caisson corpo- rals were foraging for gloves to protect Avhat was left of some of the small stubs of tails. But the crowning insult of all was Thanksgiving dinner. It con- sisted of tin "Willie," toma- toes and hard-tack along with some German coffee. Add a little rain to this and you have the picture of our celebration. We still continued to fight the war here. When not grooming or cleaning we were "occupying positions for the defense of the sector." They didn't look like they were very orthodox positions but we didn't care. During the last days of our stay here we were given to under- Gbkman Women Taking Milk to Dierdorf HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 283 D AND E Batteries Drawing Rations, GlEBSHOFEN stand we were really part of the 32d Division. We all became prop- erly labeled" Avith the little red arrow. We crossed the German border at 11:30 on the morning of Decem- ber 1. The inhabitants showed nothing more than normal interest in the column as it passed through the little villages. That night Ave had our first experience at billeting in a German town. One of the officers Avould go forward ahead of the Battery and find all the available billets in our area. Then by the time we had unhitched, unharnessed, groomed and fed, he would be on hand with a list of houses and the number of men to go in each house. The column would start off through town, each man carrying his pack or saddlebags. When the first billet was reached there would be the foUoAving cere- Halt. " " HoAv many, heutenant f " " Ten, sir. " "All right. Forward, ho." If you were one of those ten men, you dragged your stuff in through "that door there" and found yourself in some kind of a Ger- man home. It depended on hoAv lucky you were as to Avhat kind of a "flop" you Avould draAV. One night it mic/ht be a bed which Avas wonderful, in spite of the fact that the Ger- man beds are built about tAvo feet too short. The next night it might be a hayloft or just a plain floor. Of course it is ahvays dark by the time tliis billeting is done so you have to take a good look at "that door" in order to find it when you come back from mess. The first night in the toAvn of Mohn this billeting job was fairly easy as the billets Avere large barns. But in Orenhofen the next day mony, first ten men right in that door there Drawing Forage at Giershofen 284 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Wood Detail, Giershopen the Battery was strung out all over the lot. Getting them up for reveille meant a regular Marathon race for the buglers. The marching itself would not have been so bad if it had not been for the continual series of inspections. To-day it would be fashion- able to carry the canteen on the near side of the near sad- dle, but styles seemed to change very rapidly on this march. If to-morrow perchance you should not have heard of the change of the canteen to the off side of the off horse and an inspector should find you violating the prevailing fash- ion — somebody would be doing fatigue for a little while. After three days ' marching, we landed in Herforst, where we had a day of "rest." Getting paid was about the most strenuous resting we did, because everyone had more or less corrected all their glaring faults so the inspectors were having to work harder to earn their pay, which meant we had to have everything in still better shape. So when we left, early one morn- ing, to join the advance guard of the 128th In- fantry, we felt quite spick and span. Join- ing the advance guard meant passing miles of division trains, regi- ments of infantry — in fact, nearly everything in the Division except the artillery itself. Of course, making the customary halt of ten minutes once an hour was out of the question when making a race like this. We caught the advance guard about noon. They seemed to have gotten along with- out us very well all morning long. About two that afternoon we left the main line of march and went down into a deep valley and up the other side. This was one of the chief occupations of every day's Some of Batteries D and E Men Stationed at GlERSHOFEN HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 285 march. We'd come to the top of a deep cut in the hills and look down. Way down at the bottom there would be a stream. The road would zigzag down the side of the canon in a series of steps. The men in the leading battery in the column could look up and see three or four layers of artillery carriages on the hillside above them. The worst part of these deep valleys was that you no sooner got safely down one side than you were starting to climb up a similar series of steps on the other side. The particular valley that we turned into this afternoon had the added attraction of possessing three old ruins of German castles. They Avere the first we had seen and were well worth looking over. Looking over the castle had cost one mark in the days before the war, as we observed by the sign on the ticket office at the entrance. Just after we came out of the valley, we started f olloAving the tracks of the automo- bile of the Infantry Colonel, as the only guide we had to where the next town was. The road kept getting worse view of Dierdobf from Giebshopeit and worse and the i tracks deeper and deeper. The horses were all in by that'''dme, so the column only moved from time to time. It was getting i^.-irk, too, so it began to look like we 'd have a night of it in pup tents. But we finally hit a good road which took us into Gillebfeld and billets. Forty kilometers with five kilometers of mud roads at the end of it was some day's hike. The hike was harder on the horses than on anyone else. Next morning when we went to hitch in, some of the horses wouldn't get up. We got them all up except one, which had to be shot. "Rosie" was given the job of taking care of one of these tired horses. He started the day out in good shape. Sgt. Nibert sent him to get some- thing to lead the horse with and he came back with a shoe string. The general opinion was that shoe laces were not being used to lead horses mth this year, so "Rosie" had to go out and look again. He finally got a halter shank somewhere, and we were on our way. But the horse was giving his keeper lots to think about. If you stopped walking that horse for so much as an instant he Avould be flat on his 286 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY back. Then we'd have to call out a detail to get him up again. We finally solved the problem by tieing the horse behind one of the caissons. There he had no choice in the matter of going or not going. It was only a short hike to Biichel, anyway. We hoped we'd rest a day here, but no such luck. We hiked to Dungenheim and rested a day there. Then we rejoined the Regi- ment at Kehrig. The next two marches to Kerben and Rubenach were uneventful. We were disappointed in the news that we were to march around C b 1 e n z instead o f through it. We crossed the Rhine at twelve noon on December 13. Our billets that night were in the town of Sayn. Division Headquarters had taken one-half of the town, Brigade Headquarters took an- other quarter, Regi- mental Headquarters and Headquarters Com- pany toUi a great big castle. This left us to scramble for billets as best we '^■,)uld. We finally got billeted around nine o 'clock that night. Afte.-:g Place, Battery F EXTEACTS FEOM THE LOG BOOK OF PVT. WILLIAM DILL— BATTERY F Saturday, January 5. A general inspected us to-day. You can't help feelin' sorry for Ms wife. Slie must spend most of her time lookin' for a new hired girl. I can just see him when he's home. I bet he comes down to breakfast every morn- ing an' looks under all the plates to see if they was washed on both sides. An' then he probably licks his finger an' runs it along the top of the ice box. If that fello' ever said anything nice to anyone I bet he'd come back an' apologize. the kind that eats his own young. A couple of hours before he came they telephoned to have a horse for him. He could drive up in his limozine to 50 yds. of where the Bat- tery was lined u p . Generals never walk, though. That's a rule in the drill regulashuns. I guess the first general was a cripple and they handed down the cus- tom. If they could get the horse in the limozine and get on him there they'd do it. Everybody know the general wasn't comin' over to hang no reaths 'round nobodies neck so we all slicked up pretty well to humer him. The place was so clean that nobody darn't sit down all morning He' Picket Line, Battery F, Bruckrachdorp 312 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY for fear of getting something dirty. I wonder if generals tliink things always look like that. If they ever blew in durin' the week they 'd have an applectic fit. Everything would have gone off as well as you could expect though only for that horse. I don't know who picked him out but his sense of humer must have had a bad fall when it was young. A jokes all right in its place but its place aint under a general. The horse was so big that the -g'eneral like to have busted his pants and the aids back gettin ' up. As soon as he got set Then he sat down in the mud like Gas Lizards Waiting foe Officers to Complete Inspection the horse took a couple of steps. a dog an' let out a groan as if he'd had an attack of heart burn or You might as well have buried something. Of course it was all off then, everything in the mud for inspeckshun. By the time he'd coxed that horse up to the Bat- tery he was so mad he'd have found rust on the pearly gates and put St. Pete under arrest for not bein' shaved. By the time he got round to my sekshun I thought he was due to be out of breath. I had a little rip in my pants that I hadn't had time to sew up. Nothin' that anybody 'd notice. Just mi knee stick 'n through a little. That fello' could see a hole in a fello's under- shirt. When he came up to me he looked me all over like I was a window Major General, General and Colonel of 322 F. A. Departing, after Inspection op Wheeled Materiel HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY I Maj. Gen. Lassiter Mounting TIis Speed X after THE Inspection dummie that he didn't care much about. Then he says to the Capt'n, "What do you mean by lettiu' a man stand inspeckshun like that?" The Capt'n looked at me kind of surprised like he'd never seen me before. Then he turns to the sergeant an' says, "Sergeant, I want a report on Avhy that man was permitted to stand inspeckshun in that condishun. ' ' They all talk as tho they was doin' me a favor by lettin' me .mti stand inspeckshun, I'll tell the world I didn't go around and ask nobody's permishun. , __ The sergeant looked at my pants kind of hurt as if I hadn't ask him for a new pair 37 times. After the general had put the whole Battery under arrest an' rode away in his car to get some raw meat the ser- geant sighed like a fello' that everybody's against. Then he turns to the corporal an' says, "What, the this an' that, do you mean by gettin' me in Dutch, you big space filler ! ' ' So the corporal sticks me on a detail manicurin' the streets for a couple of days. About all there is left for me is to go around an ' kick a few horses in the stummick after dark. The funny part of it all is that everybody knew there hadn't been no trousers issued Battery f since we got here. Half the fello 's in the Battery is comin' through in places the general couldn't see because he was mounted. That don't make no difference. A fello 's knees don't have no rights in this mans army. I wish I was a Lady from Hell an' I wouldn't have to bother about pants. They call this passin' the buck. They got it fixed in the army so that nothin' aint ever nobodies fault. Its always on the next fello' 314 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY down. This works out pretty good unless you happen to be the bottom step, like me. I don't know why they call it passing the Buck. I never saw it pass him yet. I hear we're goin' home pretty soon. I certainly hope we get out of this dump. The mess sergeant says there's goin' to be a meetin' of all the mess sergeants in the regiment to-morrow afternoon. As soon as that's over, he says, we'll leave. The only way they'll ever get me in a uniform again is to use it for a shroud. If I ever have a kid an' find him even as much as steppin' off with his left foot he's goin' to get the thrashin' of his life. Nothin' else happened to-day. SUPPLY COMPANY The Days at Sherman Says the Supply Company: Takes all kinds o' people t' make a world, all kinds of characters with all kinds of characteristics — and every world had its Melting Pot — and naturally everything has to copy after this big world. Take a military regiment for instance. It's just picked from the world and course it's got its all kinds of characters with all kinds of characteristics, and of course the 322d F. A. had to have its melting pot, too, and when it comes to meltin' pots, the Supply Company seems to make a dandy place to melt down anything. So all a man had to do to get into the Supply was to get in bad with his C. 0., or delve into the mysteries of A. W. 0. L., lam another guy in the eye, or just simply lay down on his job. When "A" gets tired of her Top Kick, Supply started settin' aside a space just about Van Leuvan's length; when Headquarters got tired of one of its specialties, in walks Michaels; "D" had too much energy, so over comes Hutch, Hody and Shepherd, to Supply's advantage — after a little trimmin ' up. Same attitude prevails when they start organizing the Supply: In comes a bunch of rookies, all the B. C. 's give them the once over, knock off all but about four or live, then the Colonel turns to Capt. Dissing 'n says, "Well, Capt'n, you get four men out o' this bunch, take your pick." It aint good policy to fill up a Supply to full strength right off the bat either, cause time they get to meltin' down for a couple months it's way over stocked. Course the Supply aint nothin' but a bunch of mules, manure and common labor, so what they generally ask for, and undoubtedly get, are the old hill climbers. 316 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ^ ife%\%t| J [■viisi«;:-s 'wss^i Forming Wagon Train the liusky clod hopper, lion tamers and hard laborers — and takin' everything into consideration, when you get a clod of this kind of stuff to stickin' together, it generally makes a hunk of clay, fearin' only the Lord and no commandments and the man at the gun is going to eat if they ever get the eats far enough for the Supply to lay hands on it so as to be able to tote it on up. Supply here, bein' no different from any others, they starts or- ganizin ' according to regulations. Course they were handicapped right on the start by a bunch of non-coms being already on the job, but the Cap'n having been under non-coms once his 'self, knows the difficulties, and knows how to overcome them: So the Supply mooches right along up, startin' out gettin' a square deal, and Supply aint had its share of recognition. One place they all made their first big mistake, though; the Y just had to show it was on the job, so it starts a little athletic enthusi- asm floatin' around. The Cap'n didn't have much confidence in said bunch of earth tillers and pure brawn break- in' any speed records, so right off the bat he starts makin' excuses, "Dese men aint gott Wagon train time f'r such foolish- ness," but the Y, trjdn' to live up to its rep of good fellowship, didn't want to hurt anyone's feelin's so she includes the Supply in her program just to sort o' flatter her and kind o' let her down easy, anyhow. But they all overlooked this here meltin' down stuff, aforesaid, and when "C" hands P. 0. Quirk his papers and he walks down two HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 517 barracks to the S. C, accompanied by Cousin Jonnie Padgett, they lost a mighty good football bet, Patrick O'Leary Quirk, jest roll the figbtin' Irish of it around your tongaie and taste the results. Then take old Joe Moehler, tryin' to learn how to doctor horses in State University, but playin' better football than doctorin', and then Bass Ward aint got all kinds of swimmin' medals hanging on his chest for nothin'; and Ernie Nitzke, never seen a football game before but gets out there the same day he gets his shot and throws that lop- sided pill like it was a baseball he'd been throwin' all his life for a livin' and there's Monk Johnson, don't nobody know much about Monk, cause Monk didn't consider that a good policy, 'n Barney could outbutt any goat goin', and get your goat quicker than any- body goin', course they had to have another man in the back field, and Barrar bein' about the first comer in the Supply they didn't want to hurt Ms feelin's, so they just let him stay back there, too, and, oh, boy, when this crowd lines up and started leavin' clouds of dust behind — with Joe call- in' the numbers and handin' the ball to Ernie or Barrar as they came around the corners, or steppin' outa the way of Barney as he came buttin' through from full, P. 0. tossin' the ball back from center with 01' Bill Engie and Fackler, just a couple o' kids who'd only been firin' and runnin' a locomotive for the past twelve years, on either side, and Glenn Huston only bein' a frail blacksmith and Monk Johnson another two hundred pounder, playin' tackle, Bass holdin' down one end and Jenks on the other when he Avasn't bewailin' his old age — then's when the Supply Company began elimbin' the ladder of recognition — then's when the 322d began learnin' they had a Supply Company, and after the first game, Lieut. Post started gettin' interested. All the men take off their hats to Loot Post, all of 'em darn glad the team won him enough jack for a rip roarin' Leave, and hated like hell to lose him. Can't forget neither that Roger Enwright took part in the game. Who Avas it says Roger musta thought the football field was a ball- When Soldiers Clean Ilousii 318 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 'n Roger got his bran' Battery A vs. Supply Company room and when there wasn't nothin' between the goal and the husky tearing down the field but Roger, that Roger wanted to congratulate him when he stepped out of his way and caught him by the sleeve, but the rude fellow didn't seem to want to shake hands and just about that time somebody felled him for his bad manners new football suit dirty, too Them were the first good old days of Camp Sherman, when the Supply wasn't taken seriously in athletics and then showed them all up. Won't nobody forget just before Xmas of 1917 when Supply and "A" came to- gether for the supremacy in football, more jack floated around that day than water on the high seas ; then mabe Joe Horner didn't loom out when he got where a basket ball was bein' man- handled. Couldn't see nothin' but lots of Horners on the floor and he seemed to always be just under the basket catchin' the ball as it dropped through. Everybody admits Supply was a little too rough in Soccer, but that's a angerin' game anyhow. Didjasay, baseball, or didjasay Nitzke, they both mean the same thing, and if Bunk hadn't been gettin' too much money in civil life for playin' the game and would a done the same thing on thirty per, the Supply sure would have been invin- cible there too. Then, ther's the time poor old Douglas left his cookin' to play football, and then being the only man in the Supply to hit |;«f§'tl Cleaning Harness hard luck and get laid up for several days; then Mitman started helpin' Jenks out at end. Nobody aint forgettin' the first old days at Sherman, when Baker was officiatin' as Top Kicker, getting things runnin' right and gettin' the office orderly too, cause Hawkshaw done proudly said his former HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 319 business was detectivin ', and Hawkshaw could always ferret out any place he was sent. Then the physically unfit were sorted out and we lost Humphrey, Old Humph didn't like water but he was a good fellow at that, and he didn't have a thing on Rice cause that man detested anything wet and it always took about four or six boys to help him to take a shower bath; then Firestine and Douglas got their unfit quittin' papers, both good men, and then Bud Ary's reumatism got the better of him, and he had to go back, made old Slim Devoe feel almost as bad as it did Bud good. Then along about that time poor Anderson died, the Supply's first death and every- body hatin' it too. Then they started weedin' 'em out on farmin' claims, and Carl Huston went, and Wehrle too quiet to claim his own soul, ceptin' when P. 0. convinced him he could throw anything 'n the S u p p 1 y — and he tried it — then he lost his soul altogether. Then they let Rottman go to take care of his fam- ily — the old boy could crab more in his few wakin' hours than a hard boiled lobster could in any ordinary day twice as long as these. Then they had to Coal detail go and take Old Bill Danacker and Burba, 'member the time they carried Burba passed the barracks on the stretchers, when Burba hurt his back at the stables — the way the men came piling out of those barracks, you'd thought they were giving something away outside. It took little Frank Papetti to put 'em on the pan though, Frank could darn near throw a fit any time he wanted to, and there wan't no one or two men holdin' him either, cause when Frank threw any fits he threw 'em right, and didn't come out of 'em till he got darn good and ready; got away with it too, cause it wasn't long before Frank got his papers — darn glad of it too, that man didn't use any sense about his fits. Take Martin for instance, delicate little Martin Liberkowski. Martin was highly insulted when he first came in cause Barrar took one peek at his physique and fell on him with a loving look as a foot- ball find, but Martin was shocked. Take for instance when Martin would throw a fit, he'd calmly and very ladylike, simply fall down 320 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY UuARD Fatigue flat on liis face or which ever way he happened to be balanced and lay there quietly till it was time to get up, it made no difference to Martin whether he was in the mess line or not either, Avhenever he wanted to fit, he fit, that's all. Martin's ignorance at the stables was real bliss too, the way he'd walk around the fighting enfl of a mule would give you a sinkin ' f eelin ' around the heart. One man couldn 't stand it anymore so he hollers, "For the love of Pete, Martin, talk to those mules Avhen you walk up l^ehind them, or you'll get 3'^our brains kicked out.'"' "Oh, "says Mar- tin, in his sweet treble, and forthwith walks up within range for a nice barrage, 'n says, "Hello," as if he'd just met his best girl, and calmly enters the stall. One little lady, not understanding Martin's sweet disposition took a side swipe at him, "Oh, you mean thing," exclaims he, and from then on had nothing whatsoever to do with her. Martin got across with his fits though, and Avhen they handed Mar- tin his papers, the Sup- ply hated to see him go, cause that left them absolutely Avithout any femininity whatever. Thers all kinds of characters in every company, but you never see any of their char- aktillekv soloiek,s uxluamng Manuke acteristics till you hap- pen into the bath house between retreat and taps, there's where tales flow easily, there's where you learn things that never goes down on a man's service record, there's where the past, present and future of every man comes out sooner or later — and right there is where you mil hear every man talk most, and then along at that time be- tween call to quarters and taps when the man is lying in Ms bed HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 321 thinking things over and when thers siipposed to be no talking, then too, occasionally they let loose, and they're always tales of interest. The old bath-house has her specials too; there's James (George) Washington, George has barbered in more companies and camps than any man in the service — but George's wanderlust always car- ried him further, and George was a good sport too, he 'd just as soon shoot you craps for a hair cut or shave as put it down on the com- pany book, cause it made no difference to George, he'd lose it in craps after he got it anyhow. Everybody says George was a good barber, if you could get him to do any barberin', and George would barber too, fifteen minutes after pay day when he was broke in order to get another stake again; and George never lost faith in his- self. Then there was George's side kick, Fer- dinand Foster, we be- lieve Ferdie Avas spoiled at home, and Ferdie was undisputed champion cusser of the Company with no challengers ; then we come to Benny, Benny Cottenbrook, Benny had been there, gone through two mills, and showed life things it never saw before, and there was real lonesomeness too, when Benny, George and Ferdie hit the long trail for Waco, Texas. No wonder Polly Erdman volunteered as steady bath-house orderly, cause the man holdin' that position was boss politician of the spare hours, and Polly reigned supreme until the Base Hospital took a good look at him and decided Polly would make a better civilian than soldier. Then Crawford got canned, Crawford had soldiered before and knew the game, so he didn't stick. Monk Johnson and Grove Edingfield volunteered to go overseas. Monk says, "I've got a brother whose been over there in the trenches for the last four years, and aint got a scratch on him yet. I don't believe they got a Avar over there, 'n I'm goin' over to see." And Old Edingfield went along too. Eddie was the funniest combination of pious man and I-don't-give-a-damn man you ever saw. He'd cuss an hour straight for a spell and then bawl you out fifteen minutes later for easin' your tongue up a little. But how that old boy could cook, though. Field Mess 322 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Gallery Practice Every man mostly thinks of the time he soldiered first, and likes the man he soldiered with first. Take back there in old little half sized bath-house at Sherman, they built it for fifty men, then raised the Supply to over one Imndred men, but forgot to raise the bath- house too — but along towards evening you might first hear Benny tellin' George Huglo about what him and Sally Ann did back in nineteen so and so, and when it come to tellin' things Benny didn 't top George by any great heights, and it wouldn't be long before the old audience would be gath- ered, and Washington would disappear to get his comb and piece of paper, and the music he could get out of that thing was delicious, and he and Ferdie would strike some Hawaiian strain or a little jazz while Benny put on the hooch, and its many a professional that would envy that man, when it come to hoochin'. Benny wasn 't no mean man with the dice either, but Donald Fiske Avas the Monte Carlo of the Supply, and it was- n't long till Donald in- troduced * 'All down and up she comes" and it cost Joe Opo many a penny too before he got his education. Joe couldn't say his own name in the American tongaie when he first "enlisted" but Joe was soon put through the mill, and is a good all around American citizen now. When it come to shootin' craps though, Ed Kennedy got his share before he went to the Depot Brigade. Ed had a pretty soft soldierin' life, seein' as how he kept his big seven passenger car down to camp with him, it didn't hardly do not to treat Ed nice. Joe Szymanowski had the pull of the com- RiFLE Range — Fike! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY pany though, and many 're the times Joe would tell how he and the Colonel rode down town in the motorcycle and he'd advise the Colo- nel on many questions of import. Joe, the Cap'n and Col. stood as one, and they'd sooner resign themselves than fire Joe — but — as Joe said, they need expert mechanics down in Texas and this was a Glen- eral Order or the Cap'n and Col. would never let him go. The Supply had quite a shift of Loots too ; course Post and Eddie Mac, or Eddie MacNichol, if you wish, were the first on the jobs, and Eddie stuck clear through Camp Sherman, and Eddie wasn't such a bad scout at all — outside of crabbing — but when it came to Chapman ringin' in his school teachin' ideas on the Supply Company for a while, assisted by Brown at the stables. Brown didn't seem to be veiy familiar with the stables, and they wasn't there to learn, but no doubt they did. Then Tiny Wales came along ; only one thing we didn't like about Biinny, and that's that he wanted to ride up in balloons and left the Supply, taking the entire respect of the Supply with him. Then Lt. Ryder — there's one man all the boys liked to take exercise under — time he'd mop his brow, walk up and down in front of the company with his hands behind his back and get a command goin' it'd be time to quit, and thas whatcha call gettin' off easy. Mabe Chapman didn't make up for it though, when he leads the Company for a seven mile hike, it seemed, double timin', one mornin', just to try endurance, he says, and there were Supply Company men strung all over that route after the first three or four hundred yards, and when the Loot got to the end of his journey he didn't have to dismiss the company, cause there wasn 't any company with him to dismiss. Can't forget J. Gruy McCormick, neither, Ex-Top Kick of the Supply, Mack must o' had some sea-farin' blood in his veins, cause he had the old sailors habit of placing one hand on his belly, one hand on the back of his trousers, and scroocliing up his pants. Mack wasn't leveled quite right either, cause one shoulder would insist upon staying about two inches higher than the other one, and eveiybody Rifle Eange ' ' Butts ' 324 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY held their breath when Mack did about face, and thought sure he'd break a leg one of these days, but Mack wouldn't take any chances and would always get around in about six or seven shifts. Every time Mack would salute, a man would have to close his eyes, cause J. Guy was sure "'^t^^' Straw Pile reckless with that thumb of his. He'd keep his arm flattened against his side, raise his fore arm reckless like — w i t h his thumb stickin ' straight out, and how he missed his eye every time, is a mystery yet. Then Bill Smith steps in when Mack leaves. The Cap'n's army regulations tells him he just naturally had to have a Top Sergeant, and Bill's six foot, 'n something, toppin' everybody else, he was picked. Bill had been running the forage end of the game and had the boys hustling oats and hay so he was now put in charge of the gang. Buck Buckman was settin' himself for the job, but they'd already taken do^vn Buck's service flag at home, when they got the news that he was made Supply Sergeant; it Avas supposed he didn't want to put them to the trouble of puttin' it up again. Everybody was just gettin' settled down to soldiern' too, when winter came sneakin' on ** ' 'em. Kinda slipped one over, Best too, cause she must have been storin' up her coldest weather for a century before, and then put it all over that year. The Kittens began gettin' rough shod, and the rougher they shod them the rougher they got. Then they organized a firing range about eleven miles away, and only having one way to get there over what they pleased to call roads. The boys began gettin' an idea of real soldiering Avhen they started hauling supplies out there. They never figured on how many would turn over to-day. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 325 or how many would get tliere, they always wondered if they'd be the lucky one out of the Ijunch to stand up without accident. Charlie Riley used to worry more about goin' to the range, then he would over his meals, and meals are the things to worry about. Grotta hand it to the Supply for that winter, cause thats when they worked more than they slepted or ate, and didn't holler about it either. Thats where the old bath-house shined too, in the cold weather, and woe unto the man that tried to take a bath along about call-to- quarters when the lights had to go out in the barracks, crap games had to break up, and the men began filterin' out to bathe. Every time too, thats just when Opo would decide to take a bath, and it wasn't no man but would rather stay there and see Joe try to take a bath at that time, than go to any show that the Liberty Theater ever tried to slip over on a poor unsuspecting sol- dier. Then too, is when rumours o f overseas movements began float- ing in stronger then ever, and gotto takin' first place in all argu- ments, and whenever Loading Oats Kelly could be gotten off the high seas long enough for someone else to get in a word, she'd always drift aroimd to Going Over. Kelly used to salt away any- Avhere between fourteen and sixteen hundred dollars almost every night, and the women that man knows would make a picket fence clear around the Argonne Forest. It wasn't long though, till the 322d began knowing it was their turn to take a trip, and Jenks got to wieldin' his hammer and nails like he was a young man, with Opo always just in the rear with the saw. Col. Devoe and Horner almost wore out their stenciling outfit, and got more red paint on themselves than they did on the crates and boxes, everybody began getting overseas equipment and a funny feeling around their middles. The smiling days of June had just begun to filter before us. The days that Supply Company put in hauling rations and forage in those odd looking, brown colored wagons, over snowy and icy roads, sometimes leading to the artillery range, sometimes throu camp, when 326 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Unloading Oats the mercury in the thermometers were biting off degrees toward the bottom, were a thing of the past. Mess had been put away and all that could be heard was the occasional bang of pans as the K. P.'s were winding up their day's work in the kitchen. Shadowy figures could be seen moving toward the bath-house. Tipperary had just been sung. It finally drifted to, "It's a long Way to Berlin." Of course a Drafted Man could not be sent across the pond as it was ultra vires per Constitu- tion of United States. It is but natural for a group of soldier's to argue or crab. So old Uncle Hiram Winters, with his abet- tors were lined up on one side of the latrine and those contra were lined up on the other. Old Webster had nothing on us when it came to arguing. Just then some one turned on the cold water. After dodging soap and mopping up the extra water that had congregated the NEWS was in full sway. Just then the Officer of the Day stepped in and everything was jake. Yes, even arguing must ' „_. _ ^ cease when "Atten- tion" is yelled. 0. D.'s never stick around very i .., long so after taking a ^ hurried glance about and assuring himself that every one was busy and no one was loafing, he slammed the door and soon his steps could be heard fading away in the distance. Some one gave * ' Rest. ' ' The Imperial Quartet, Larry, Enwright, Hockenlightner and Rish, were soon hitting the swells in Mother McCree and occasionally the other less important members of the singers union would strike their favorite note as it came along and the end would sound like a grand opera on Broadway. The flying squadron soon checked in. This A%%. Stony Creek Eange HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 327 made the assemblege complete. After giving the army hell, because of the new order to do all hauling at night, Kelly soon had us sailing on the deep blue sea and, after assuring us that his experience in the Navy had done him a world of good, we were wondering if we could not suspend the Constitution of the United States and depart immediately for Berlin. Suddenly the long, shrill notes of the bugle filled the air. "Dam the bugle," snapped Berky. We all moved to the further edge of our seat so as to be ready in case of any emer- gency. Everything was set now for the discussion, old, new, and expected orders of military im- portance. Even the air had its flavor of Omar, Piedmont, Camels and Psh! went the lights. Here comes the 0. D. Everyone was in the barracks and either asleep or had just got up to see if "All was well" when he arrived. Many were the dreams that night judging from the nazal sounds that only a group of soldiers can produce. Imagine our surprise ! Honest to Goodness passenger coaches were strewn along the Camp Sherman siding in the morning. Great was the rubbing of eyes after the bugles had blown. The next few days Avere busy ones. Jenk and Horner were tiJ™"^: Cleaning Tent Chimney kept busy slapping "A. E. F." on boxes. In fact so lovingly were the K. P.'s attached to those beautiful tables in the mess hall that "A. E. F." was noticed upon them. Har- ness, set after set, was shoved carefully (?) in boxes. Wagons were taken apart and painted. Then came the days of long distance calls and telegrams. We got our backs ready for the first touch of the haversack. Eddie Mack takes us all outside and lines up the Com- pany. That bunch lined up like real soldiers too; talk about your military fits; they Avere right though, that's what pockets were made for, to put things in and no stipulated amount, and aint no man going to leave bananas, apples or anything like that behind when he 's got pockets to put them in, and cause a few things like that couldn't be crammed in and were stickin' out, wasn't no reason for Eddie to 328 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY Camp make a lot o' fuss about, but Eddie had to have something to holler about, and he sure had us up a tree when he says no packages should be sticking outside, and nothing but the haversacks and blanket rolls. Everybody was looking at those cars settin' right in front of us on the tracks ; but o' course these wasn't our cars, wasn't no sense in bringin' cars right up to a person's door, and nothin' like walking a man about half a mile when you got the chance — and it sure was ideal time for the rail- roads to run out o ' pull- mans when the 322d had to leave. Anyhow, Eddie lines the men up outside the barracks, "Line up," says he, "and be sure and get in your proper places." Couldn't blame Eddie for that, cause wasn't it just a few days before that Camp Taylor loaded most of their responsibilities on to the 322d and Supply got its fill up of Kentucky rookies, and they almost ate the place out of house and home before they could be rationed down to their size. "Tension" pleaded Eddie, "Right Dress" and "Front" both about the same time, cause he might as well, if he didn't make them quit right d r e s s i n ' they'd be swaying back and forth there all day. ' ' Open ranks, march ' ' comes next, and everybody got away with it too, still holdin' on to all excess baggage. "Prepare for inspection" Eddie insisted, but what could a man do but stand there and hold on to his packages ? Eddie went stone blind then, but how he got past all those bundles with- out bumpin' against them, shows he was pretty clever and when he rubbed against some one's pillow, he didn't see that, but P. 0. Quirk 'Battery Target," Artillery Eange, 1918 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 329 was takin' up entirely too much space, and P. 0. weighing about two fifty, Eddie just simply had to stop and argnie the right of way with him. "Quirk, what have you," Eddie trembles, while a lovely pink improved his already lovely pink features. P. 0. glanced down at the one big beautifully wrapped can under his left arm, to the other beautifully wrapped can under his right arm, not big cans they weren't, only just little enough for each arm to circle. Little giggles, all eyes turned in that direction but P. 0. never even makes a twitch of an eyelash, not the faintest sign of worry showed itself, ' ' Peaches, sir," says P. 0., "P-e-a-c-h-e-s." A blast of the train whistle saved the day, "Close ranks, march." Roll was called next. Eddie had the company down to that point of effi- ciency at that time to where each section chief called the roll and the section chief passed it up to the Top Kick, and he turned around and handed it to Eddie and then all Eddie had to do was to turn around 'n report to the Capt'n. His report was, one private absent, sir. "Huh," mutters the Cap'n. "One private absent, sir," repeats Eddie. "Who's dot," the Cap'n was anxious to know. "Charles Barber, sir," says Darn if it wasn't a fact, quiet old Charlie Barber, never said nothin', never asked nothin', never wanted nothin', old Barber who nobody ever took seriously or worried about at all, nobody ever thought of asking him for advice or anything, and here he'd done showed the whole Company up, done slipped one over on the whole crowd, and when everybody come to think of it, nobody had seen Charlie since the night before when they announced that the Com- pany would entrain the following morning, and here he 'd done gone and showed he had more sense than the whole shootin' match put together. Later at Camp Mills when a couple giiards come walking in mth Charlie for company, he explains how he started walking the hundred miles or a little less to his home, and got within a few miles of the place when a plain clothes man picked him up — but after that everybody respected Charlie more then ever they had before. R. 0. 1, Artillery Range, 1918 Eddie, "Charles Barber.' 330 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Eddie walks the buncli down to the train though, and as per usual stood around on the outside until the men finally unloaded their packs of their own accord, during which time was put in with the usual crabbing, then they got the train sec- tioned off, and in they piled, only to pile right off again to load on bag- gage, then on they piled again with the never missing instructions not to move a muscle or get off for "any excuse at all," and there they sat for the usual two or i three hours, trying to look sober and almost getting away with it, or trying to look happy with less success, but nobody actually worrying about anything. Wasn't no women around to shed tears and make a fellow feel like cuttin' his throat, so when the old iron boy toots her whistle, and jerks her back, then up again with slowly increasing movement, every- body yelled whether they wanted to or not, and Camp Sherman began walk- ing away — Ole Camp Sherman, dog- gone her, many 're the kicks that have been put over there, and many are the times she was brought back to mind when a man got to soldierin ' in an- other atmosphere. The bunch gotta settling them- selves then for the trip, and the bus pulled into Chillicothe, and everybody gotta craning their necks to see what the "girlie" on the other side of the coach was shedding good tears for — the train had no more than stopped until she was in front of the window where George Dewine was sticking his head out — when she spied her Greorge, the tears started flowin' heav'r than ever. G-eorge says he thought the train never would pull out o' there, but she did, and George handed her Semaphore on Artillery Eange, 1918 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 331 her final Revoir, and breathed his first easy breath since he met her. It was sooth 'n to a heavy heart the way people ran around to see the train pass, and wave their hands, and it wasn't long till every- body done fell into the spirit of the trip and people, and was wavin' at everything human they passed. Tyree was the only one that didn't wave and enjoy hi 'self, cause Tyree done pick'd up a little American flag somewhere and held it out the window for the whole two days, and got madder 'n hell cause everybody he passed didn't salute it. Tyree 's been in the army so long he couldn't figure those civilians out. Mabe that crowd didn 't like West Virginia when they passed through, when they got to seein' some of the fairy women they raise down there. They 've been wonderin ' why they spent so much of their lives in any other part of the coun- try. That little strech when we got off the cars at Washington, D. C, was just like a man taking a confirmed smoker and blowing Artilleey range, Communication by Visual good cigar smoke in his Signaling face. Then when pass- ing through Jersey City and New York, they saw about as much of the city as they did Washington; then came the canvas city of Camp Mills. Nobody don't forget Camp Mills cause thats the last thing in God's country they got to see, and it was only a few short days of that, mostly days of inspection, and then again we steps out for a last train ride on a real honest to goodness train. EmBAEKATION GrOOD-BYE U. S. A. The long rows of rifles could be seen gieamin' down wharf fifty- seven as Supply Company lined up along its busy corridors. Before us was a sight we had never expected to see. Soon eyes were meas- urin' up the long side of our transport. Its sides were painted with curious waves of black and white. We were soon filing up the gang- -plank but before goin' up we bumped into a lota red tape. We only had to hand our names back and forth, last name first, first name last an' so on about five different ways before gettin' on the boat. After 332 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY once on board not even Quirk was able to rock the boat. Cards liad been given us which designated at just what place we were to eat 'n sleep. There was an awful smell below deck but that was soon forgotten as someone shoved you into a dark corner and shouted, ' ' Where do we sleep 1 Where is bunk eighty- four?" — however we managed to locate our bunks in short order and equipment was soon piled upon the bunks. Beds were arranged bunk above bunk. It sort o' look't like a penitentiary the way things were fixed. What does a soldier care as long as there is a dry place to flop and a promise of three meals a day. We were soon up on deck. Lined up on one side of us was the tall building of the National Biscuit Company while about two hundred yards away was another transport being loaded up with soldiers. It was not long before we were yelling over the side of the boat at 'em such exclamations as: "What outfit yu'all from!" ' ' What yu in f or ? " " Do yu think you '11 ever come out alive ? ' ' while a tall lean guy perched up on the end of the other boat, after looking at the water with sort of a melancholy air, yelled over, "Hay, Buddy, can yu swim?" Someone yelled back, "No, yu fish, we're goin' to walk." We had all been handed chow cards. Soon the ding-a-ling of a bell could be heard at the far end of the raft and someone yelled, "All down for mess," but a big fat guy with a blue uniform and enough gold braid danglin' upon it to make one sort o' think he was admiral of the whole dam fleet, soon checked us and let us know right off the bat that as far as mess was concerned he Avas the king bee. He soon had us showin' our cards an' all those that didn't have "first sitting" stamp 'd on 'em were kicked out of the line. Well, we all stood around on one leg an' could hardly wait until Supply, Companies sitting came. Natur'ly they had us slated for third an' last sittin' so we kind 'a thought we would not only get our share of EaILHEAD DiBRDORP, GERMANY HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 333 the grub but what was left over as well. After the first bunch came up we were all curious as to what kind o' chow they served on this 'ere boat. We were assured in the most faithful of language that among other things, that is good, they had chicken. Well this sort o ' made us feel pretty good so after changin' foots a couple of times and seein' visions of fried chicken, roasted chicken and stewed chicken we were suddenly started by the bell for the third sittin'. Supply was up an at 'em and after deployin' as skirmishers an' havin' firmly resolved that we could outflank any part o' said chicken that could possibly be shoved before us, we were go in' down the steps on high Avhen Shorty Birkhiemer was suddenly awed by the appear- ance of a mountain of human flesh tied up in the personage of the guy with the gold lace, who proved to be the steward, with what came to be a familiar cry, "Cards, please." "Cards be damned," said Birk, "we Avant something to eat." This guy, the steward, sort o' resembled our mess ser- geant back in the states, but this bird had an awful bunch of authority. We were soon seated at tables that were cov- ered with Avhite oilcloth an' everything was ready but the feed. We were soon issued ta' from what resembled a sprin- klin' can only this thing con- tained many bangs 'n dents 'n had evidently b'n used as a means of settling a barrage when the wait- ers from the third class mess hall tried to keep the waiters in the offi- cers' mess hall from going over the top. Here comes the chicken 'an we all shov'd our plates up to be filled but when they returned they contained but one lonely egg. We did not know whether this was the "leavin's" or not but someone assured us this was the first course and all we had to do was to be patient. We don't know who was guilty of stealin' eggs when Noah put out 'n his ark but these eggs sure did date back that far. The next course proved to be stale bread and strong butter, it smell 'd about like the ship, 'n after that we were soon hustl'd out of the place so the waiters could "police up." As we passed up the stairs many were the smiles that greeted us. We were promised that our future meals would be better but they wer — n't. Outside of scratch 'n and breathin' fould air 'n seeing all kinds U. S. COMMISSABY, DiEKDOBF :i34 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Gasoline Dump, Dieedorf an' models of submarines we spent a fair night's repose. We began to be towed out of the harbor about nine in the mornin'. We nat- urally were ordered off the deck and ordered to "close all portholes." Well we got down 'n the bottom all right but when it came to clos'n portholes that was a question that we thought we had some say to, for we were lined up about four- teen deep waiting for a last peep at the shores 'n build 'ns of good old U. S. A. Jimmie Fero was next at the hole and after stick- in' around mor'n his time he finally asked who be the woman wavin' farewell to him. Well, about twenty-five of us tried to get a look at the dame who was biddin' us a last farewell, sud- denly Gorham — the silent part- ner, managed to get one eye in focus 'n says, "Why, boys, that am the Statute of Liberty." Sur'nuf there was the old girl herself biddin' us a last farewell. Some of us grumbled when out in those covered wagons on icy roads 'n hills but as the shore faded away and U. S. A. was but a streak on the horizon many were the wishes that longed for even a glimpse of those roads 'n hills we had left behind. About all we could see now was water so conversation naturally drifted to submerines, life belts 'n the war in general. The crew and help on this boat were Eng- lish and many were men that had seen service in the front lines trenches, so they say, and they were always glad to tell of their experiences. Ya remem- ber Scoty don't ya — Old Scoty was one of the crew and did quite a bit of quiver 'n 'n jerking, shell shocked, they kept him belo' peelin' spuds, 'n he smelt like a spud and from the dirt he looked like a spud. Whenever he gota chance he was up on deck 'n tellin ' 'bout going over the top 'n seein' submerines. The Capt'n of the boat was the only one who interrupted him 'n then he'd go shootin' down the steps. Railroad erom Giershofen to Diebdokf HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 335 Life belts are a mighty help no one will deny but when it comes t' wearing them all the time — 'n sleepin' with 'em, 'n eatin' with 'em, 'n drinkin' ale with them — well sinking would be a pleasure. There was nothin' doing in the night but lay around on deck 'n dream of good eats that we had left behind and other things. If we went below the smell would spoil your sleepin' qualities for the night. No smokin' at night after 6.30 p.m. because of "subs." 'Member the night when Ave were all 'n bed 'n meditatin' to ourselves whether they'd ever be another day in our lives after this night when sud- denly a noise like that produced by so many monkeys rent the air 'n there stood Sam Chirco, ravin' like he was mad with his hair all ruffled up. We finally discovered that someone had poured water down on Sam from the bunk above 'n if you ever saw Chirco angry he was sure afire now. Most of us pretended that we were asleep ■ and soon Sam crawled into his bunk still ravin' and talking Italian. This was a peculiar journey across the pond 'n anyone seein' us Avould have laughed aloud — but war is war and submerines don't leave no tracks so we al- ways had to be 'n good shape to hauling Supplies in Germany swim if necessary. Old Supply being the only company armed Avith rifles, were giv'n stations or posts near lifeboats and other important places on the ship and ordered to shoot anyone who disobeyed instructions in case of an attack. Nat- urally we Avere to be the last ones off the boat if an emergency arose so you can sort o' picture how Supply enjoyed the trip. About this time little Eddie's nervousness had got the best of him and he finally got permission from the Capt'n to read the articles of war to us. Well, everything Avent beautiful 'til someone Avent to sleep 'n then Eddie's Avrath began to groAv. About the next provision he read was about goin' A. W. 0. L. This made ns all smile as Ave gazed upon that vast tract of Avater 'n most of us Avondered if Ave ever AA^ould get a chance to go A. W. 0. L. 'n after bein' fed on the English diet for a week, none of us cared what the "Courts martial may otherwise direct." All we wanted Avas one square meal an' a place to put our feet upon. 336 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Orderly Eoom and Billet of Battery F, Bruckrachdorf, Germany We had some of the boys from the "Border" in Supply and on this particular night we had one for sergeant of the guard. The alarm in ease of emergency was six blasts of the old boat's whistle. This night everyone bein' tired out with articles of war 'n other stuff had rolled in for a quiet night's sleep. About 1.00 a.m. in the morning we were startled by five toots of the deep-roaring boat whistle. We had all imagined the sixth one had blown — at any rate when we heard the lst-2d-3d-4th 'n 5th and well Fiske didn't ever know whether he had blown his whistle or not for every- one was up on deck and ready to dive or swim. Some on board had managed to get to their posts with rifles only to think they had left behind their life belt. Great was the excitement until Ave were finally informed that the sixth blast had never blown. When we returned back to our sleepin' place there laid Cook Snyder in all his glory ripping off the greatest piece of jaz music one could imag- ine. He probably thought he was back 'n the states as ever once in a while he would dis- play a big smile an ' say, "Get 'em while there hot, boys." About then Main Street, Bruckrachdorf, Germany some one hit him with about six inches of water and he wrinkled up his face like he was swimin' the English Channel. We had ta'all take off our hats to the boys from Ireland for early in the morning the Irish Brigade upon the boats had sighted the shores of Old Blarny an' they were all wearing an extra smile during the day. Never will any of us forget that sight of land, those green HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 337 View of Brucerachdorf, Germany, Occupied by Supply Company and Battery F banks and the white lighthouse high upon the steep chff . Wonld we get to the shore 'n saftyl We followed hotiys that contained lan- terns most of the night an' in the mornin' our eyes followed the sandy beach and there before us was the city of Liverpool and the glistening water of the Mersey River. We ate a farewell dinner on that never-to-be-forgot- ten ship Canopic. So long, Tommy, will see you later. Hurrah ! again those feet of ours was upon good mother Earth. We were in- formed a short walk was ahead of us 'n then we were going to have a rest. The kids both old 'n young were lined up along both sides of the streets and it is little wonder that they smiled as we passed, however, we were not bothered in our marching by anything like canned peaches, bananas etc. nor stuffed pockets of eats. From now on it Avas Corned Willy. A few bum meals and we were off this time throu Eng- land. Everything seemed strange — even the trains. The engines were small and coaches entirely different than ours. Southampton was our destina- tion. Soon we were upon a large transport and sardines packed in a can had nothing on us, for we were about four deep. This was the last stretch of water and how we hoped it would be a safe trip. The English Channel was a dangerous place, so most of us outside of being more or less religious managed to keep awake all night and tried at least to keep on top of the mass of sleepin' men as they lay on the floor. We hit France at Le Havre. We were soon on land. Supply Wagons — 322d Field Artillery 338 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Bruckkachdorf, Germany, Supply Company Do yu' remember that long hill — how the presperation rolled off our brow as we climbed it with full packs"? We finally located on the heights above the town where we could see the harbor and far over the English Channel. We were busy with the manual of arms while here. A dirigible bal- P5 loon in its steady course across the Channel and a warning that we were to go to certain places in case of an air raid reminded us of the fact that our days be- fore actual service were limited indeed. Many were the cheers that greeted us as we travel over France in our puUman- box car. No one knew where we were bound but soon we pulled up to a place named Messac-Guipry and it is here that we soon discovered we were to detrain. Messac The cars had hardly stopped before all were off. It was but nat- ural though, for us to hop off those cheese boxes for after eatin' "Corn Willy" 'n hard- tack and being packed in cars a man must do somethin' that contains action or he never will move. Who ever heard of the town of Messac before? None of us had 'n instead of seein' skyskrapers all we could see was "Cafe" and stone barns. We soon kncAv all about barns tho for most of us were quar- tered in them. We couldn't talk French so all we could do was to wave oiir hands or walk in a store and begin pickin' up things and pay later. No one had any cash after our hunger-voyage on the Yacht Canopic, only the Capt'n 'n Hayes. We managed to scratch some from the Capt'n but Hayes stood firm. So even the stores were not frequented very much. An American is always anxious to give things the once over so it was not long before many of us strolled Everyone Up! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 339 Bu[LDi.\cj Mess Hall at Bruckrachdorf, Germany, Supply Company and Battery F about to see what this part of the world really contained. We soon discovered the Vilaine River. How curious it seemed to see women lined up along the banks of the river 'n washin' clothes like their very life depended on how much they washed and then to settle all arguments they would slap them with a paddle 'n finally shove 'em in a wheelborrow. "Look out, here comes a Pack- ard, ' ' yelled Hugio, and along comes a cart pulled by oxen. It looked curious. How the steers rolled their eyes when they passed us. The clatter of wooden shoes could be heard coming down the street and soon the small children were eyeing us shyly. After a few weeks we became accustomed to the life and discovered that the French people were kind and generous. It ; was not long before they could be seen helping us out with our washing and helping us with their lang-uage. Fourth of July came along, the Colonel brought out his band 'n after Bowser sang a few songs and the French passed 'round the red wine the French thought, altho most of us were boys, we sure had some "pep" and ginger and from then on we were all "jake" around Messac. We had many things to do at Messac and every day found Supply exceptionally busy. After our first pay and mail arrived everyone seemed to put an increased effort in their work. Wagons were put together. Days were spent drilling in the hot sun. Gas masks were Supply Company and Battery F Mess Hall, Bruckrachdorf, Germany 340 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Some or Supply Company Detail, at Deesen, Germany issued. Overseas caps and wrapped puttees put in their apperance. For our faithful work many were given passes to visit Rennes, a neighboring city. By this time we had all learned some French and the people were in- deed sorry to hear that we were to leave for our final training at Camp Coetquidan, an artillery camp. Some of the girls had become sort o' Americanized as far as wooing was concerned and m a n y were the tears that rolled down fair faces when our wagon train began to grind the dust toward Coetquidan. Camp Coetquidan Coetquidan was a dirty place and was located upon a high hill. Long wooden barracks were assigned us and Supply Company was again ready for work. A few hurried weeks were spent here. It was not long before final preparations were made for us to depart. How we loaded wagons, kitehin's and all upon flat cars and the speed with which we loaded would make a circus organization open its eyes. In less than half an hour every horse, every wagon, was loaded for, we knew not where, but some place near the Front. Our journey took us to the very edge of Paris. Many were the shouts that greeted us as we rolled along. We detrained near Souilly just after dark and within the sound of large cannon. From then on it seemed as tho we had entered a different world. No Supply (.'(imtaxy Detail at Deesen, Germany HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY 341 civilians could be seen, no children, no women. Houses lost their name as houses and stood now as ruins. Moving toward the Fkont Orders are orders 'n Supply Company must obey them as well as others, but it seems dam pecul- iar that orders must come at such pleasant times. Imagine yourself what the talk would sound like, especially in the army, after having spent most of the preceeding night work- ing, then sleepin' on a wet ground upon a hasty bed made in the black of night 'n now ordered to move just as it be- gan to get dark 'n rain comin' down in torrents. "Pull out," shouted Mitman. After hittin ' a few trees 'n guiding Walter's horses over a narrow culvert we Passing Away the Time in Germany, Supply Company Detail, Deesen, Germany were soon on our way 'n making our first trip to the Front. The rain continued in its fury and Peak wondered if we were still in ' ' Sunny France. ' ' The long-ranged vol- canos had nearly wrecked our nervous systems but now we were confronting those old French towns that had been reduced to ruins and now resem- bled a pile of rock in a prison yard. We slipped into the once city of Brabant. No lights were allowed but the flash of long range guns showed the jagged pieces of buildings as they stood silent defying those bolts of force that sought to eliminate their exist- ence. Horses and wagons having been put in shelter of old buildings as much as possible, we were soon groping in the darkness for places to flop. It was 3.30 a.m. Some slept in wagons, some on barn floors, while some managed to find a room in a house that had escaped thus Inspection 342 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY far the shell and which served as a protection against the weather. Hardly had we hit our beds, altho some were asleep, when a long Sm-m-m-mbang ! A Jerry shell went over ns. Again and again they came but all went over. Jerry was shelling a near-by town. We were nearly all asleep when suddenly we were awakened by the simultaneous screeching of Klaxons and the yell of Gas! "We could hear gurglin' sounds 'n cursing under breath as the gas masks were being swung into position and the final snap to the band that goes about the head could be heard distinctly. We were soon informed that the gas had not reached us so with a hurried jerk, off came the masks. It seemed as though we had hardly hit peaceful sleepin' again when we heard that familiar cry of Smith's, "Everybody Up." Great was the sur- prise and wide were the eyes as some were in- formed that during their peaceful slumber during the night a gas alarm had been sounded as well as shells had been flying over head. Outside of having a hand-to-hand fight w^ith a few rats that proved themselves too familiar, John Meyers had never heard a thing. Nig Clemmer had the kitchen put in an old building that had been torn away, with the exception of one room, by shell fire. Drake and Snyder were busy handing out slum. Some Frenchmen passing exclaimed, "White Bread," and after sticking around awhile were soon in our mess line and a smile of satisfaction played on their faces when they were handed a slice. We soon discovered that a kitchen sure was a crowd drawer and had to be camouflaged. The day was unusually clear. Truck after truck had passed throu loaded with shells, shells, shells. Now came field hospitals. We had to move to the other side of the road so as to allow the field hospitals room to get into action. The shrill notes of the bugle sounded and gave us warning to get under cover. Soon we could see Bosh planes high in the air and puffs of smoke played about them from the anti-aircraft guns. Pansy Koehler knew they had taken Inspecting Hokseshoeing HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 343 Sui'l'LY Coill'AXV. iiP.UI-KHACIIDOKF a picture and said we sure would be shelled that night. He expressed the sentiments of the crowd, for we all felt that something was about to be pulled off. Capt'n released our anxiety by givin' orders to move as soon as possible after supper. Chow was put away in a hurry that night 'n no one cared to line up for seconds. Our wagons had just begmn to pull out when s-bang ! a shell with no hum at all hit just above where we had put in part of our night's sleep and the next s-bang! hit where our kitchin had been. We waited for no more particulars. Bunk Showers had been seen to hop into a wagon, he never walked, but after the first shell he was seen to jump out suddenly and — the wagons were too slow for him. Shells were drop'n pretty lively in the town now. We halted about half a mile out of the town at some French barracks near a steep hillside. We were soon ordered to move for- Avard taking our posi- tion on the summit of a hill. It was now dark and the Cap'n said this would be the last place the Hims would think of shelling and would be a good place until day- light. At twelve mid- night we were all startled by a heavy boom and then rockets could be seen buldging from all directions along the horizon and suddenly the whole heavens seemed to belch forth a flare of flame. Then came the noise. A crash! The very earth trembled as several large naval guns opened up just behind us and belching forth their breath of flame and with groaning sound hurled their mighty missiles toward Putting the ' ' Hob ' ' in Hobnails 344 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the Hnn. Suddenly Jerry began to send liis compliments. A wicked crash. Hundreds of whizzes could be heard in the air but Jerry was out on his range and how we hoped he would stay out. From midnight on this Hell on earth never lost its vigor. We were not permitted to move from this position as only ammunition was allowed to pass upon the roads. It was now daylight and our position could be seen by the Huns. Jerry's long-ranged shells were coming over regular now. We could see a black cloud of smoke from our anti- aircraft gams 'n then high in the air could be seen several German planes. We would surely be shelled now but all we could do was to wait. The Capt'n was heard to say, "My God, if they split that angle on their range they'll get us sure." Thanks to Jerry — he was too slow. We were now moving toward the Front and were soon in a long valley protected at least from observa- tion. At Hbsse Forest We had passed shell hole after shell hole and every once in a while Colvin would say, Supply Kitchen, Bruckrachdorf, Germany Ihere IS a iresn one, and point to a large shell hole deep enough to place our whole wagon, top and all. It makes you feel a little faint to see the fresh ones for at any moment one may fall near it 'n — curtains for you. It seemed hard to realize that one would have gutts enough to walk right up among engines of war that were doing their work of Hell but there we were, Supply Company's whole train and those nine-inch, long-ranged pieces firing directly over us. They looked like barrels from the Front. What an awful noise. The horses nearly flattened to the ground when the ones let loose toward our right. Van and Johnson soon came lumber- ing along with their trucks and we unloaded rations right under those barking Vesuviuses. How we used to grumble when those hundred pound cans of bacon came in but now they seemed light and never was better time made in unloading. Jerry shells continued to whistle all around. Now we could see them slashing throu the near-by trees. Doc Lores wagon got stuck and all the swearing Doc could Chipping off Wood HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 345 rake and scrape in Yanky and Frog language would not make them go. Dewine Mtclied in and with men on the wheels after a long hard pull we were soon over part of the long hill. It was hard work to get wagon after wagon over the shell-torn places. It was sure miraculous the way those horses pulled but many things can be done under shell fire. Even the horses seemed anxious to get off that impro- vised road and get in the shel- ter of trees if nothing else. The kitchen was soon in action at the edge of the woods. Most of the shells were now going over us. It was dark. Our work was just beginning; supplies consisting of rations and forage to be carried across the muddy and shell-torn field to the cover of the woods. We camouflaged the wagons as best we could. It was mighty damp sleeping that night. "We were up with the break of morning partly because it was too cold to sleep or partly because the water began to run under our blankets. Before us in the gray dawn of morning we could see the outline of a high hill from which the Huns had just been driven. As it grew into prominence we could see that it was robbed of its green foliage and soon we could see the gap- ing craters that those great blasts from the large guns the previous night had torn into it. It stood there in its solemnity, robed in a shroud of gray. It seemed to be ashamed of its presence — that it had used its very self as a shelter for those figiires clad in gray that sought to cast their power over the world by force and rob it of its freedom. Supply Company SAUKLtii in Operation, Beuckbachdorf, Germany Camp Gallieni Everything seemed so beautiful as we pulled along that stretch of camouflaged road that led toward Camp Gallieni. Camp G-allieni 346 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY sounds very well but it is a misnomer as far as camp is concerned, for all that proved to be there were rough shacks and old bunks that contained bold members of the cootie gang. Nevertheless, we began to love its peacefulness and we sure did enjoy a quiet night's sleep under the branches of those large beech trees. Most of us had crawled under canvas and jerked it over our heads when the rain strove to make the night uncomfortable. We all were feeling mighty fine in the morning. Drake had the celebrated stew on for dinner and many were the razors that glistened in the sunlight as we began that process of cleaning up that we all needed so badly. In fact, Manor, Day and others could be seen going throu the process of an open air bath, had stripped off their clothes and stood looking to see if any cooties had made there apperance. -^^ Suddenly from out of an unadulterated sky came a thunderous crash and men could be seen going in every direction. Capt'n Dis- sing was sure making splendid time and headed the procession of me n — some minus Supply Company Wagon in Action C 1 O t h e S , SOme with razors, some with one side of faces shaved and some with shoes off. All of us in the valley wondered what had happened; then suddenly and as unex- pected as the first came another but now limbs of trees could be seen going in every direction. Jerry shells were coming and coming so close that it knocked one man and soon our peaceful place changed to . a dumping place for Gr. I. Cans. It was little wonder that this inviting place had been left unoccupied for we afterwards learned that it was shelled every day. 'Member the piece of shell Michael picked up weighing about ten pounds? It was not long before Supply was ordered to move. Soon our wagons were in the opposite woods and we smiled as the Jerry shells continued to spend their fury where no one happened to be. Veedxjn' Peont Our long train of Supply wagons could be seen slowly winding throu the outskirts of Verdun. Many were the glances and expres- HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 347 sions as we passed that battle-scarred place. TMerville, an outskirt of Verdun, was passed. Our wagons were moving forward on a new front. Before us were stretched those hills that marked the stopping place of the Huns in the early days of the war. On the crest of nearly every hill was a fort. Shell holes could be seen on every side, many old and many new. Supply took its place in a small town just a short distance from Charny. Every favorable day and night Hun planes were in order at this place. They always kept a keen lookout for supply bases or wagons knowing full well if food were to be cut off from the batteries, they could not operate. The Boche long-ranged guns always kept the roads under fire. They were answered by the long-ranged guns at Fort Charny and many were the duels that these put up. Jerry continu- ally dropped shells over - . j us into Verdun and every night their long- mo a n i n g s could b e heard as they passed and exploded with ter- rific force. How we hoped none would stop near us. Every day found our men and wagons and trucks roll- ing over long roads to the batteries. Every trip saw shells playing peculiar pranks. It was then that many of us left the supply base not knowing whether we would ever return. However difficult the road or however dangerous the hills always the supplies went forward. Many were the trips and many were the drivers that held their breath as they passed the old wooden bridge that spanned the Meuse which was screened by a long wall of camouflage. The Meuse and Charny will never be for- gotten by old Supply. War Finish The night we pulled in the Forest of Hesse we often wondered where all our shells were going and what they were doing. G-reat was the surprise and with much eagerness did Ave progress when we were informed that we were to take a new position which would take us over the territory that had been shelled by our batteries the first night we went into action. We were passing over territory that a Target JfRACTicE 348 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY few months before the Huns had little dreamed would be occupied by enemy, let alone American soldiers. Avocourt was one mass of ruins. The German barracks on the hillside near Cheppy were torn to pieces. German caissons, horses, equipment and everything could be seen along our route. Never had we passed through places that had been the subject of barrages such as this. Fields, forests and hills were torn into fragments. So destructive was the shell fire that new roads had to be constructed throu the Argonne Forest. Roads built of logs throu the greater part of the forest served as a road for us. Everything could be seen in the woods; German uniforms, German machine gTins, helmets, gas masks, shoes, signal ammuni- tion, rifles, picks, etc. Machine-gun nests that had been built in trees were seen in the woods. Most trees had been shorn of their branches ^ t^i ^®^fe^ entirely while those parts of the body that remained, if any, Avere scraped and torn by shrapnel. Several nights were spent in the '^~ ■ - ' " • '" woods. The Germans Target Practice ^ere being driven back. We maintained a steady barrage and only occasionally a Boche shell would come whizzing along. Newly made graves marked the way. A large German grave was passed at Nantillois. We put up at Madeleine Farm, most of us sleeping in a German wheatfield in ditches and dugouts that had been made only a few days before by German machine gunners. Dead soldiers could be seen along the way. Machine-gun ammunition that had not been opened by the Germans was scattered about for miles. After drawing supplies we moved to Haraumont. Never will the night at Haraumont be forgotten. News that an armistice had been signed by the Germans had been received. All during the night signal lights were flashed into the sky by men on both sides. Rockets of every color and description bent their long trail of fire and burst with the Ijrightness of day. Everything was quiet and peaceful. Hun- dreds of camp-fires could be seen during the night. Was it possible that the day the whole world had prayed for — that most of us had prayed for, the day when peace and happiness was to dawn again, was now before us ! We hoped so. I ^■n%% HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 349 On the Rhine The bright stin seemed to fairly dance between the spokes of those wagons that had spent many a weaiy day on long and dangerous roads, as we SAvnng 'round the bend at Ecurey. Italians, Americans and many other civilians and soldiers, who had been prisoners, could be seen returning slowly and steadily from the German border. Some were happy. Most were sad. Our route was marked here and there by new entrenchments or posts 'round which the Germans had hoped only a few days before to stretch a barrier to our progress. Their lines mostly had been broken and nothing remained to protect them but natural barriers of which hills covered with dense underbrush and trees formed the larger part. Along the road could be seen Ger- man barracks hurriedly departed from. Ger- man graves could be seen dating back to 1914, the first da^^s of the war. JNone 01 us will ever supply wagons of Supply Company Lined Up for forget the night W e Inspection spent at Cons-la-Grand- ville. Massive trees marked the entrance to a building the Germans had converted into a hospital but now it Avas used by us as a billet- ing place. Most of us had never known of Luxemburg. We soon dis- covered that Luxemburg was a neutral state between the two war- worn countries of France and Germany. Its beauty seemed to be magnified by its peaceful atmosphere. Instead of shell-torn places, this proved to be a busy country with pretty farms and houses. As our trucks pulled into Differdingen we could hardly step about because of curious onlookers. As we imloaded hay, men were seen to pick it up and scrutinize it very carefully and finally bring it over to us 'n say "American." Children were mostly attracted by the rubber tires on our trucks but as the motorcycle with the sicle-car attached hove in sight it proved to be the center of curiosity; most people were afraid of it and marveled at its speed. Thanksgiving Day was spent near Wecker, Luxemburg, and had it not been for our being able to trade eight cakes of issue soap for a chicken we would have had a quite different dinner. As we entered 350 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Grermany it was hard to realize that we were in enemy territory and outside of food being scarce, one conld hardly tell from the face of things that a war had been waging only a few weeks before. We crossed the Rhine River on Friday, December 13, about 1.30 p.m. That evening was spent in a German Baron's castle at Sayn. Its large rooms with its libraries, pictures and armor proved interesting and will never be forgotten. Our journey was ended at Bruckrach- dorf where we were billeted in houses and halls. Our long hikes and hardships put in sleepin' in fields, dugouts and ruined villages are now a thing of the past. No more shells or gas alanns arouse our peaceful slumber at night. THE BURSTING BOMB After a long and exhaustive research, and in the light of accumu- lative evidence, the much-mooted question still remains unanswered. There have been insinuations, regulations are not explicit and com- manders disposed to boast of a former condition of servitude, have failed to establish a precedent which would point to a solution of the vexing question — ^Why Ake WeI It is to be conceded, for the moment, that whatever may have been the motive for the inception of the organization in question, that pro- found judgment could not have chosen a roster number more unique, conservative or efficient, in fact, it is a number which in itself lends a certain degree of re- spect and confidence — twelve. The leader of the Great Command, Himself, chose twelve and intrasted them Avith the unfathomable trust of disseminating those great truths, for the sustaining of which the greatest armies ever assembled had been led into distant lands. It is twelve, good men and true, who preside over the sensitive scales of justice and cause to be recorded in the Doomsday Book the multitudinous infractions of frail humanity, so, whether by chance or wisdom, we are twelve. And just when our interest in Armageddon was beginning to re- lapse into innocuous desuetude, we were thrust into a closer proximity to the desolation and destruction characteristic of the handiwork of Mars. And there we behold the paradoxical situation of a world made dangerous in order to make it safe. And we contributed our best to make it more dangerous that it might sooner be safe. It is, then, with modesty and pardonable pride, that we would 352 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY point to the fact tliat, witli great celerity after our entrance on tlie greatest battlefield of modern times, the greatest conflict came to a successful termination, so our number has achieved vindication and historv has given the answer to the hitherto unanswered question: "Why Are We?" The Twelve Bxjrstistg Bombs. "Our Gold Star" It is with sincere regret that we record the loss of our comrade, James Bellen, killed in action October 13, 1918, in Death Valley, north of Verdun. Jim was a good, congenial fellow and his jovial disposition and his smile will long be remembered. Generous to a fault, it was entirely in keeping with his character, that he should give his life in time of his country's need. Ordnance Detachment. 322d F. A. With the Wise Ones Theatrical Booking Agencies, please notice. "I can box, swim, dance, play on the typewriter, minstrel man, card-shark, play any athletic game that the Y. M. C. A. can suggest, and last, but not least, speak any foreign langmage desired." This was the willing answer given the Y secretary at Sherman by Cpl. Thos. F. Cahill when asked in what manner he could offer public entertainment. II Who Am 11 "I don't smoke cigarettes. Nor use tobacco much, I don't like the women. And liquors never touch." Ill "Pappy" Combs, the man with the "biggest line" in the A. E. F., was always receiving bad news from home. This time while in Messac he received a letter saying that his father was a candidate for a political office in his home count}^ "Pappy" paused to tell the boys that "he wouldn't vote for his dad if he was running for President HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY 353 of the United States." On being asked what his particular reason for such a statement was, replied: "Well, sir, registration day, 1917, he called me out of bed at 5 a.m., drove me in the car about fifteen miles to the registration stand and got there just in time to line up and be number 13 to register, and that hoodoo number has been hanging to me ever since and I hope that he gets drafted instead of elected." ' ' Now mil some one give me a chaw of Horshoe ? ' ' IV What's in a Name"? Sgt. J. T. Nicholson, while attending Ordnance Instruction School at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, had the misfortune of having a "double" there in the person of another Sgt. Nicholson, Avhose mili- tary bearing was not of the best standard, so it is plain to be seen that their names were easily and often mise.d. As a result of too much Lib- erty Loan celebration in Rock Island, a cer- tain Sgt. Nicholson was given a ride in a Cadil- lac patrol Avagon, an easy bunk in the municipal rest house and the privilege of being introduced to a prominent judge in the morning. After much red tape, telegrams, etc., Sgt. Nicholson from this De- tachment was liberated and his ' ' double ' ' given the benefits due him. V Cpl. Cahill of our honorable Detachment invariably reminds the War Department that he is "an only son" and for authority we refer you to the many personal fonns, allotment forms, etc., he has filled out and which are now on record in the Ordnance Field desk. VI Variety — as the Spice of Life Shortly before leaving the States, the Ordnance Personnel was inspected by an officer from the Ordnance Department, Washington, Ordnance Office, Bruckrachdorf, Germany 354 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY D. C, relative to their qualifications, etc., as ordnance men. When Pvt. Bob Graham, better known as "Excelsior," was questioned, the following was discovered: Inspecting OflScer: "Pvt. Graham, what was your trade or posi- tion in civilian life ? ' ' Pvt. Graham: "Sir, electrician, auto-mechanic, gas engine me- chanic, motorcyclist, garageman and violinist." Inspecting Officer: "You must of been ci'owded considerable, Graham. ' ' Pvt. Graham: "No, sir, not as much as I am here." VII "Lest We Forget" Three Goldbricks sat on their cot, Crowley, Wanura and White. They never shirked inspections or work As they never could be found in sight. Crowley left and was made a Lieut., While our Wanura was sent over the sea. Then White was called to the Headquarters crew, Thus vanished the Goldbricks Three. VIII "Sad"— BUT Tbue The following exchange of greetings was passed between two of our loyal associates : Cpl. Scheiding: "George, why don't you give up cigarettes?" Pvt. 1st CI. Risch: "Why, I do every time I meet you." IX "Censored" Writing letters was a bore, I don't write them any more And my friends can 't say a thing ; Where's thy Victory, war? Censorship, Avhere is thy sting? Pvt. L. Limbekt. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 3. X "Cursed be any mule whose bray is like unto a 75 mm. shell." OeD. PvT. I. N. COGNITO. XI "MoEE Light" Will someone kindly tell us For it worries Geo. Risch so ; Why Cahill snores so loud at nite, And why pay-day is so slow. Why Huston hates the women What makes Limbert always grunt; If the Ordnance must wash brass shells All the while we're on the Front. There's a thousand things he'd like to know And Empey Reynolds, too, does crab, But we hope they will be happy When they leave the Olive Drab. XII A Confession Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these "Ben might of Been," Allowed to remain in his music store. To greet old customers with sleepy ease, Explain Victrolas and Ivory keys ; But he chose to hearken unto Freedom's Call, To hike long miles and sleep in straw ; Forgetting the good old days of yore, Now like all Clerks — ^lie's learned to jaw. [Courtesy Pvt. Reynolds.] XIII A Slip I remember, I remember My ambulance so fine ; So neat, so swift, and kingly With every wheel in line. 356 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY But Corporals are hard drivers And speed their only will; And frequently they rue it, Forgetting Jack and Jill. This hill was steep and slippery, Then the wheels began to slide ; And now our pretty ambulance In ruins does abide. [By permission of Cpl. Scheiding.] Fables in 0. D., or Twelve Men and an Abmy A long time ago When we had just entered this man's army And were getting acquainted with cornwilly. Squads' east and other things; We met with a tall lean fellow With blue eyes and a red temper, Who said, "I'll run this gang," And he did, — For a while. But he left us and gained a bar. We miss him. We shook hands also With a young man who wants to know If I can see His moustache grow. As if I could. Breech-blocks and latch-pins, too, Hold no secrets for his brain If he 's feeling good. There's another in this gang, I am told he's always worrying. About where he's going to sleep And what's in the camp to eat? And will our Liberty Bonds ever pay. Do you think? And on the Muster-roll There's one who always rode a horse. When he was little. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY We can't say whether it is true or not But, maybe you can tell. And when the shells dropped All around; You could find him there, Only the kitchen was a long way off Sometimes, just sometimes. There is another traveling with us, A swimmer of far renown Who never had to do K. P. Or other menial things Like that. His face is his fortune. And by his airs, one would think There might of been an eagle On his shoulder. But there isn't. There's a long, lean man Who can do most everything. Used to run a factory And lick a bunch of Irish, With one hand. Easy, too. And as Napoleon longed for worlds to conquer ; This man longed for tongues unknown. He knows it all. He told us so. Do you know our light-haired chap Who always wished the lousy war was over. And he was back home Where the G. I. cans didn't come I Well, he 's with us yet. And if there 's another war He '11 be in Patagonia Or in the jungles of Siam, He says. We wish him luck. 358 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY And there's a man who smokes a pipe With Grreek letters carved thereon. Behind tortoise spectacles he's camouflaged; It makes him wise, So he thinks. He has another battle yet to fight When he gets back. And manholes for dugouts he will sight, I pity him. There's with us, too, an electrician. But no one thinks of that. For he talks X, He dreams X, He rides an X Where motorcycles hold the ground. He always holds his own. When I see him coming I turn and run. I 'm afraid I look like an " X " To him. Then there's with us a Roman Who dreams of the fair Tiber, But for shrapnel, he never cared To speak of it in English. At least not much. He thought of days aboard the ship And dreamy Italian shores, I guess that's why He hesitates to speak Our language. Then we have the Lawyer, A future Judge, who would reign On the Supreme bench; Without perjury. But now he craves for decorations Where the iron rations fall. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 359 Some day he 's going into partnership And sign a contract for life, He says. We wish him luck. A man from old Kentucky is with us, A double veteran he is ; "I'm a fighter," He says. He left his place To grab a souvenir from off A passing shell. So now on his right sleeve, he wears A golden stripe. We are out of luck, I guess. Finale "Our Censor" Rome had her Caesars, England her Cromwell, America her Lin- coln and the Ordnance Detachment its censor. Unfaltering and triumphantly he has led his humble flock through war and all its despairing rumors. With the inception of our romantic unit in the days of Camp Sherman fame, he came to us, a peer among men and a prince of good fellows. Ever ministering to our woes and wants, mindful of our likes, dislikes, joys and sorrows, he's been our unfailing Gibraltar. When one of his flock desired to follow the ways of a civilian lord, at due intervals, it was always our censor Avho pleaded our cause, rewarding our merits with the privilege of bearing the burdens of a furlough. That's how our censor fulfilled his trust. When all records were surpassed in a most creditable manner, in the manner his twelve blazing bombs supplied and equipped the Regiment with Ordnance Property, who smiled, grateful to the last hour? — Our censor, ask how. Then while Freedom's battles were being won and the path of glory opening to us all, it was none but our censor who called us in for wise counsel, assuring us of his con- stant concern for our individual welfare; that's how he spurred us on to greater achievements. We've seen him sad, glad and like all 360 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY censors — mad. But lie's been the same good pal in spite of the many- despairing tribulations of a soldier. Now that we shall soon be honored among the Army of Worldly Potentates again, we wish that you might all know how, and under- stand how, our censor, the one who has piloted us through it all, will ever bear our grateful good will. And our censor, the champion of our esteem, you would conquer worlds to know — he's "Howe." E Pltjeibus Unitm. EEGIMENTAL ORDER NO. 1,000 Great Headquarters, 322d Field Artillery, A. E. F. Memorandum to Battalion Commanders, First Sergeants, Chief of Sections, Regimental Telephone Officer, Regimental Radio Officer, all other officers, buglers, and horseshoers. I. Branding Organization Commanders will immediately brand all horses if they have not already done so. If they have no branding irons, which they probably haven't, same can be procured from Lieut. Plunien of Headquarters Company. But why don't they make their own branding irons ? Lieut. Plunien of Headquarters Company made his. II. Drill Schedule Battalion Commanders will immediately submit drill schedules for their organizations. These schedules will be left to the discretion of the Battalion Commanders : 6 : 40 a.m., reveille ; 7 : 00, breakfast ; 8:00 to 12:00, instruction in feeding and watering horses; 12 noon, dinner ; 12 : 45 to 2 : 15, instruction in cleaning harness ; 2 : 15 to 3 : 45, instruction in grooming; 4:00 p.m., retreat; 4:30, supper; 5:00 to 8 : 45, recreation ; 9 : 00, call to quarters ; 9 : 15, taps. Special emphasis will be layed on the care of mangy horses. III. Reconnaissance Battalion Commanders will immediately make reconnaissance for suitable positions for their battalions. These positions will be in the exact spots indicated by the Regimental Commander when they were out in the Dodge this morning. IV. Communication Communication will immediately be established by the Regimental Telephone Officer. A complete telephone net will be established. The Regimental Commander will have a direct line to each Brigade Headquarters, each Battalion Commander, each Battery P. C, each 362 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY Battery 0. P., each Chief of Section, at least three gunners in each battalion and everyone else to whom the Regimental Commander might Avish to speak. In addition to this the Regimental Telephone Officer will inter-connect and cross-connect all of the above and will keep on cross-connecting and inter-connecting until his wire gives out. The Regimental Radio Officer will establish wireless connections with the two battalions and no one else. V. Shoeing All horses which are not shod at all four corners will immediately do so. Shoes for this purpose may be procured from Capt. Christen Dissing, Commanding Supply Company, who is also the Regimental Supply Officer. He may be found at the Supply Company which is at Bruckrachdorf, one and one-half kilometers east of Dierdorf. VI. BUGLEKS The Regimental Commander directs that any Organization Com- mander who has not at present two competent buglers will imme- diately appoint same. VII. Statistics All officers of this Regiment will immediately furnish Capt. Web- ber, the Regimental Adjutant, with the following information : 1. Born! If so give dates. 2. Did you go to kindergarten, or are you self-made? 3. What schools did you attend and why? 4. Did you attend a college, university, or correspondence school? If so, what kind of a discharge certificate did you get? Give any dates that occur to you. 5. To what Frats or Hush Societies did you belong? 6. Are you married, unmarried, or what? If so, how many chil- dren have you and what gender? 7. Business? The answer to this is not "Rotten." 8. Tell us frankly all about your military career. Do not even keep it back if you were in the Regular Army. HoAvever, we do not wish to know your experiences on the Border or at Statzenburg. 9. Did you ask for "Full and Immediate"? If so, why not? 10. Were you ever on Malbrouck? HEADQUAETERS COMPANY WHO WON THE WAR? THE BAND Tlie band, tlie pride of Headquarters Company (?), was in its infancy composed of a few amateur players and the rest from small town bands, whicb- played a few times a week in the town square and marched slowly at the head of the proces- sion on Decoration Day. Our bandmaster was busy during the first days at Sherman get- ting a line on these men, for they were scattered all over the Eegiment. If a man, who later proved to be our bandmaster, or another fellow came round and interviewed you, you could bet on packing clothes and traveling to Headquarters Com- pany. The headquar- ters for the band at that time was in the Supply Company build- ing, but was later moved to Headquarters build- ing. When enough men with any degree of musical ability were col- lected, the noise began. The first thing thought of Avas ragtime, but our bandmaster from the beginning put us under the impression that we were going to play something else. A few marches was the limit of our music and we were subject to many remarks from the Regiment as to why we didn't play some different 366 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY :£?, -. tune. The truth of it was, we didn't have the music and quite likely we couldn 't have played it if we had. Our first rehearsal was held in the Supply building near Y No. 76. There we sat on Satur- day, October 6, 1917, a few men, some with in- struments, some with- out, but all of us ready to take our turn on those we had. If the bandmaster had not dis- played some patience, I am sure we would all have been sent back to Regimental Band — 322d Field Artillery OUr batteries, but he would say, "That is fine," and so we thought our first rehearsal was a success. I don't know what kind of impression he got when he first brought down his baton, but I suppose he declined to tell the truth for we were yet a little sensitive to army talk. Thus the first rehearsal of the band passed. The band was allowed twenty-eight men but we lacked quite a few of that number, so from every influx of men into the army those with musical ability were chosen for the band. On one occasion when the question was asked of the men if there were any who could play musical instruments, one stepped out and when asked what he played, he remarked, "mandolin." The Colonel remarked, "That is just what we want, assign him to the band. ' ' A few days later this per- sonage was christened Betty, he having worked with the Dayton Journal and sup- posed to be the author of "Betty Fair- fax. ' ' For quite a while he performed the duties of librarian, which he did faithfully, he worked hard on the saxophone, on Avhich he executed the national anthem fairly well. He was sent to the hospital on account of ill Hills near Sayn, Germany During spare moments HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 367 Hills neab Sayn, Germany health, from which he was honorably discharged. He went back to his old work with the Journal and is probably delving into the mys- teries of "Betty Fairfax," but he'll never forget the band. Another who came into the band about this time, who later was honorably discharged, was Switzer, an ex-peek horn player. The ex- pression on his face when playing showed just how much pecking he was doing. From Brookville came Bush, another peck horn j^layer. He later took up duties with Headquarters Company. Menehe from Hamil- ton and Stull from Dayton, two drummers, held positions in the bat- tery section until Robinson, the professional drummer from Danville, Illinois, enlisted. Menehe took up duties with Headquarters Company and is now a Sergeant. Stull finally landed in the cooking school. The army will surely do him some good. Mendenhal, the vet- erinarian, comes from Trotwood and his favor- ite instrument was the clarinet, although a t times it was hard to tell which he favored more, his bunk or clarinet. While at camp, he was the inventor of several labor-saving machines. He later was honor- ably discharged to resume his studies at the Cincinnati Vet. College. Caiazza, who comes from Washington, Pennsylvania, says he thinks that instead of F. A. standing for field artillery it stands for "fatigTie association." He had very little love for a horse and the most unhappy hours of his army life were spent on the stable detail. German Forest 368 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Scene near Wittgert garbed in his blue denims, fie played a saxophone and bassoon. He was later transferred to the Q. M. C. as a tailor. One day as the band was busy filling straw ticks, two husky farmers strolled into the room. Someone re- marked that he would bet that they were bass players, which they later proved to be. They were Ault and Mac Anderson. Ault plays the helicon and often made the remark that if he ever went into another army band he would choose the pic- colo. Mao later joined Battery B. Here he joined the kitchen force and after that he took to himself a wife. Wagner or "Sna;pper" was a trombone player from Miamisburg His feelings were so much with the horses that he took up duties in the stables. Nick Stagliano comes from Akron. He was a good musician, his only fault being in keeping his material to- gether. On one occa- sion as the band was going to play a concert, Nick was outside with his horn minus mouth- piece, music and lyre. Nick made some funny remarks. One day just after he was reoutfitted with new clothes, he, with a smile all over his face, remarked in his Italian-English brogue, "Everything new." No member of the band who knew him will forget how hard it was for him to march in band formation. On account of physical disabilities; he was taken from the band just before we left for France. Paul Brightman, the card shark, seemed to come from nowhere. m Winter in Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 369 Bkead, ' ' Brot, ' ' Germany It was hard to tell where he came from, for, before going into the army, he was a traveling salesman representing a soap firm. Cali- fornia must have been his native state for he was always talking of his uncle there, who owns a large nutmeg farm. He was a firm believer in Dr. Piz- zaro 's Famous Cactus Juice, which he said was a cure for nearly every disease. Shortly before we left Sherman, he tried to stop a freight train with his foot while returning from a pass and landed in the hospi- tal and was never heard of since. Younce, "the wheat king," was in the grain business at Waynesville before going into the army. His home was in Brookville. If there ever was an argu- ment on any question you could bet on Younce, especially on theologi- cal questions he stood up for his convictions. He put many opponents to shame. When the band left for France he was in the hospital, but rejoined us there. These were pioneer members of the band who didn't cross the Atlantic witli us. Those i ^ ^ ISi^^^^^^^^^^E^^KI ^'^-'^^ ^^^ service abroad, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ together were : Band- master Veevaert (who was later commissioned Lieutenant), assistant Bandmaster McCall (later made Bandmaster), Sgt. Bugler Barnes, Sgi. Bean, Cpls. Hepner, Brown and Reif (the former two were later made Sergeants), Musicians Ault, E. Miller, Lucas, Timpano and Theodore (later made Corporals), Agler, Wright, Tracanna (later made Sergeant), Dickey, Rigio, Hardert, Roy, Nowak, Berger, Kimmel, Jenks, Davenport, Prickett, Balger. Baking Bread — Wittgert, Germany 370 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY Fresh Bread from Oven, Wittgert, Germany In coming into the band, some of these brought their own instru- ments intending to get into it. The need of instruments was soon remedied by the arrival of the instruments donated by popular sub- scription from the people of Dayton, Ohio, through the Dayton Herald. Soon after- wards we received the Q. M. C. instruments. "We greatly appreciated the interest shoAvn us by the people of Dayton and the Herald and later repaid Dayton as best we could by a visit. We were known as "Dayton's Band." With enough instru- ments and more music, M^e now became a recognized band. We had regular rehearsals, play- ing overtures such as "Lustspiel" and the "Maiden at Her Spindle." As the band progressed, we played more difficult pieces. Nearly every morning would find us at the Y thrashing out some of these. Eight now another duty came to the band. The guards never thought a guard mount complete without the band. Formal guard mount was held every day that the weather permitted. Counting the stables and all, the daily trips to the hospital for "lit- ters right" and "litters left ' ' were what the f el- lows shunned most. The idea alone of a litter bearer didn 't appeal to us. We were greatly pleased when the order came to rescind these drills. Nearly every Sunday we entertained the visitors with a concert. Of course when a lady came to see her soldier boy these concerts lurked in the pathway of showing her a good time. When the weather permitted they were held out of doors, otherwise in the Y. Edge of German Forest HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY 371 Picket Line in German Forest, Headquarters Company Dayton had to hear her band, so we were called there to play for a football game. We made a big hit there mainly because most of us were from there or the vicinity. The people all turned out to hear the band and of course we lacked nothing, the Dayton Bicycle Club, Y. M. C. A. and N. C. R. setting elaborate din- /' ners before us. One man to Avhom we owe much on these trips is Mr. McGree. He took quite an interest in us, having us play at his hotel. One visit to Day- ton called for more, so in all we made five. On one of these we went to Piqua. This place has the reputation in the band as the town of beautiful women. On this occasion, Roy, our saxophone player, got the title, "The Handsome Saxophone Player with Black Hair." This title he carried to France but the French girls couldn't see it. On returning to Camp, Wright, the trombonist got very chivalric. He undertook to get off the train and secure some violets for a certain young lady. Some say he is a Jew, but he caii 't be according to the fol- lowing incident. The Captain came into the room for inspection. He found a cigarette where it should not have been. After question- ing who did it, nobody answered. Wright stepped forward and with a snappy salute said, "I did it. Captain." Soldiers like Brownie are hard to find. The winter of 1917-1918 was a very cold one at Sherman. The band was located in Battery A annex. It kept the room orderlies busy carrying coal for the stove. We give much credit to Jenks, who \V View of Wittgert 372 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Plowing the J^'ields in Germany arose early every morning, with the aid of an alarm clock bought by subscription from the band, and built a fire. Jenks was our physi- cal culture man. He believed in exercise and a cold shower bath every morning. The former he practiced regularly but the latter died away as cold weather in- creased. We had some pretty severe wind- storms there. Berger said some of them were more than he could stand. He always re- paired to a safe place. The spring of 1918 found us preparing to leave. Every day brought revelations. Boxes were made for the band equipment and marked A. E. F. We knew exactlj^ what that meant. Finally the time for departure was just a few weeks hence. All, who could, paid farewell visits home. The last concert played in Sherman was Sat- urday, June 1, at the Community House. Although the boys showed little signs of grief, they took the departure from our dear old home like brave soldiers. We left Sherman on Sunday, June 2. For awhile we thought of going to every camp in the United States. W e finally landed in Jersey City. The metropolis of the east aston- ished many of us for we had only read of it. We were taken to Camp Mills for a final stay before embarking. While here passes were issued to see the city. Sgts. Bean and Barnes got passes together. Something must have gone wrong for they returned several hours later than they expected. Maybe they found the city larger than they thought. On June 11, we left Mills for embarkation. We passed the Statue of Liberty on the 12th. This was the first time many of us were on Hauling Lumbee HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 373 ]92u Model (Jow.mubile, No Gas the sea. We soon felt a dizziness in our heads and a peculiar feeling in our stomachs. One old veteran of the seas said he need not worry about getting sick for he had sailed in the Navy. Alas! he was amongst those riding the rail. After we got over our sickness we enjoyed the trip. Balger was kei^t on the alert constantly, for he had no particular sympathy for the submarines. Not a single submarine was sighted. We landed at Liverpool on June 24. We made our debut into the city by m a r c h i n g through the streets, at the head of our Regiment, to a camp out- side the city. This camp. Knotty Ash, was considered a rest camp. After crossing the Channel, we ran into another one at Le Havre. The band couldn't see why these were called rest camps for, aside from formations during the whole day and playing for several hours, we had the rest of the time to ourselves. In this camp it kept the boys busy blowing the dust from their in- struments for it seemed as though all the dust of Europe collected there. From here the band went to its first real home since it left Sher- man — Messac. The boys took to this town right away and during the six weeks ' stay here, some had nearly made homes. Here we had to speak a new langaiage. Slim, our drum major, and McCall were apt in learning this lingo. Slim talked by means of a small book which he always carried, Mac by means of the hand and arm movements. Our bandmaster, who was bom in France, and Theodore were the only ones of the band who could speak French. When the boys wanted to talk in earnest to the French girls they did so through these two. :iiMAN Boy with a German Plow 374 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY EtiAD IN Germany The favorite repairing place on these hot July afternoons was along the river which flowed through the place. For a mile or so along the river the boys could be found lying under shade trees, asleep, with their in- struments at their sides. One day as Elmer Miller, our smiling pic- colo player, and Prick- e 1 1 , sometimes called "Brown County," were coming out of a store, they were stopped by an M. P. and put — under arrest. They were taken to the repose of the M. P. victims, where they were given the defendant's chance. After they proved they were innocent and it was explained to them that it was forbidden to enter said store, they were freed. Since then they have been care- ful through what doors they enter. We left Messac and went to Camp Coetquidan. The band per- formed its regular du- ties here. Here we had i an addition to the band in Floyd Miller of Washington C. H., who was transferred from the Ammunition Train. Miller never met a stranger, and if he should, he would be em- barrassed for some- thing to say. He filled a long-felt want in the drum section. Also came Linke from Battery F. He is a professional piano player and plays a violin. Nothing of any importance happened while we were stationed here. On September 21, after playing all the batteries out of camp as they started for the Front, we marched out for the last time. We entrained at Gruer on the French rolling stock known as "Side Door Pullman "-box cars. We stopped in Messac for a few minutes and German Peasants Working on Farm HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 375 A Wedding in Germany in recognition of their kindness to us played a few pieces. This playing proved to be the last for several months. After several days' riding across France we arrived at Revigny. There we were ordered to get our packs to- gether and travel the rest of the way on foot. The army's main hobby of uniformity was strained to its utmost with the shapes and sizes of these packs. Of all, Hardert pos- sessed the queerest looking one. Hanging on his pack was any- thing from a shoebrush to a pillow. Rigio, who was short of stature, had a pack which dangled a few inches off the ground. With these on our backs, where they nearly overcame our equilib- rium, we started on the hike. After the first day we did all the hiking at night, every morning bringing u s closer to the Front and causing us to realize more what war was like. On one of these night marches, we were sud- denly attracted by a shrieking noise which seemed to be coming our way. It was, and shortly afterwards a loud explosion was heard to one side. This was our first experience with a German shell and the band felt the stiffening in their knees give way. Hiking did not go so easily afterwards. For the rest of the march nothing was said and the silence revealed that their thoughts were far away. One morning several days later, we were awakened by a terrific bombardment over our heads. Fritz was shelling the place and they German Boys and Giels with Tiieib Dcg Cart 376 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Johnny and His Hoont — Wittgert, Germany were coming close. Out of every pup tent came several heads and our faces showed anything but satisfaction. Our bandmaster said that this was not the place for him and we all thought the same. The time now came ^ ^i^RB K jj^*''*^-^;'" ■ J^B*"^ when we were to be dis- ■^^M" iif-^- •.■■•'■-"., ^Kl handed and do duties at the Front. There was no need for music there, so we were put on dif- ferent details. The majority went into the first battalion telephone detail as operators and linesmen. Well, that was a far from pleasing place, especially for inexperienced men, but they were soon doing the work as well as the rest. Those in this detail were : Sgt. Bean, Cpls. Brown and Reif, Agler, Kimmel, Younce, E. Miller, Jenks and Lucas. Sgt. West was given charge of the ammu- nition. Sgt. Barnes, Yarcho, Ault, Berger, Rigio, Timpano, Theo- dore, Nowak, Hardert and F. Miller were with Regimental Detail. Mc- Call, Tracanna and Roy were with Supply Com- pany. Dickey and Wright went to Brigade Headquarters for spe- cial duty. Mr. Veevaert and Balger went to the rear and stood vigil over the instruments. Whenever any of the band chanced to pass the place where Veevaert and Balger lived, they were welcome to a visit and could bet on a good feed, for Balger has the reputation that a mess sergeant should have. Berger and Ault took to cooking with Headquarters Company. If any of the band were hungry, which they usually were, they knew where to go. Cleaning House, Yes, Even in Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 377 Rigio, Timpano and Theodore were Regimental orderlies and Yarelio an officer's orderly. Those in the telephone detail were on the Front doing linework and operating. Tracanna and Roy were caretakers of horses at Supply Company. Dickey and Wright did all kinds of work at Brigade Headquarters. Around this place were always quite a few officers and it kept the boys on the alert. On one occasion, Wright failed to recognize one by the usual tip. He was reprimanded and asked what days beside Saturday and Sunday he saluted. This happened to be on Saturday and Brownie was stunned speechless. He doesn't have his certain days for saluting now. The only reason Dickey said he was well sat- isfied at Brigade was the fact that this was the only place his hun- ger was really satisfied. At that he was kept busy hunting ration dumps and why he al- ways chose nights for this, nobody knew. To those who don't know what a ration dump is, ask Brown and Kimmel. They know and even in the darkest nights they could go straight to them. Yarcho was quite an expensive orderly, for on one night ride to the Front he was caught in the shelling area and his horse becoming excited, ran away. Yarcho searched for the horse and saddle the next morning but they were not to be found. He said he considered that a lucky trip for getting back with his scalp uninjured. During the waning hours of night and the wee hours of morning, you could always find E. Miller or Jenks in the First Battalion P. C. at the telephone. Kimmel was there during the day. Younee was gas instructor and when not at school, kept the wood supply for the stove in the telephone central replenished. Sgt. West had charge of the ammunition and of all the band he was the busiest. For several days at a time he would be on duty day and night. In his spare moments he was hunting souvenirs and it WiTTGERT, Germany 378 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY was a common thing to see him come in with a German or Austrian rifle over his shoulder. Agler's work consisted of going to the Y for jam and cakes and ciarrying messages. Aside from a few weeks at the Front, Lucas was at the echelon. Between caring for the horses and dodging shells, he was kept pretty busy. One evening as he was lying on a rigged- up bed in an improvised shelter, three burly Frenchmen came along. Looking in and seeing him one exclaimed, "Boche. " To make the occasion more peaceable, an explanation was soon made and in the morning when he awoke he had as bed partners the three Frenchmen. The band was made up of wide-awake, jolly fellows and their associations with each other were pleasant ones. Several of these associations were sev- ered by casualties. In the band there were eight casualties, divided among deaths, wounded and sickness. We pay special tribute to Reif, Rigio and Davenport, who gave their lives in this cause. Davenport died of disease and the whereabouts of his re- mains is not known. Sgt. Bean went to the hospital with a sickness contracted on the Front. He never returned to the band. Younce and Jenks were wounded by the same shell that killed Rigio. We never heard of him again. Nowak received a slight wound but it wasn't serious enough for him to go to the hospital. He was the first casualty in the band and he proudly bears his wound stripe. With a casualty per- centage of twenty-seven it shows that the band did their share at the Front. After all these mishaps, the band was called together for reorgani- zation on November 9, two days before the Armistice. It was the same as a reunion when we got together again. Each had his story to tell. A funny incident occurred the night before the Armistice that is worth mentioning. Bandmaster Veevaert had just come up from the 322d Band Marching in Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AKTILLEEY 379 322d F. a. Officers and Some Officers op Ship Enjoying the Afternoon Band Concert rear and had been telling the men that he wanted only brave fellows in his band. That night a Boche air raid was pulled off and he, not being used to these things, left his bed without shoes, etc., and pro- ceeded to pile headlong into a near-by dugout. The Armistice hav- ing been signed, the long march into Ger- many started. The band hiked with Head- quarters Company and on the way resided in all manner of places from haymows to cas- tles. One morning Brown came out wear- ing a brand-new pair of English shoes. They were built so that they could be worn on either foot. That night at the end of the hike, Brown had created a new walk, the Luxemburg Tango, which he attributed to the shoes. On this hike our instruments were hauled in a wagon and in nearly every town we stayed the inhabitants heard the ' ' Star-Spangled Banner. ' ' While we were staying in Manternach, Luxemburg, the band was increased by the addi- tion of Owens, Brill- hart, Baer, Bretz and Archbold. They came from the different bat- teries and most of them were buglers. In entering Luxem- burg and Germany, a new language had to be spoken. French was a thing of the past and German was instituted. It was peculiar, how, when the occasion demanded, so many could speak this new lingo. These fellows proved a big help while in the zone of occupation. As a part of the Army of Occupation, we reached our destination, which was Wittgert, on December 18. Here we again settled down to our regular duties as a band. As the. Eegiment was scattered in 380 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY the surrounding towns, we made trips to them, giving- concerts. The German people were greatly attracted by the music, for an American band was quite a novelty to them. While here we received twelve new men which enlarged our band greatly. They came from bands that were disorganized and the men sent into Germany to recruit the bands in the Ai*my of Occupation. Those who came were : Sgt. Allison, Musicians Cole and Lauren, Cpl. Bourne, Musicians Bruce, Dillon, Griffin, Griflith, Stoddard, Barnes and Ballenger. A few weeks later Sgt. Hepner, Cpl. Bourne, Musi- cians Brillhart, Prickett, Baer and Bruce Avere transferred to other bands. With all these comings and goings and with vacancies caused by casualties, the band still kept a high degree of efficiencj^ We now await the order to return to our homes. Although this will be a happy moment, it will be accompanied by its sorrows. We will then part, some never to see again, the friendships made will go with each of us to the four corners of the nation and will return in form only. A designated meeting place should be selected for a reunion. "THE MONDAY LINE IS OUT AGAIN" Regimental Telephoke Detail, 322d F. A. It \vas the hour just before dawn, and silence reigned both within and mthont Warfield P. C, broken only by the stentorian snores of the Regimental Commander, and the low tones of the operator, working by the flicker- ing candlelight, as he made and broke connee- t i n s on the switch- board. The interior of this particular post of command resembled in shape the interior of a submarine, and housed both the Colonel and his staff as well as the regimental telephone detail. Suddenly the silence was broken by the return of a couple of linemen, who had been out repairing the damage done to communication by Fritz's early bom- bardment. The pair gracefully stumbled down the slippery stairs of the entrance and made enough noise to waken all except those who slept the deep sleep of exhaustion. The Colonel alone awoke, and with much creaking of his Gemian-made bunk, succeeded in get- ting up into a sitting posture and scraping his unprotected scalp on the chicken wire of the berth above him. As if by force of habit, he at once called for Washing Mess Kits, 322d F. A., Hdqrs., Germany 382 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY his telephone officer to "get those men up right away" and "Avhen are you going to run that line out to the infantry?" The telephone officer reluctantly left his field service blanket roll in the corner, and in the course of time he sallied forth with the chosen few of the detail loaded down with wire. It was necessary to run the line up through a particularly bad stretch of woods to the Infantry P. C. near the Molleville Fai'm clear- ing. Ijaying wire by the primitive method of a reel carried on a gun barrel is most decid- edly a form of manual labor, but it is surprising hoAV fast a line can be laid when the Hun shells are going zzzzzzzz-plang all around you. Fritz took a decided interest in that particular woods and soon both officer and men were demonstrating their ability to dodge shell frag- ments by the quick-flopping method. A few hours later, after having their share of close calls, the party re- turned to the telephone central, where they were given the cheering news that a Boche plane, un- opposed, had just fin- ished a very fine ad- justment of fire on Mal- brouck in general and the P. C. in particular. Such little perform- ances by the Hun avia- tors never failed to bring forth sarcastic remarks from our "land- fighters," who in unmistakable terms accused the Yankee fliers of whiling away their time by the "wine and song" act in the back areas. However, the bombardment had spared our rocket-proof cook shack and food was forthcoming for the Regimental Details. Dark- ness came early on Malbrouck, and life in the P. C. followed its usual course. The Commanding Officer retired to his accustomed station Mess Hall and Theater, Hdqes. Co., 322d F. A. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 383 Kitchen Mechanics, 322d F. A., Hdqrs. Co. "en repos" upon his bunk; the Operations Officer was busy phoning the echelon for jam and candles for the coming offensive ; and the A. I. 0. was amusing himself by compiling a fictitious report of activities of the day to appease his exacting war lord, the Brigade Intelligence Officer. Then suddenly things began to hap- pen. The first one was a direct hit on the top of the dugout, the con- cussion putting all the lights out. The next one exploded in the en- trance, which caved in partially. The P. C. was at once filled with C. 0. gas and confusion. The recumbent Regimental Commander was bounced out of his bunk by the force of its explosion, and was rescued a few minutes later by the regimental gas-sergeant, who found him wandering in a daze across the open field. The Operations Officer and the A. I. 0. ran each other an obstacle race up a ventilator. Need- less to say, the P. C. was immediately moved to the damp, but safe depths of the radio dug- out. But the telephone men, as soon as it was discovered that there were no casualties, were busy reestablishing communication in the old P. C, for Fritz's lucky shot had cut every telephone line and had blown a new cut-in box into bits. Soon all was quiet again, and the trouble-shooters fell asleep, knowing full well that soon they would be roused out to be told that the ' ' Monday Line is Out Again. ' ' Telephone Detail, Hdqrs. Co., 322d F. A., Stationed AT GlERSHOFEN, GEEMANT -■UnLT-Btx^^"^ ^- A FEW MINUTES WITH THE EADIO Whang! a "T. D. C" had landed. Three men as one, jammed through the little door to the radio dugout on Malbrouck, interrupting the two operators with head phones on, who were busily copying the afternoon communique from Theatek, Hdqrs. Co., 322d F. A., Wittgert, Germany Paris. Much laughter from the three, loud growls from the operators, and a gap in the ' ' copy. ' ' The three foragers, for such the intruders were, doing their best to be quiet, dragged the 150-pound sack of sugar, and sacks of bread and bacon (gleaned from an unwary infantry dump) down the steep shaft to the main dugout below, from which in time to come will 1 Editor's Note: The author evidently refers to a "Too Damn Close" (T. D. C.) shell. A species that abounded in the vicinity of Malbrouck and Death Valley, October 12 to 29, 1918. 386 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY percolate the odor of fried bread, syrup and coffee, being prepared for the second and last meal of the day. Sh s, the scribbling is under way again. Again the hurried tread of many feet in the trench outside, and Hdqrs. Men and Their Billet in Wittgert the hinges on the little door suffer as before. This time it seems as if "somethin' musta happened," as this party is headed by the C. 0. and his staff, all with gas masks out, eyes full of tears, and spasms of coughing the deep strangling cough of the gassed. Between inter- mittent spasms of coughing, we learn that the Huns have dropped an H. E. in the mouth of the P. C. dugout, that is located a hundred meters down the trench, spoiling it for further use as a permanent reg- imental hub, as well as a store room for vast supplies of candles and jam. The radio dugout is soon transformed into a new Post of Com- mand, although the radio still sticks to the corner by the door. Everything is quiet, as the Boche are eating supper, and it is dark Prize Billet, Hdqrs. Co., 322d F. A. HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 387 Making Good Things from Nothing, Hdqrs. Co., 322d F. a. outside. Up the little black liole from the Post of Command, twenty feet below the radio station, much whispering is heard. As might be supposed, grave matters are being discussed, but the whispering is not being carried on for the purpose of avoiding the keen ears of the Hun, but merely is the result of the concentrated attack of C. 0. (carbon monoxide, not commanding officer). The council is ended, and outside the enemy is limbering up his ar- tillery for the night ' ' strafing. ' ' Crump ! — Crump ! — Crump ! Crump ! each succeed- te- ^^^■^^HHHMHHji^^^^^^^^^^^H ing explosion louder I k i^^^H^^^^H^n^HH^^HHHH and closer to the dug- out as the progressive sweeping advances. At a summons from below, the Radio Officer makes a rapid descent into the depths, and reports to the Commanding Officer for instructions. "It is reported that a counter attack by the enemy to-night, is probable. Get in touch with Monday, at once, and see that everything is in shape to receive their barrage call. It is still "Food." The Radio Officer climbs back up to the radio station, and in a few minutes the spark set is splattering out, %X'.' i^i i^tjll^lK^^^^^MS&~ H 'i. '^ "18 de H-96— GRV— CRV — CRV — ar," which means, "How do you get me?" But now Fritz, in a big spasm, is slamming in salvo after salvo of H. E. and gas, the smashes rocking the dug- out with what seems to be direct hits on the thin little roof above. But these are also "T. D. C.'s" as the roof was pi'obably designed as hand-grenade "proof." In the middle of the sputtering message, two terrific blasts in the trench outside the door seem to smother Coo Wagon, Wittgert, Germany 388 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY 2I2^9d Mess, Hdqrs. Co., 322d P. A., Wittgert, Germany everything, knocking out the well-adjusted spark. The Corporal nearest the door clamps his teeth on the mouthpiece of his respirator, and pokes his head out into the gas-filled trench. He strains his eyes, for a time, looking for the antenna wires overhead, finally swears softly and says : ' ' They got our home pole that time. These Huns are getting too damn regu- lar, that's four times this week, so far. ' ' Fritz slowed down in his dirty work, but still kept up his regular sup- ply of mustard gas. The " gang ' ' crawled out into the barbed wire and nakedness of the field above the trenches, and got busy. It is pitch black, and it is necessary for the men to carry their respirators in their mouths, but still it is necessary to find the antenna wire by the "feel" method. Mostly footwork, too, as mustard gas is not good for the hands. The wire is blown to bits, and finding it among a four years' tangle of barbed wire, weeds and shell holes is like chasing the proverbial needle. Fritz is now landing short, and an occasional gas shell case ricochets and sings by. The men worked on feverishly, splicing, where fingers are all thumbs, and Eadio Station, 322d r. A., "Wittgert, Germany "cuSsing" each shell when they have to flop. One-half of the antenna is missing entirely, but finally, three-quarters of an hour later, it is in place again. Fritz then quits altogether. The sending set again sputters, and after another laborious half HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 389 hour with the whims and vagaries of a radio set, "Monday" answers, and things are all ' ' Jake. ' ' The Radio Officer climbed back down to his very narrow bunk, leaving two operators with headpieces on for their night vigil in the candlelight, listening for the magic word, "Food." AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT 'Pursuant to telegram A. G. Washington, D. C, April 12, 1918, Tables of Organization have been amended to provide an additional Captain for each regiment as Personnel Officer." Having no Captain available on the date the order was received, 2d Lieut. Ralph E. Farnham was appointed Personnel Officer. Reg. Sgt. Maj. Fritsch and Cpl. Marshall were detailed in the office; the grade of Regimental Sergeant Major, Personnel Section, being created for the work. The purpose of this office was to relieve the batteries, companies and other organizations of the Regiment from as much paper work as possible; so the work assigned to this section was the preparation and authentication of pay rolls and pay cards of all men, the supervision of the work in connec- tion with war risk in- surance and the various allotments and the checking and tallying of qualification cards. For the first month the batteries were asked to prepare their own rolls, which they did. They then turned over to this office the pay cards of all men and this part of the work was accepted by this office about June 1, 1918. Lieut. Farnham has said that the most interesting part of the work was the obtaining of the information for the qualification card which required the Personnel Officer to interview each man in the Regiment as to his former life. Answers to all questions were placed on this card. It was no wonder that, in the early life of the Regiment, we lost so many good men, as anyone desiring such a man for any position had only to refer to the tally sheet, select a man's card and request his transfer. The order to transfer usually came by name. Begimental Hdqrs., Wittgekt, Germany HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 391 Smile — When Pals Meet On May 29, 1918, I arrived at Camp Sherman, returning from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was informed that I had been appointed Personnel Officer. This assignment rather appealed to me, for I had always been interested in the preparation of pay rolls and paper work. On May 30, 1918, I took over the duties of Personnel Officer, relieving Lieut. Farnham, my first duty being to pack up our equipment for shipment to Camp Mills, Long Island, where we arrived June 3, 1918. At Camp Mills, I reported to the Camp Personnel Officer for instructions, which, when received, consisted of having each or- ganization prepare five copies of passenger lists and one small card for each man, called a locater card. These lists included name, rank, number, and nearest relative and ad- dress. I have never heard how this locater card was used. After a short stay at Camp Mills, the Regiment embarked for service overseas. While on board the boat, we had to prepare the master hospital card for each man and complete alphabetical lists of all on board; total being about 1500 persons. These lists were required at the port of debarkation. I was very glad to reach this port, for I was able to dispose of all the ^^^ cards and lists, one copy of the ^ l ' I ^ IHB m passenger list being retained "^ I "^l iL^^^a H by this office. The Regiment arrived at Messac, France, July 2, 1918, where we were to remain until August 15, 1918, and while here I was designated as Regimental Billeting Officer. My work proved to be of great interest, especially later, on the march in France, through Luxemburg and across the Rhine. The only drawback to the work was my inability to speak French or German. It Avas during our stay at Messac that we were able to get the Personnel Office properly organized and on a very good working basis ; Reg. Sgt. Maj. Fritsch Avas assigned to the preparation of reports on the personnel of the Regiment which were required daily, Aveekly and monthly; Cpl. Marshall and Pvt. Wachs, the latter detailed in July, Avere assigned to the preparation and 392 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY extension of pay rolls and preparation of billeting distributing lists required on the last day of each month. These assignments of duties continued through the period of training at Camp Coetquidan, until October 4, 1918, when Reg. Sgt. Maj. Pritsch was taken sick and sent to the hospital. The Regiment was then in position in the Forest of Hesse, after its first action, September 26, 1918, in the Argonne Forests. We accumulated quite a large box of forms, retaining records, and stationery about which Capt. Webber occasionally remarked, "Some day a shell will hit the box — then good-bye Personnel Office." Well, on the eve of October 14, 1918, a shell did hit this box and the con- tents Avere destroyed, but it was not good-bye Personnel Office. For- tunately we had a copy of the September rolls in the field desk, also the pay cards, so we were able to resume business the following morn- ing. During the period of action of the Regiment on the Front, which was from September 26, 1918, until the signing of the Armistice, November 11, 1918, we found it necessary to submit almost daily a Form No. 17, which is the notification of killed, wounded or missing. The Regiment suffered nineteen killed, seventy wounded, thirty gassed and four missing, the majority of these men being from the 2d Battalion. Some little difficulty was experienced during this period in rendering reports promptly as the Regiment was divided and it did not actually get together again until November 14, 1918. Reg. Sgt. Maj. Marshall and Sgt. Wachs are deserving of credit for the work carried on during the period from October 4, 1918, until on or about November 6, 1918, when Cpl. Kappel was added to the Section. On November 16, 1918, Reg. Sgt. Maj. Fritsch was dropped from the rolls of the Regiment and on November 25, 1918, Sgt. Mar- shall was promoted to the grade of Regimental Sergeant Major and Pvt. Wachs to that of Sergeant, both deserving the promotions. GAS Hq. Chemical Warfare Division, 322d F. A., U. S. A. Dec. 26, 1918. From : The Commanding Officer, Gas Defence Troops, 322d F. A. To : The Editor-in-Chief, Eegimental History, 322d F. A. Subject : Elastic fluids in nasent form. 1. In comiDliance with memorandum from Hq. 322d F. A. which I have mislaid and do not remember the date of I submit the enclosed en- dorsement. 2. During- the men- tal lapse during Avhich the same was evolved I was a very sick man and under the care of Dr. Gale E. Butts. 3. For God's sake then accept it as she is writ for, 4. Doc. says I am going to be sicker yet. (Sgd.) H. N. FiNDLEY, 1st Lieutenant 322d F. A. Custodian of the Gas House. "Now at the count of One you knocks the hat off from the back to the front — ah — I meant to say that you won't be expected to wear these here hats but tin derbies with the strap under yer chin. Then when I say Two you sticks the right hand into the satchel which is opened with the left — no, I meant the other way and pulls out the mask by grabbin' it by the metal elber tube. — Now look here, — youse 394 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY guys had better pay attention cause some day this here new mask is gonter save yer life and before I gets thru with yer yuh has ter get it oi;ter the sack and hook it on yer face in six seconds. ' ' Thus spoke the divisional Gras N. 0. 0. as he gave us pur first lesson last Novem- ber. We weren't particularly interested because the next day was Saturday and we had "put in" to go home and somehow one's thoughts would wander. Besides we had always thought of gas pro- tection as something that would stop up the ears and would be worn when the ' ' old man ' ' sounded off. In spite of protests and cold weather we went through a whole week of the cussed slobbering drill, '' spoiling our only blouses and good dispositions. A whole week that ended up when we were taken through the gas house shedding barrels of tears as we groped our way out. With sighs of relief we checked the masks in and proceeded to forget all about gas as vie spent the winter watching the mer- cury try to crawl out of the bottom of the thermometer. "The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, tra la, ' ' brought another fatal notice in the weekly schedule which spoke as , follows, ' ' During the week of — to — each unit will be instructed in gas defence two hours daily. ' ' For once at least we welcomed our tour of guard duty and memorandums requesting that "fifty men and three noncommissioned officers Avould report to dig trenches for the infan- try" were hailed with great joy. This time, though, it wasn't so bad. The instructors knew a little more about the subject and we even got up enough enthusiasm to put a few bets on who could come from the "slung position" to "protection" in the shortest time. Someone even dug a few trenches and let us stand in them Mobile gas bombs were thrown around and rattlers sounded as the first smoke appeared. That lesson was a good one for all of u.s, we learned what not to look for when gas really came. The second or third week in Messac brought the false faces back again and this time it was different. Men had been seen Avho had been gassed and the prospect was not at all pleasing, so we buckled down Gas Inspection HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 395 to gas drill with a will. Shortly after this there appeared on the scene one of our own officers who had graduated from a real gas college. He had seen, been with and talked to men who had been in gas for hours and who swore that their lives had been saved by the rapid application of the S. B. R., who casually mentioned dichlor- phenolsulphide and monochlorethelarsene as if they were old friends and much to be evaded by young men who do not wish to fall in with the good and die young. We lugged the masks on the long, long trail from Messac to Coetquidan, where we started on the last lap of the strenuous training. Shortly after we got to the range it became noised about that there was to be an officer and noncommissioned officer for each battalion of the Regi- ment who were to have no other duties than seeing that the masks were kept in good condition and other supplies were furnished. Rumor gave away to fact one morning as we Avere firing M'hen an unholy racket came from be- hind us and the now familiar cry of gas was raised on all sides. Then we knew why several men had been stand- ing beside us with their watches out. The men who stopped to wonder and question were told that they were dead and had to fall out and play dead until the attack was over. Rather crude stuff but the lesson was brought out. "\^nien the gas comes, stop everything else and see that it doesn 't get you. The horses came in for their share, too, and soon learned that every bag does not contain feed. The first barrage was well under way and we had got over the first scare. It wasn't so bad after all; guns were all around us and everyone was so busy that all was forgotten except seeing that Fritz got all that was coming to him and that 322d was doing a good share of the performance. There may have been gas or may not, no one knows, but when the cry went up every man got protection just as they had been doing for weeks at drill and the barrage went on as before. That was the first time, in the Argonne, and was repeated a hun- dred times on the different fronts which were later the haunts of Gas Inspection 396 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY Warfield's Traveling Circus. We got to the point where we would wait for the shelling to stop, go out and sprinkle chloride of lime on the holes and go about our business as before. Some of the men Avere casualties, it is true, for during the occupation of Suicide Ridge the Regiment was in gas almost contin- ually. In G-ermany we heard that they were on the way home and here we were cleaning harness and mate- riel between rumors. Our experience with gas as with other features on the Front was short but also most darned intensive. There are several things we have learned about it, though, both does and don'ts. Don't give the gas alarm 'cause you hear it about a mile down the road. Don't gas-proof the Colonel's dug- out the day before the Boche drop a shell into it (wait until the day after). Don't use anti-dim or sag paste for toothpaste. Don't get the gas of the old army confused with that they used in the late unpleasantness. Do remember, however, to hold your breath when gas is about (married men and readers of the 322d history please notice). Do try and forget about gases of all sorts and remember that the young dictionary we carried in the field desk may again come into its own and we can look at this entry and not smile. "Gras, an aeriform elastic fluid." Gas Inspection THEEE VIEWS OF THE FIRST BATTALION DETAIL 1. Training in Feancb well, after many clays of weary travling finds us located in Messac France, in the past few days we have made sevral hundred miles, on the water twelve days from Hoboken on the well Known ship Kanopick. we landed in Liverpool Ingland. We landed and dis- mbarked on the 24th day of June, the command was — a mile Hike boys to a rest camp, it was a mile too if it was a foot. After march- ing for about one hour and a half brings us to the camp it reminded me more of a stockade then anything else with its high Palling fence around it — so there was no chance to go a. w. o. 1. After we arrived and got cleened up a little, mess call sounded, yess it was a mess to, that was one time the word mess waz used exactly where it belonged believe me we didn't want much rest camp like that for we almost starved after eeting cod fish and some other junk about like that on the Kanopick and then getting such eats like Ave got there was enuf for all of us. well saying nothin' of the eats we were very glad to even be on land once more, we had bin in this rest camp, the name of which was Knotty Ash, for a night so the next ev'ning our Captin at that time was Captin Noyse, said fall in boys — we wil go sight seeing — so we hiked all that afternoon over some Part of the city of Liverpool, saw many sights of the city. we are now in the railroad, loading on the train, some train to. a very small coach, large enuf to hold about 40 men made into com- portments in which 8 of us traveled, made good time at that, came almost across Ingland in one day and stopped at the docks of South Hampton, we then boarded a ferry boat, i can 't think of the name at Present, for across the English Channel, well it was some boat to believe me. we were crowded in there like sordines in a box, so crowded we could not get a Place to sleep and no eats at all but this did not last long, only one night and we land on the French soil on June the 26 — a very bright and cheerful morning at that. Avell we unloaded — lined up — call roll was the comand, of coarse Ave were all Present for there waz no chance to be otherwiz. well we 398 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY marched through La harve, up a long hill and into another one of these stockades called a rest camp, well we got along all rite here, we had a y. m. c. a. so we could buy some few things — what few that had money could but that waz one thing about out of the question almost every one of us were broke fiat, well we did rest a few days — did nothing but fall in and fall out and Police up, some rest wazn't it! the first of July finds us loaded on another train — o — yess this is a great train too, a small little box car about half the size of the ones in the states. There were only 40 of us in one car. This was great sport sleeping, some of us had to stand up while the rest slept but we did see many wonderful sights through this country, the country is full of mountains now lots of pretty cenory could be seen. the train ride now is over, we find our selves bilited in a grain- rey — belongs to a very wealthy family by the name of Lucas, they were very nice French people to, are very sociable with the officers and men to — well we are all rested up pretty good now so Hdqrs co. is split up into details first Second and Reg. me being more lucky than good looking i waz lucky enuf to be Placed in the first Bn attach- ment and i can say i am very Praud of it to. for we have very good officers. well we now leave Mesac. the first Bn detail are moved to Guprey about 2 miles so we settle down to busines now placing each one in the line of duty he was best fitted for. well i happened to get in the Telephone detail, well we spent six weeks here learning dots and dashes. Then was the great day the day all of us have bin looking for for some time Pay Day. Well we all have bookoo Francs noAV — it looks like coupons of some Kind but it will buy what we crave most now. had bookoo sider, porto, Cream demint and conac. well we had some time for the first few days, after 6 weeks of this we got orders to move to Camp Coqudan. just one minute before we leave Gruprey a very lively little insendent happened while we were bileted in the cow shed, about a haf dozen of us waz caught shooting craps by the Captin of A battry, of coarse you all know him, Captin Marty, well to make a long line a short one of the boys were busted from the rank he held and another was made first class Private the next day, then when we were moved he was made sargent he skipped corpral and is now Sargent Major, but me being a Buck I held my own very well, the thing that is in my mind is if we get caught one more time he will be made Captin Ha, Ha. well here we are in Camp Coqudan going to the Range every day, stringing lines and firing Problems well we are good enuf for the Huns now so we leave here and board another side HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 399 door Pulman for the Front, i will now leave the rest for some of my comrades to write as i waz not on the front i was back on the Ishlan attending- to my own and a lootenants horse. Sgd. Buck — ^member of 1st Bn. detail. 2. "This Is Hoboken Talking'" It is always a great satisfaction to look back upon any work with the knowledge that you did your level best at all times no matter what the consequent appearance of your work amounted to. If you would ask any member of the 1st Battalion Telephone Detail where he did his hardest work, so far as downright physical labor was con- cerned, he would probably tell you Camp Coetquidan. If you inquired as to where he experienced hard work plus excitement, strain and a few other things, he would have only one answer — the Front. But in both places, he would admit if you knew him very well, he did his "dam'dest" to enable the outfit to put across the job expected of it. And that spirit, we think, is about the finest any organization can ever hope to possess. Yes, it is true that what we did at Coetquidan was far from easy. While the batteries only appeared on the range every third day, we hoofed it to the scene of the firing every day. If we ever cussed anybody in all our career, we cussed the Corporal when he used to wake us up from 4.00 to 5.30 every morning and tell us in no uncer- tain manner to get up. It surely was a poor way to start a man in good humor for a hard day's work. Then, we stood out in the cold while some disgruntled cooks dished us out a half-cooked breakfast ; after which we formed in a column of twos and stumbled out to the range, more like a bunch walking in their sleep than a squad of Uncle Sam's best soldiers going out to establish telephone communication for the best battalion in the brigade. But we finally woke up on time to set up the station and then start prowling around looking for our assigned derivations. We have an awful desire to meet that man who invented the things they call derivations in telephone systems. We wouldn't exactly say anything to him, but God help us if we wouldn't do something to him — for he got us into a lot of trouble. "Monk" and "Skinny" usually set up the central while Cpl. Crocker and his cohorts roamed the fields of France stringing the lines. Soon everything was in shipshape condition so that the bat- teries could commence firing. Then it was that some evil-minded 1 Editor 's Note : ' ' Hoboken ' ' was the code name of the 1st Battalion Telephone Central. 400 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY officer got the idea that all those not actually operating the system should spend the rest of their time in visual signaling. The dictionary these officers carried with them never contained the word "rest" or if it did the word was written in French and they couldn't translate it. By the time the morning had spent itself and the firing was over, the main idea in every one's bean was, dinner and loaf all afternoon. There, again, our innocence was proved, for after eating dinner (the last ones to do so) Jack Hufnagel herded us off to school with his ' ' Jar out of it ! " While the rest were at school, Lieut. Houseman with Gray, Crocker and the never-to-he-forgotten Grerson went on the range again to run seven or eight more lines or establish a whole brigade system or police the entire range system or any other little thing in order to have something to do. Sometimes we would all get a vacation after supper, then again we might get a call to run some more lines until long after dark or else stay up until midnight showing the population for miles around that we could tickle a projector button. But we all managed to live through the ordeal and outside of Fatty and Hood's "Dad Burn It," no one said very much — out loud. The latter part of September found us in the Bois de Hesse assist- ing the Regimental Detail with their lines and assimilating several band men who had joined our ranks as potential operators and lines- men. By this time we had quite a complete organization. We had a full force of operators and linesmen, and in addition, Cpl. Brown undertook to organize a handsome handful of runners or agents, while Hayden started his heart-rending career pumping a bicycle. With Cpl. Fox steering the fourgon and Fatty and Skinny teasing the plugs, we presented a fairly well-rounded outfit. Where we had the joy of life taken out and put into us at erratic intervals was before Brabant-sur-Meuse. Life in that garden spot of the devil's sanctuary will never be forgotten. How those linesmen worked on those forward lines, only they can tell. Mention the "Mortal" line to any of them and they will tell you a whole string of blood-congealing stories. If that line was ever in good condition by morning, it was because the Huns had run out of ammunition during the night ; for it seemed that they never stopped dropping ash barrels over until that line was blown to the four corners of the globe. Then the delicacies we had while living there ! That can of cocoa which Lieut. Houseman handed in for us saved the mess sergeant from being murdered many a time. And the way Younce used to plead for milk and candles from the ration dumps would bi'ing salty HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 401 tears to the eyes of any liard-liearted guard. But Cpl. Brown could pick up the blue buttons when it came to getting stuff. He would disappear regularly just after dark and stay away for an hour or two ; and then on the third night he would come back with a whole crate of molasses and syrup. How he did get it was beyond us. Whether he used his list or chloroform on the guard we never will learn, but we admit that his explanation that he "never used to do such things back home ' ' was pretty clever. And so it went — always something to make each day an unusual one, even if one of them had to take away one of our best pals and injure two others. It all seemed to come in the game. And as we look back upon those experiences there, and elsewhere, we do not regret any of them for they taught us one thing, if nothing else, that to work with a bunch of men who are pulling together brings its own reward in the comforting satisfaction that despite all odds the work was the best we could do. 3. A Lbttee feom the Fbont Since the censor is not so strict, thought I might tell you some of the things which I often wanted to, but could not. Of course you know that we came through England, never even getting a chance to order a few from one of those "English Bar Maids." Landing in France we were sent to a rest camp on a hill overlooking Le Havre, where we gave our stomachs a week's rest, then to Messac, where we were billeted in barns for a month, then to Camp Coetquidan. After being equipped and trained for position warfare, we proceeded to the ' ' Front, ' ' and went into open warfare. My first experience under shell fire was tame to what I really expected, owing to the fact that the enemy did not return the fire. Later we were shifted to a position north of Verdun and after crossing the Meuse River we had conditions to suit any occasion a fellow wanted. You could sleep in a dugout and take your chances with the cooties or sleep up on top and have Gr. I. cans, rolling kitchens, slop barrels, nail kegs, whiz bangs, and what not, to contend with. The fellows found all kinds of hand grenades laying around in the trenches. In the daytime everybody took great care to step over them, at night we stepped on 'em. The bottom of the trenches had a kind of latticework, or duck- boards, to walk on so a fellow did not have to swim in wet weather. 402 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY One day when the mud was so deep — Jack, the telephone operator, stole a length of boards to make a bunk out of. Just as he was sliding down the dugout steps, Lieut. (Doc) Lawton came along, and not being able to get by without getting in the mud, wanted to know who in the hell stole the walk. Lieut. Lawton is our Battalion Medical officer. He gives us the same kind of pill no matter what ails us. Well, this position along the Meuse will long be remembered by every man in the 322d F. A. We had a hard time, missed a lot of sleep and some meals. Now and then we had a good laugh. We made it a rule never to pass a ration dump without stealing some- thing to eat. We soon became real masters at the art. We got so we could put up a pitiful tale and talk the guard out of a loaf of bread without our conscience troubling us at all. One day Foster, one of the fellows on our detail, was talking for a loaf of bread and I swiped a can of molasses. We used to cabbage onto condensed milk, also. One day the Red Cross gave our Lieutenant a ten-pound can of cocoa. The bunch around us were making hot cocoa almost all the time. She went fine, too. When the boys would be out at night in the rain, mud and in that hell of shell fire shooting trouble and come in, there before us we would see a cup of hot cocoa. I don't think it will ever taste as good as it did in that dugout. You know they have wireless outfits in the artillery. We use ours to get the correct time from Paris. When they do get anything, they call up over the telephone and compare with either 2d Battalion or Regi- mental. The others do the same. They keep a fellow on duty at the telephone in the wireless station. He calls up every fifteen minutes to test the telephone. I suppose that is to keep in communication with the rest of the world. The other day "Monk" Meehan was out to repair a telephone line and as he was getting ready to make a splice, felt somebody ringing on the line. He held the ends together so as to permit conversation. It so happened that it was a call from the "Front-line trenches" to our Artillery asking for a barrage to enable them to repel a German barrage. Some stunt; it should go down in history. A funny thing about this game is that we don't use anything that was taught us at school. A fellow goes out and it is a case of using his own judgment, and conditions are different from the set of rules which we were taught. Then another thing about this position is the entrance to the different dugouts. Capt. Marting, Battalion Com- mander, has such a fine entrance. The way I present myself is to start HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 403 in backwards ; turn around and go a third of the way by cleats ; fall the rest, trying to light on my feet and come to attention. The other day I ran a line over to Regimental Central and had to go in their dugout to report. Going in from the light outside I couldn't see and stepped on somebody — liked to have walked all over them. Out of the blankets rolled the old man, cussing to beat the band. Said that he might as well get up — he couldn't sleep with the bunch walking on him. We have a line working up to the infantry. Believe me, she is some line to take care of. Every day we find a bunch of hits on it. Then the Fritz boys try to find our number when we are repairing it. Well, old scout, this will be all for this time. MISCELLANY THE STORY OF THE HOMELESS SIX or "SHAW'S LITTLE ARMY" It was December 16, 1917, which saw the first contingent arrive and be duly interned as members of the Veterinary Detachment, 322d Field Artillery. This contingent was composed of three, two men and a Hungarian. That night the two men were called to a conference in the Lieutenant's room, and there the plotting com- menced, and the prospective future of the Detachment was glowingly pictured by our doughty little leader. Such was the auspi- cious beginning of the Detachment whose chief task would be to turn in a good daily report to that uncrowned king, the Division Veterina- rian. And when his Honor Sir Major Rep- man philanthropically allowed us room for a table in his OAvn private office, we felt that we were going to have a real outfit after all. Later our ranks were swelled to the number of sixteen, by other poor inno- cent rookies, who knew not what they were doing. But all went well, despite the fact that we were all in the army, until those delightful road marches were started. On one of these hikes one of our members took unto himself a sweetheart. Which was not so strange since it was the spring of the year. In fact it was the only logical thing to do when the young lady involved was pretty and had a life-size big six machine. The case gained volume and intensity via the mail route, and one bright May Sunday the feminine member of the plot motored down to Camp Sherman in search of her soldier boy hero. She alighted from her machine and entered the 322d Infirmary to find the veterinary clerk who was to give her final viCTSTar*; Medical Detachment, 322d F. A. 408 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY directions. Upon entering the front door she saw a military-appear- ing personage busy at a flat-topped oak desk. So with becoming inno- cence she naively inquired, "Are you the Veterinary Clerk?" She really could not be expected to know that veterinary clerks do not wear Sam Browne Belts and gold maple leaves on their shoulders. It was only a short while after this that a vacancy was created in our ranks by our only representative from the Emerald Isle imbibing too much of the main ingredient in iodine and insisting on staying in that condition. So we lost him. But his place was more than filled (in quantity) by the entrance of "Twig" into our midst. You see "Twig" only stripped three hundred and eight in Father Adam's raiment, so the nickname "Twig" was particularly applicable. But w e would probably have never known him by this cognomen if he had not done his best to help celebrate the anni- versary of the fall of the Bastille in the good old French way, down then our , Messac, in what was home town France. Medics Lettering Baggage Preparatory to Leaving Germany for V. S. A. Twig was so built that he could not be so ungentlemanly as to re- fuse a proffered drink, and neither could he be so ungratefiil as not to return the compliment. So a call to quarters on July 14 found him in the private back room (M. P.'s not allowed) of Elizabeth's Cafe, just finishing, with the help of two select friends, a quart bottle of that delectable fluid, Creme de Menthe. Not being an eyewitness, we cannot verify his statement that one of the commissioned sex chased him the first one hundred yards, but had to quit because the flying gravel was endangering his eyesight. But we do know that he came up the ladder, into our hayloft domicile, on all fours, and his exhaust doing double time, to say that he was excited as he both told and pantomimed his official chase. After finally going to bed he de- cided that possibly we were still in the dark as to his real identity, so carefully and with much weaving he raised himself cumberously out of bed, and garbed only in B. V. D.'s, took the middle of the floor, and in an oratorical voice that would have made Patrick Henry green HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 409 with envy, he announced himself. "For the benefit of you Ordnance guys who don't know me, I am "Twig" Rudy, horse-racin', cock- fightin', son-of-a-gun from Millersburg. " Thus we came to know him, but not what size of 0. D. breeches Avould fit him, for the clothing table didn't run high enough for his size. But by the careful manipu- lation of two joairs of the largest breeches made, the Regimental tailor was able to construct a pair which was large enough everywhere except in the calves of the legs. The only piece of luck which the Detachment had on the four- thousand-mile trip to France Avas in drawing lower berths on the good ship Canopic. In fact we drew the lowest they had, way down in the bottom of the hold where the air was the dankest and the smell was the worst. And it was little wonder that Knasel and Twig made a record for liberality by their free donations to the fish, which they made periodically and frettingly for over two days. ATHLETICS IN THE 322d FIELD AETILLEEY Many, many long months ago, before the writer donned an 0. D. uniform and entered the ranks of the "Bucks," the 322d F. A. Eegi- ment took up quarters in Section Q and began to accomplish many things. We all knoAv how the "privileged" members of this exclu- sive club did "Squads east" and "Stand to heel" beaucoup hours every day, but we are more interested in hearing of those happenings which caused us to forget these weary hours. The 322d secured a reputation in many things during its embryonic days at Camp Sherman, but there was one thing, besides many others, which it did well, and that was — play. The men had to play, and by playing, for- got many of the hard times and "bawl- ings out" of the Second Lieutenants. Our Colonel believed that to make a good soldier, a man must be in good physical condition and must be con- tented. Lieut. Harold B. Wright was appointed Eegimental Athletic Officer and with the writer, who in those days could wear leather putts and call Lieutenants by their first name without fear of being court-martialed, worked out a program and schedule of competitive athletics which was approved by the Colonel. This was the beginning of many days of battle and strife and some- times bloodshed, but not the kind we were later to encounter across the pond. It was the struggle of team against team, and man against man, to determine which of our eight organizations was to be the winner of that coveted prize, "The Colonel's Cup," which Col. War- field presented to the Eegiment for competition between the different organizations. The program endeavored to provide sufficient diffi- cult sports so that every man would find some sport in which he could compete and represent his organization. Fire! HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD AETILLERY 411 During the fall, leagues in outdoor baseball and indoor baseball were formed and each organization was represented by a picked team in each. The indoor baseball league was won by D Battery. The basket ball leagTie was copped off by B Battery with- out losing a single game. The combina- tion G-raham, Jones and Cecil was hard to fathom, as the others learned to their sorrow. A track and field meet was also held before the weather man put a ban on such sports. Not until the last event was run off, was it possible to decide who the winner was going to be. But A Battery won out, with D Battery only a few points behind. Football Prepare tor Action By this time, there was a new brand of fever which broke out in the Regiment and even dear old Maj. Repman couldn't diagnose it, but when the football schedule came out, the fever broke out and enthusiasm took its place. Every organization out- fitted their teams completely and the contests that were staged on the big drill field would be a credit to many Prep school and college teams. Every team went onto the field determined to win, for not only did they want their particular battery to win, but there was the "Cup" sitting up there in Y 76, waiting to be rightfully claimed. Many hard-fought games were played, but Supply Company and A Battery were the only ones who had the honor of going through the schedule without losing a game and neither team had their goal line crossed during the whole season. Of course the tie had to be played off but here another drawback came into form. The weather refused to behave and after many postponements of this deciding game, it was decided to play it. Action Front 412 HISTOEY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY '"'iiiiBBP''^'"" ' « ! : rain or shine, wet or dry, on Friday, December 21. Thursday dawned with about twelve inches of snow on the field, but the "shovel gang" consisting of most every man in the Regiment, was called out and when Recall blew, there was no more snow on the field. But the weather man was not to be outdone by mere man, so on Friday the sun came out with all its throwing mechanics and by afternoon the field looked more like a picket line at an echelon on the Front. But the council of war had de- Football, D Btry., 322d F. A. cided and a holiday had been declared, so the crowd assembled, includ- ing our glorious (?) band, and the contest began. Coach "Hurry Up" Ed. Connor refereed the game, and he afterwards said that it was one of the hardest- fought and one of the best games he had seen. As everyone knows. Supply Company won, 13 to 7. By an on-side kick in the third quar- ter, which outwitted the A Battery aggregation long enough for Nitzke to fall on the ball back of the goal line, the tie was broken. Rosen- kranz and Van Leuvan were A Battery's shin- Quirk were the backbone of the Push 'Fat' ing lights while Nitzke and Supply Company. While talking of football we must not forget the Regimental team. Their first battle was with the 323d F. A. team, which had been play- ing quite awhile, as that regiment had not carried out an interbattery schedule. After four quarters had been played the score stood to 0. Our goal line was in danger only once, but with 270 pounds of "Fat" HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 413 Football Eooters Quirk in the center of our line, our team lield them for downs and then punted safely out of danger. It was hard to say what was the most amusing thing during the game, but to see the Colonel run- ning up and down the field after the team, was well worth the price of admission. On Thanksgiving Day the team journeyed to Dayton by the fa- mous and never-to-be- forgotten B. & 0. spe- cial train ( I ) and there engaged the fast Day- ton Miamis in a hot game, but due to the fact that men in uniform must eat before anything else, the game ended 6 to with the 322d on the small end of the score. Turkey and football didn't seem to work ... together. We must not forget the 83d Divi- sion team because it is doubtful if that team would have acquired the reputation it did if it had not been for the 322d, for that jDarticular regiment furnished a good show in the line-up. Look at these names and then consider what chances the Division team would have had if they had been left out: Marting, J. A. Garfield, Englehart, H. B. Wright, Wood, Conant and several others. Shooting the Pill Basket Ball After the football season closed, a league was formed in basket ball and some fast and close games were played on the big Y audi- torium and K. of C. floors. It was nip and tuck between C Battery and F Battery, but C Battery finally won out. The Regimental basket ball team was organized from the Regi- 414 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY ment and a fast and smooth working team was secured. Ford (Bat- tery F) and Sajovitz (Battery C) held down the forward positions, while Clevenger (Bat- tery D) and Miltner """*' (Battery C) took care of our opponents' for- wards, Bergmier (Bat- tery C) and Horner (Supply) were centers and Woessner (Battery F) helped out at for- ward when needed. This team, after a hard-fought contest, fi- nally won from the 323d F. A. by a score of 31 to 29. Soon after this, they journeyed to Circleville where they played the unbeaten Circle- ville Athletic Club. The game was bitterly contested, but Ford dropped one in from the center of the floor just as the whistle blew and the game ended 34 to 32 in our favor. Several other games were booked in near-by towns and an exten- sive trip through eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania was arranged, but the quarantine on the whole camp went into effect and everything had to be can- celed. ' ' C 'est la gTierre ! ' ' Throwing Basket Soccer Football iH^k^BHIRISH^^dRSI ^^ ^^^^ same time, a soccer |is!^^||^j«3.'"f^^*~~~^ football league was organized and each of the eight organizations had a representative team. This was a new sport to most of the men, but after a little coaching and practice they took to the game like a duck to water. Snow or slush would not cancel a game and many games Avere played on a field that looked more like Lake Erie than anything else. D Battery came through without losing a single game, while F Battery only lost one game. Strachan of D Battery, who had played on English Stretch, Geow a Little HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 415 Athletic Competition and American teams previously, did a great deal to help promote this sport in the Regiment. This league closed the first competition for the "Colonel's Cup." After computing the averages and standings of each organization in each of these leagues, it was found that D Battery had the highest average standing of all the organizations in the Regiment. So one night the whole Regiment as- sembled at Y 76 and the cup was formally pre- sented to Battery D by Col. Warfield. Spring Activities Plans and details were now worked out for the second competi- tion for the cup and it is needless to say that there were seven differ- ent organizations which were determined that D Battery should not win another leg on the cup. It was decided to conduct leagues in indoor baseball, outdoor baseball, regulation baseball, and a track and field meet. The leagues p r o - gressed very favorably and of course the most interest was shown in baseball. There is hardly a man who, sometime in his boy- hood days, has not played baseball on a vacant lot or some other forbidden place. So naturally baseball was and is the king of sports to the American soldier. Track and Field Meet The track and field meet was one of the big events of the season. Over two hundred men took part in the eight events, which consisted of: 100-yard dash, 220-yard dash, 440-yard run, 880-yard relay, 16- HiGH Jump, 322d F. A. 416 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLEEY pound shot-put, running high jump, running broad jump, tug-of-war (twenty men to each team). A Battery once more proved that they would later be able to dodge ^\ Tug of War, 322d P. A. G. I. cans successfully when they got across, and showed their train- ing along those lines by again winning the meet. F Battery also showed that it would take more than a hand grenade to catch her runners, for this Battery finished a close second. As an added spe- cialty, the Colonel's horse, Reno, ridden by Yoimg, and King, ridden {k f -"rfi^^^T^" Starting the Kace, Athletics in the 322d F. A. by Sgt. Grodi, Battery D, gave an exhibition of hurdling and jumping. But now comes the sad part of my story or history or whatever you may want to call this effort. We were never able to finish the schedule and the cup was never presented the second time. The poAvers that be decided to give our Regiment an ocean voyage. And it was at this time that the writer decided to change the style and color HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 417 of Ms uniform for one of 0. D., and his leather putts for the kind you had to wash every Friday night for inspections the nest day. Before ending this resume of the "good old days," I want to mention the names of a few men who stood out prominently among mi Finishing the Eace, Camp Sherman the men of the Regiment, and who deserve this honorable mention because they were all-around athletes in every sense of the word. They did much to promote sports among their fellows and they them- i\ Baseball in Germany selves were the leaders, for they gave good account of themselves in practically every branch of sport. They are : Clevenger, Battery D ; Dadisman, Battery A ; Ford, Battery F ; Nitzke, Supply Company; Van Leuvan, Supply Company; Sajovitz, Battery C. Of course there are many more who were all-around athletes, but these men were the best in my estimation. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? ~ Oi ^ Funny old world, aint it! and the army's funny too, but I think there 's a limit to all things, even humor, and when they take a fellow away from a perfectly good training camp, put him on a rickety old train and won't even tell him where he's going, I think it ceases to be a joke. And then, when they dump him otf on a deserted old island, where grass won't even grow, I think it becomes a serious proposition and about time they were letting a fellow in on a little of the real dope ; but no k .. such luck in the army — • guess they think us sol- diers aint got no patri- otism a-tall and that we tell the Germans every- thing we know and eA'en suspect. Funny people, these officers, aint they? Well, Sammies may come and Sammies may go but old Camp Mills, the Land of a Thousand Inspections, goes on just the same. Anyway, it was there June 4, and the sun was shining, too ! We were all tired out from our long trip on that rickety old train and the four-mile hike from the traction station at Long Island City. Saddlebags were neatly strapped over our left shoulder, the regulation way. Oh, yes, always that way in the 322d, we " squads 'd right," right into Mineola. No one watched us but we thought everyone did, because Col. War- field said, "Men, the eyes of the world are upon you," and we of course thought we were still in the world, so we did our best. We marched into camp — through the main gate, too — and dis- covered a little burg of squad tents with lemonade and peanut stand for suburbs. It reminded me of "Stony Creek" — it was so different. Looked something like a desert but it wasn't though, for it rained TuE Cleax'-ui', Camp JIills, Long Island HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY 419 Drawing Equipment at Camp Mills, Long Island the next day and I don't think such big mosquitoes could live on sand, they didn't either while we were there. Found the place in an awful untidy order and not at all fit for such a good regiment as ours. During the rest of that afternoon and the following day we were busy policing up and we worked hard too, for we wanted a nice clean place to rest — rest ! no such luck in the army. The Camp Commander was quite an observing old chap, he recognized our abil- ity right away and the next day every one of us "hard-boiled" non-coms (some of the fellows call us hard boiled but we really aint hard at all after you git to know us — you see we just have to act that way when officers are around) were given a detail of eight or ten men and invited to demonstrate our ability on the whole blooming camp. Gosh! it was awful dirty too, some of the fellows grumbled and crabbed a little, but we soon got down to biTsiness and worked like sixty, for someone said that if we did a good job we might get a furlough or some- thing, but no such luck in the army and all we got was the dickens for getting our clothes soiled — guess some of those inspectors never done any work in their life and think Ave can clean up dirt all day and then come out as white as a lily on Easter morning — but it can't be done, I'll tell the world that. If you think we didn't have any fun, you're wrong again. The A Little Rest between Inspections at Camp Mills, Long Island 420 HISTORY OF THE 322d FIELD ARTILLERY /6