IS-1I i K Ct momU I --- —- --- -- -;-, - ---— I I * I OF DETROIT OJfi c e rs WM. ROBT. WILSON, President LEWIS K. WALKER, Vice Pres. and Secy. JOHN C. GRIER, JR., Vice President PHELPS NEWBERRY, Vice President STEUART L. PITTMAN, Vice President HARRY S. JOHNSON, Treasurer RUDOLPH E. HOFELICH, Trust Officer ANDREW D. HOTCHKISS, Asst. Vice Pres. A. A. F. MAXWELL, Asst. Secretary Directors FORD BALLANTYNE HENRY E. BODMAN HOWARD BONBRIGHT JUDSON BRADWAY LAWRENCE D. BUHL ROY D. CHAPIN FRANK COUZENS FRED J. FISHER EDSEL B. FORD LUMAN W. GOODENOUGH JOHN C. GRIER, JR. EDWARD P. HAMMOND CARLTON M. HIGBIE HARLEY G. HIGBIE SHERWIN A. HILL ERNEST KANZLER JEROME E. J. KEANE ALVAN MACAULEY LOUIS MENDELSSOHN W. LEDYARD MITCHELL C. HAYWARD MURPHY JAMES R. MURRAY PHELPS NEWBERRY STEUART L. PITTMAN WALTER S. RUSSEL ALGER SHELDEN ALLAN SHELDEN LUTHER S. TROWBRIDGE CHARLES B. VAN DUSEN HIRAM H. WALKER LEWIS K. WALKER WILLIAM ROBERT WILSON CLARKSON C. WORMER, JR. j * THE FRONT COVER THE FRONT COVER OF THIS NUMBER OF THE INFANTRY JOURNAL CONTAINS THE INSIGNIA OF THE 85TH, OR CUSTER, DIVISION, WHICH WAS THE SHOULDER PATCH USED BY THE DIVISION IN THE WORLD WAR AND IS RETAINED AS ITS DISTINCTIVE EMBLEM. THE COATS-OF-ARMS OF THE 337TH AND 339TH INFANTRY REGIMENTS, THE ONLY COATS-OF-ARMS OF INFANTRY REGIMENTS IN THE 85TH DIVISION WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVISED, ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: 337TH INFANTRY ---SHIELD: AZURE BILLETTY OR A WOLVERINE SEJANT GUARDANT ERECT ARGENT. MOTTO: "VIS ET VIRTUS" (STRENGTH AND COURAGE). 339TH INFANTRY ---SHIELD: AZURE A POLAR BEAR STATANT ON AN ICE CAKE ARGENT; ON A CANTON OR A FESS SABLE BETWEEN THREE MARTLETS OF THE LIKE TWO AND ONE. MOTTO (IN RUSSIAN) ---"THE BAYONET DECIDES." THE POLAR BEAR ON ITS AZURE BACKGROUND IS COPIED FROM THE UNOFFICIAL SHOULDER PATCH OF THE NORTH RUSSIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AND DENOTES THE WAR SERVICE OF THE REGIMENT. THE CANTON BEARS A PART OF THE COAT-OF-ARMS OF CADILLAC, THE FOUNDER OF DETROIT, AND IS SYMBOLIC OF THE ORIGIN OF THE REGIMENT AND ITS PRESENT ALLOCATION. THE CRESTS OF THESE COATS-OF-ARMS, AS FOR ALL ORGANIZED RESERVE UNITS, ARE DESCRIBED: ON A WREATH OF THE COLORS (ARGENT AND AZURE) THE LEXINGTON MINUTE MAN PROPER. THE STATUE OF THE MINUTE MAN, CAPTAIN JOHN PARKER, FACES THE COMMON IN LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I......... I.I.. -. -v Blockhouse on the Dvina Front, Northern Russia, 1918, Showing American Patrol Returning from a Reconnaissance — ~ --- —~*sr INFANTRY JOURNAL Vol. XXIX JULY, 1926 No. 1 The North Russian Expedition The 85th Division's Participation By Lieutenant Colonel Joel R. Moore, 339th Infantry LL I E D interAiy vention in Russia from the date of l armies in 1917 to the downfall of Germany was a purely military problem. The political destiny of Russia was of no immediate concern to the Allies except in so far as it might in the event of an inconclusive peace assist in the perpetuation of German military power. The basic military considerations were to prevent the transfer of German troops from the Eastern to the Western front and to deny the resources of Russia and Siberia to the enemy. That there was ample necessity for this intervention is conclusively shown by what actually happened on the Eastern front and in Russia. With considerable elation General Ludendorff relates how "from the end of November (1917) onward, troop trains were incessantly passing from East to West. It was no longer a case of replacing tired divisions in the West by fresh ones, but of really adding to the number of combatants in the West." Although more than forty of the eighty-nine divisions in the East were thus transferred before the start of the great spring offensive of 1918, there still remained in the East an admittedly strong force, since the Germans had achieved there only an armed peace. During the spring and summer of 1918, when conditions had become more stable, the number of these troops was further reduced. To what extent were the resources of Russia exploited? General Ludendorff defends his course in this respect as follows: In the East I went only so far as in my view was absolutely demanded by our military position and economic needs. I wanted no territory. My only object was to procure the supplies that were so urgently needed for our bare maintenance and the prosecution of the war. I hoped also to improve our economic position and thus to raise our physical strength and morale. I wished to make what use was possible of the manpower of these districts, partly by direct recruiting, but on a larger scale, and with greater prospect of success, through enlisting labor for employment in Germany so as to ie1!z,,. f 2 The North Russian Expedition General Area Involved in the Strategical Considerations Affecting the Allied Expedition to North Russia lease men for the front. I pursued this course in all parts of the East and had hopes even of obtaining direct recruits from the German population there. The danger of Germany's procurement of supplies in Russia was recognized by the Allies during the latter part of 1917, but the more pressing danger presented by the transference of 'the enemy's divisions was not brought to the attention of the Supreme War Council until April, 1918. The military representatives urged thorough military support of that part of Russia which was able and willing to resist German penetration. Some (those of the United States not included) went so far as to advocate Japanese intervention across Siberia to Samara in Russia, Japan to be compensated by the acquisition of territory in Siberia. Apparently, then, the two basic Allied military objectives were controverted before action was taken towards their achievement. The Germans had reenforced the Western front by troops from the East and were well along in their process of exploiting Russian- resources before Allied intervention was decided upon. There now remained numerous lesser military issues, among which were: a. The counteraction of German attempts to reach possible submarine bases in the North Sea. /' The North Russian Expedition 3 b. The protection of Allied stores at Northern ports. c. The utilization and protection of the Czecho-Slovak forces in Russia and Siberia. d. Restoration of Russia by economic measures. e. The desire to retain access to all anti-German elements in Russia. GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY Avenues of approach to Russia available to the Allies were limited to Siberia and that part of European Russia bordering on the Arctic Ocean. Both were used, but this article concerns only the latter or North Russian area. Under the czars, that part of Russia north of 60 degrees was divided into the Grand Duchy of Finland and the provinces of Plonetz, Vologda, and Archangel. The latter province stretched along the Arctic Ocean from Norway to the Ural Mountains; the upper third, including the Murman Coast and part of the White Sea, lay north of the Arctic Circle. In an area six times that of the State of Michigan were scattered half a million people, who occupied a country of swamps, lakes, tundras, and bare rocks, and a forest region greater than the combined area of Michigan and Wisconsin. Notwithstanding its latitude, the tempering effect of a part of the Gulf Stream which flows around the northern end of Norway prevents the formation of ocean ice along the Murman coast east of Scandanavia, almost to the entrance of the White Sea. Thus the harbors of Murmansk and Pechenga, although on the Arctic Ocean, are free of ice throughout the year, while farther to the east and south on the White Sea is the tenth-century port of Archangel, which is open to navigation only from May to October. Land transportation facilities in North Russia are meager. Two railways cross this district from north to south; one from Archangel to Vologda, there connecting with the line from Petrograd to Perm and on eastward; and the other, built in 1916, connecting the open port of Murmansk with the east and west line near Petrograd. The few and primitive wagon roads are used only in winter, when they are passable for sleighs drawn by horses or reindeer. The interior is also accessible from Archangel by the river Dvina. By means of this thousand-mile stream and its numerous branches, goods can be taken by water to Moscow or Siberia with the exception of 130 miles between Yaroslav and Vologda, which latter town thus had a great commercial importance. The Dvina River at Archangel is from one to three miles wide with a depth from twenty to forty feet. With the advent of war and the consequent closing to Russian commerce of the Baltic and Black Seas, this small town of twenty thousand witnessed an expansion in trade unparalleled in a similar length of time by any other port in the world. Due to the river and railway connections with the interior of Russia, it suddenly rose from a comparatively unknown harbor to one of the important ports of the world. Fifty vessels entered the port in 1913, and five thousand arrived, mostly loaded with war materials, in 1915. Traffic did not flow all one way either, since over three hundred thousand tons of wheat, and large amounts of 4 The North Russian Expedition butter, eggs and flax were sent to England during 1915. The harbors of Murmansk and Pechenga, on the Arctic Ocean, being ice free throughout the year, held a potential importance to the Germans, as possible submarine bases, being outside the Allied mine fields. From there operations could be carried out against the Atlantic shipping routes. The British Admiralty was naturally insistent upon protecting these ports. BRITISH TROOPS LAND Consequently, owing to fears that the anti-Entente element in Murmansk might hand over the railway and town to the Germans, a small party of British engineers was sent to the North Russian station in March, 1918, for demolition purposes. By April, 150 British marines were ashore at Murmansk, guarding the railway as far south as Kandalaksa, and on May 29 this force received a reenforcement of 320. They were assisted by members of the French military mission from Moscow. Later, a small force of marines was landed at Pechenga where White Finn aggression was feared. The Germans viewed this landing at Murmansk with some little apprehension. In order to prevent Russia from being reinforced by the Entente, the Germans believed it was necessary to hold up their troops and stores on the Murman coast. By assisting Finland in gaining her independence from the Bolshevist government, a blow could be struck at the Allies as well as at the Bolshevists, since the Finnish frontier paralleled the Murmansk railway throughout its course. Therefore, a German division and additional officers assisted the Finns in freeing Finland from Soviet control. This victory was accomplished in a short campaign in April, 1918, which left the town of Viborg in the hands of the Finns. From this strategic point the Germans could strike at Petrograd before the British could reach there from Murmansk. Meanwhile, on March 23, 1918, movement was reported from the Ukraine towards Cheliabinsk of the Czecho-Slovak Corps of some forty to fifty thousand men, the organization of which was largely due to the French. The military value of these troops was considerable. They had been untouched by Bolshevik propaganda, were indifferent to Russian politics, and desired only to be transported to fight upon the Western front. Their intention, backed by the French, was to reach Vladivostok for this purpose. The Bolsheviks not only agreed to their departure but promised to provide railway facilities for their movement. On April 27, 1918, the military representatives of the Supreme War Council officially recommended - the transportation of the Czechs to France at the earliest, possible date, and the use of Archangel and Murmansk for this purpose for all troops who had not already passed east of Omsk, about thirty thousand men. The idea underlying this diversion was that the Czechs, together with a few Serbian troops still in Russia, might be able to hold Archangel and Murmansk and effectuate arrangements for the safety of the northern ports pending their transport to France. BRITISH IN COMMAND IN NORTH RUSSIA Finally, on June 2, 1918, the Supreme War Council decided on an ac The North Russian Expedition 5 tive intervention at the North Russian ports for the double purpose of preventing their use, particularly Murmansk, as German submarine bases, and of retaining the only routes still open to the Allies for access to Central Russia. Command of this expedition was given to the British. It was realized that the retention of Murmansk and Archangel would be an unwise expenditure of military effort unless the major part of the forces required be drawn from Czech units then in Russia or from Russian sources. Therefore, the intervention was based on the assumption that the bulk of the troops, some fifteen battalions, would be formed-from elements in Russia still friendly to the Allied cause. The troops to be furnished by the Allies were not to exceed six Infantry battalions. Furthermore, until definite assurance was had that Russian assistance would be obtained, the Entente forces maintained at the ports were to be sufficient only for defense against small enemy operations, or in the event of major enemy operations to insure the removal or destruction of stores, and the destruction in as far as practicable of the port facilities that would be of service to the Germans in the establishment of submarine bases. Since it was believed that a mixed Allied force would indicate more clearly a lack of desire to interfere politically in Russian affairs, France and Italy were to send one Infantry battalion each, the Serbs were to keep in North Russia for as long a period as possible a Serbian battalion which had made its way to Murmansk from Odessa, and the United States was to furnish three Infantry battalions, one Engineer battalion, one field hospital and an ambulance company. Notwithstanding the judgment of the Supreme Command, little military value in the expedition could be seen on this side of the Atlantic. It appeared to be faulty strategy to fritter away forces intended to make victory more certain on the Western, the critical, front. MORE TROOPS ARRIVE IN NORTH RUSSIA Steps were being taken in England to organize a strong mission (about 560 men of all ranks) under Maj. Gen. F. C. Poole, to train and reequip the Czechs who were expected at Archangel, while a small force of about 600 Infantry, machine gunners, and engineers was prepared for Murmansk where Maj. Gen. C. M. Maynard was selected for command. These forces were disembarked at Murmansk on June 23, 1918. General Poole was instructed that his main object was to cooperate with the Russians in reestablishing the Eastern front by effecting a junction with the Czechs and, assisted by them, to secure control of the railway and river communications between Archangel, Vologda and Viatka. At the same time, he was authorized to organize armed forces to resist the Germans, support any administration friendly to the Allies, afford relief to the civil population and make a judicious use of propaganda. When in June, General Poole took command, the Allied forces in North Russia included, in addition to the British marines already mentioned, a French force of about 700 men of all ranks, members of the French mission 50 0 The North Russian Expedition ~~ xe W# S. L. 7 D.......... S... in Russia; and the Serbian battalion of about 1,500 men. At that time, the British believed that the Finns were planning to attack the Murmansk railway and sieze Pechenga. The situation at Archangel was also unsatisfactory, since the Bolshevists were shipping the immense stores there to the south as fast as possible. Arrival of the Allied units was delayed. The first to appear after the British were the French, who reached Murmansk on July 26. A battalion of Royal Scots arrived at Archangel on August 26, the American contingent landed at Archangel on September 4, and the Italian battalion, with a ski company attached, was debarked at Murmansk on September 6. Although seven nationalities (even considering all British contingents under one head) joined in the operations in North Russia, a policy was followed of mixing the units in the different positions or sectors, usually an unsatisfactory arrangement, and this case was no exception. Upon the arrival of the French at Murmansk, General Poole assembled a force consisting of about 1,000 French, 500 British, four guns manned by Serbs, and weak detachments of Russians and Poles and moved on to Archangel. Supported by the naval force in that area, he landed and captured the town on August 2, 1918. The Bolsheviks made a short stand outside the town near Isakogorka, but were soon pushed back along the railway to Oberskaya. Most of the Bolsheviks, however, had retired up the Dvina to Kotlas, taking with them the best and most rapid river craft. The Allied pursuit started on August 7, 1918. A body of Allied troops from the river attempted to reach the railway at Plesetskaya, in rear of the Bolshevik positions at Obozerskaya, about 80 miles south of Archangel, but after a successful engagement were forced to fall back in the face of superior forces. Another attempt to reach Oberskaya from Onega between August 6 and 11 also failed. The advance down the railway continued, however, and Oberskaya was captured on September 5 after severe fighting. Upon arrival at Archangel (August 26) the battalion of Royal Scots was pushed up the Dvina to Beresniki at the junction of the Dvina and Vaga Rivers, about 170 miles by boat southeast of Archangel. This town was occupied on September 3, 1918, and operations continued on both streams. AMERICAN FORCES DEBARK On September 4, 1918, transports bearing the American contingent, consisting of the 339th Infantry, 1st Battalion, 310th Engineers, 337th Field Hospital, 337th Ambulance Company, totalling 4,477 men of all ranks, of the 85th Division, which had sailed from Newcastle, England, on August 26, cast anchor in the Dvina River off Archangel. The American troops were promptly divided between the two main Allied forces. One of these along the Archangel railway was designated as Force "A," or the Vologda force. It was split into three columns, the main body on the railway and the Onega and Seletskoe columns on the flanks. The other moved up the Dvina river and was designated Force "C," or the Dvina force, and was divided 8 The North Russian Expedition Trenches at Oberskaya Where First American of the North Russian Expeditionary Forces Was Killed, Sept. 16, 1918 into two detachments operating on the Dvina and Vaga rivers respectively. The 3d Battalion, 339th Infantry, was designated to join Force "C," and on the day following arrival it debarked at Bakaritza and started south at once by rail in two trains of box cars. The battalion detrained at Oberskaya on the morning of the 6th. Abundant evidence in the vicinity testified to the fact that here the stern work of the expedition was to begin. Outposts were established and the American sentries joined the Allied guardians of the front. On September 16, during an attack on the outpost of the 3d Battalion, held by Company L, the first American in the Russian Expedition was killed in action. On September 29, the railroad column initiated an offensive movement toward Emsta, about 100 miles south of Archangel. Assisted by a detachment of French troops, the Americans attacked the Russian line, the action ending indecisively. About:the middle of October another attack drove the Bolshevist line back a total of ten versts,l where the positions were: Verst equals.66 mile. consolidated and the Americans prepared to hold for the winter. THE DVINA FORCE The objective of the Dvina force was the town of Kotlas some 500 miles up the Dvina from Archangel where a branch of the Petrograd-Perm railway terminated. Upon reaching Kotlas, it was proposed to push down the railway to the junction with the Petrograd line at Viatka and endeavor to join up with the Czechs. The hostile force in the vicinity of Beresniki was estimated at about 600, while a force of 2,000 men was at Tulgas about 40 miles up the river Dvina. The troops available to accomplish this mission included: 1st Battalion, American, 339th Infantry, 660 British Infantry of all ranks, 110 Russian volunteers (Infantry), 35 Polish Infantry, 38 Lithuanian Infantry, 1 18-pounder gun section. The 1st Battalion of the 339th Infantry had remained on the transports until the morning of September 7, when it debarked and prepared for the five-day trip up the river to join the Dvina force. September 11 saw the force debarking from old cattle barges at Beresniki and preparing to advance to the relief of a small British force farther up the stream. The Russians retired to Seltso before the American advance and on the afternoon of September 19, the Americans prepared for an attack on the village. Crossing the swamp, which was waist deep in mud and water and utterly impracticable for artillery, with Companies C and D in assault and Company B in support, they captured the village The North Russian Expedition 9 after two days of fighting. In this combat the first men of the 1st Battalion were lost in action. A few days later the column proceeded by barge down the Dvina and up the Vaga River, the battalion halting at Shenkursk. Conditions here were a great improvement over the Dvina lowlands and the troops were given the privilege of a week's respite. At the end of this time, Company B was again ordered to the Dvina and from October, 1918, to April, 1919, was detached from the battalion, forming a part of a mixed force under British control, operating along the Dvina River. On September 10, General Poole had reported that the lack of troops and of suitable river transport would prevent his reaching and victualling Kotlas before the freezing of the Dvina closed his line of communications. He was instructed, however, on September 20, to continue operations along the Dvina in the hope of assisting the Czech offensive toward Perm, rather than toward Vologda, as he intended. In the meantime the Dvina force had pushed its outposts forward to Seltso Qn the Dvina and south of Shenkursk on the Vaga, more than 200 miles from Archangel. On September 27, Allied G. H. Q. in Russia issued instructions that, apart from small raids and minor operations, there would be no forward movement during the winter by the Dvina force. The bulk of the troops was to be assigned to the Vologda force or kept in reserve at Archangel. Generals Ironside and Needham with reinforcements consisting of a Canadian artillery brigade of two batteries of 18-pounders and a total of about 2,600 Allied drafts, of whom 530 were American replacements, reached Arch angel on September 30, relieving the situation of shortage of troops. 2D BATTALION, 339TH INFANTRY IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER While the 1st and 3d Battalions of the 339th Infantry were pushing southward on two fronts, the 2d Battalion was called upon for guard duty in Archangel and the district immediately surrounding it. Debarking from the transports on September 4, troops from the battalion were assigned to work guarding the Russian provisional government in the city, the docks and the public utilities, and, in general, stabilizing an increasingly delicate situation at the headquarters of the entire North Russian Expedition. A strike among employees of the street railways was quelled immediately following the landing of the troops. This was handled with great firmness and without serious consequences. The battalion initiated its first offensive column when one platoon of Company H began the trip up the Onega River on September 15. It reached the village of Chekuevo, about 50 miles up the stream, the following day. Three days later another platoon joined this outpost and, reinforced by Headquarters of the 339th Archangel, Dec. 4, 0 Left upper: Blockhouse in the line of outposts, occupied by troops of 339th Infantry, Nov. 15, 1918. Right upper: Brig. Gen. W. P. Richardson and his staff, April 17, 1919, en route across the Dvina River. Left lower: Col. Geo. E. Stewart on his return from Dvina River Front, Dec. 31, 1918; showing only means of transport along lines of communication between Archangel and the Dvina River forces. Lower right: The most distant post from Archangel, Jan. 7, 1919, at Nijni, from which American troops retired to Shenkurst after attack by Bolsheviks two weeks after photograph was taken The North Russian Expedition 11 w! r S:: 93 Russian volunteers, repulsed a force of Bolsheviks, who made an attack at dawn on the 24th. On September 30, orders were received from American Headquarters for the force at Chekuevo to open wire communication with the American column at Oberskaya and to move southward for a distance of about 60 miles to block the expected retreat of the enemy westward across the river. Not being supplied with Signal Corps personnel and with the certainty that the southern movement would be opposed by superior forces of the enemy, two platoons were faced with a most difficult task. The force, under an American commander, did not number over 225 effectives, of whom only one-half were Americans. After an all-day fight on October 1, during which the Russian volunteers deserted, the Americans made a slight advance. On the evening of that day a squad of men from Company M, having fought its way through 40 miles of wilderness separating Company H from the 3d Battalion at Oberskaya opened communications between the two commands. Soon afterwards the outpost was augmented by the arrival of the remainder of Company H and a detachment of 25 French Infantry. Company headquarters were established at Onega, with one platoon at Karelskoe, and two at Chekuevo. AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN ARCHANGEL Regimental Hteadquarters was established in the Technical Institute, a vast old building, located in close proximity to Olga Barracks, where the Headquarters Company was stationed in constant readiness in case of the ever-expected uprising of the uneasy populace. The British commanding general had established his headquarters in another part of the city, and from the first there were serious lapses of that coordination between the elements of the Allied forces which is so important in an expedition of this nature. Considerable dissatisfaction w a s aroused in the American ranks over the inferior rations supplied and other arrangements in the methods of command. British high commanders were often appointed and relieved without the knowledge of the American commanding officer. The latter had extreme difficulty in distributing his orders to his units scattered over a front of 400 miles. He lost touch with his battalion and company commanders. In general, administrative matters were far from being satisfactory. The American troops had also been confronted with the problem of acquainting themselves with the characteristics of the British and Russian firearms, but they soon familiarized themselves with the new weapons with which they had been equipped. THE GENERAL SITUATION CHANGES The situation in Finland had been changing rapidly during September and October. The German strength in Finland having been considerably overestimated as being fifty-five thousand. General Maynard reported at the end of August that with his available force he could not hold both Pechenga and Murmansk. He consequently proposed to evacuate Pechenga. The British Admiralty objected to this measure because of the possibility of the Germans establishing a submarine base there, 12 The North Russian Expedition which would embarrass the whole situation in the North Sea. Therefore, the Murmansk force was reinforced by four Infantry battalions, three field artillery batteries, two machine gun companies, and one trench mortar battery. Before these shipments were completed, the supposed emergency that had demanded their dispatch had passed. The Karelian Battalion, based on Kem, forced back the invading Finns and cleared Karelia by the occupation of Ukhtinskaya on September 18. Communication was soon established between the troops at Kandalaksha and Kem. On October 10, General Poole asked that all the reinforcements in preparation for Murmansk should be transferred to Archangel in view of the waning of the German menace in that theatre and of his intention to be in a position to resume the offensive in the early spring. Because of the difficulties of supply, the fact that troops in Archangel were definitely shut up for the whole winter, and that strong force at Murmansk could either be removed or used as a threat to Petrograd or Finland, only one battalion, one battery, and one machine gun company were transferred. These troops reached Archangel between October 24 and November 20. During this time the Bolshevists made several determined attacks on the Allied river positions, and as the river monitors had been withdrawn in anticipation of the freezing of the river, the Allied troops were obliged to fall back towards Shenkursk. Subsequent attacks here, and also between the Vaga and the railway and along the railway, resulted in severe defeats for the Bolshevists. ADVANCE UP THE PINEGA RIVER During the latter part of October and all of November, an Allied force was making its way up the Pinega branch of the Dvina River. It was here that Company G, 339th Infantry, saw its first active service, when it made a hasty trip up the lower Pinega River valley in an effort to recover large stores of flour that had been looted from the loyal population by marauding bands of Reds. Two platoons of this company left on a fast steamer on October 20, arriving three days later at the town of Pinega where the American commander took charge, organized the defenses and cooperated with the local government officials in raising volunteers. These activities occupied the time until November 15, when a detachment of 35 Americans and 25 Russian volunteers was dispatched to clear the valley and occupy Kopogora, 130 miles east of Archangel and almost twice that distance by water transportation. The village was occupied on November 28 and held until December 4, when the troops withdrew and took up winter quarters in the various villages surrounding Pinega. THE FRONT LINE IN NOVEMBER The forward positions occupied by the Archangel expedition as a result of the actions in September and October extended over a front of about 450 miles southward from Pinega, the most advanced position being about 18 miles south of Shenkursk on the Vaga River. These posts did not form a continuous line but were a series of occupied positions at vital points, more or less fortified. They were not mutually supporting, and in some cases were far in ad The North Russian Expedition 183 Distribution of American Troops of the North Russian Expedition During Winter of 1918 vance of enemy positions on the flanks. The 339th Infantry was scattered all over the area. Two platoons of Company G were in the vicinity of Pinega. Company B was at Tulgas, 140 miles distant. Companies A, C and D were in the vicinity of Ust Padenga and Shenkursk, nearly 60 miles away, The 3d Battalion remained more or less as a unit on the railroad between Obers kaya and Emtsa, with a gap of 100 miles to the troops on their left and 40 miles to those on their right. Company H was scattered along the river for 30 miles, southeast of Onega. Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company, the Supply Company, and 2d Battalion, less Company H and two platoons of Company G, were con:entrated in Archangel and the towns in ql; /BiM* if ' F-Ia ec c?,5q1, 14_ The North Russian Expedition Building used for Headquarters, 2d Battalion, 339th Infantry, at Smolney Barracks, t t Archangel, Dec. 9, 1918 mediately surrounding it. American the meager handful of doughboys at Medical units were manning the hos- the Arctic Circle, facing a forlorn pitals in Archangel and small detach- hope, their backs to the wall, their ments were with the Infantry units at transports frozen fast in the harbor of the front. Company B, 310th Engi- Archangel, and with a precarious line neers, was attached to the railroad col of retreat through an area not too umn at Oberskaya. Companies A and friendly. C, 310th Engineers, less small detachments with the other American col- CHANGE FROM OFFENSE TO DEFENSE umns, were concentrated in Archangel General Ironside, who had succeeded and engaged in the construction of General Poole in command on Novembillets. ber 5, had been instructed that the Armistice Day, 1918, brought no re- Allied policy in North Russia in the joicing to the Archangel front. While spring would be defensive only, as the American troops in France were cele- main offensive against the Bolsheviks brating the final overthrow of the Prus- was bound to come from the south, sian eagle, the men of the American where Generals Denikin and Krasnoff Expedition in North Russia and their had maintained a large and efficient Allies were either actually engaged force which could be more easily supwith the Bolsheviks, or striving des- ported and equipped by the Allies. perately to erect fortifications to stave The offensive policy previously puroff attack. The only news from home sued.had steadily forced the Bolsheduring the long succeeding months viks back on all fronts. With the atwere reports of the triumphal arrival tention of the home governments now at American ports of Pershing's vic- centered on demobilization and the torious legions and the demobilization problems of post-war readjustment, it of the millions of the war army. There was soon evident that no reinforcewas little applause and less interest for ments would be received. It became a The North Russian Expedition 15 question of holding the ground gained with the forces already in place, until such time as the Allied command saw fit to abandon the entire undertaking. Early on the morning of November 11, the Bolshevik Russians resumed the offensive and moved against the town of Upper Tulgas, garrisoned by Company B, 339th Infantry, a company of Royal Scots, and several units of Canadian artillery. Trenches were hastily manned and the artillery prepared to go into action against the frontal attack, when an even larger and more powerful assault was launched on the rear of the Allied position. The hospital fell into the hands of the advancing Reds and it seemed inevitable that they would capture the field pieces before they could be turned to the rear. The valiant defense of a small detachment, armed with Lewis guns, however, momentarily checked the assault, permitted the artillery to be reversed, and the enemy was repulsed with a considerable loss. Later in the day, an American counterattack recaptured the hospital. At daybreak the following day, the Russians moved a fleet of gutboats up the river and began a bombardment of the outpost defenses. Outranged by the more powerful Russian metal, the 3-inch pieces of the Canadians were helpless to reply. After three days of continuous bombardment, during which the town was badly damaged, Company B and a platoon of Company D, 339th Infantry, launched a surprise attack on the Russian Infantry position, driving their troops out of their trenches and causing the withdrawal of the Russian gunboats. The remaining winter and spring months at Tulgas were enlivened by a succession of minor patrol engagements, Companies B and D alternating in the occupation of the position. THE VOLOGDA FORCE S OFFENSIVE The Vologda force planned a general offensive to be executed between De Patrol from Company B, 339th Infantry, on Snowshoes, Along the Dvina River, Dec. 31, 1918 16 The North Russian Expedition cember 25 and 31, 1918, for the pur- and ice. Yet for seven days the doughpose of obtaining closer liaison and co- boys held off the enemy's attacks. Fihesion between its three columns. nally relieved by a company of British Emtsa and Plesetskaya on the railway, Infantry, they were withdrawn to reTurchasovo, Krilovskaya and Sheleksa serve at Seletskoe. Kodish was shortly west of the railway, and Avda and afterwards evacuated. In the middle Kochmas east of the railway were to of January, Company E, was drawn be captured. back to Archangel for rest. The maSeveral changes had been made in chine gunners and trench mortar men the American contingent on this front remained in Kodish in support of the early in December. Companies K and British. Following the evacuation of L with the trench mortar sections of Kodish, Company K was withdrawn to Headquarters Company, went into re- the lines of communication at Kholiserve at Seletskoe, leaving Company E nogori and Emetskoe, and the gunners holding the line along the Emtsa River. to the railroad front, ending American On December 28, Company L was participation on the Kodish front. sent up to take over the advanced position. Companies E and K, supported BOLSHEVIKS ATTACK IN FORCE by a platoon from the Macfine Gun On January 19, 1919, a strong BolCompany, and one platoon of Canadian shevist offensive was started against artillery, were detailed for the capture the Allied positions between the Archof Kodish. The attacking forces num- angel railway and the Dvina River. bered 450; the Russian defenders were Company A, 339th Infantry, with a plaestimated to have 2,700 Infantry and toon of the 310th Engineers, a platoon four pieces of artillery. At 6.00 a. m., of Canadian artillery, a detachment on New Year's Day, 1919, the attack of British signal troops and several was launched. By 1.00 p. m. Kodish units of loyal Russian Infantry and was under Allied control. artillery held the town of Ust Padenga. An advance to Kochmas was imme- The position was in the form of a "V," diately ordered. The road, for 15 miles, 'the 4th Platoon of Company A holding was vigorously defended by the Bol- 'the right flank of the position at Nijni sheviks. Nightfall found the combat- Gora, Russian troops occupying the ants locked in a desperate fight. Two left flank at Ust Padenga, and complatoons of Companies E and K, sup- pany headquarters, with the remaining ported by two guns from the Machine three platoons and artillery holding Gun Company, held the advanced positions. The fight of 100 men against a force estimated at 2,000, was one of the most brilliant in the annals of the North Russian Expedition. Although strategically untenable, orders were received to hold Kodish at all costs. The men dug in. Suffering from cold, hunger and fatigue was intense. Trench mortars clogged repeatedly with snow the base of the "V" at Netsvetiofskaya. At dawn on January 19, the Red artillery opened on the American position at Nijni Gora. Under the attack of an overwhelming Russian advance, the forward section of the platoon withdrew to the support line, fighting from house to house through the streets of the town. The united platoon then began a precarious with The North Russian Expedition 17 drawal to the main company position. Floundering waist deep in snow across a plain 800 yards in width and destitute of all cover, 40 men of the original strength of 47, fell dead or wounded. During the night of the 19th, the loyal Russians at Ust Padenga also withdrew to the main position. At 10.00 p. m. on the 22d, orders were received to withdraw to Shenkursk, about 12 miles to the rear, where larger forces of Allied troops were stationed. After a difficult and fatiguing night march, Shenkursk was reached late in the evening of the 23d. Here the Allied Force was united with the garrison of the town, which consisted of Company C, 339th Infantry, several companies of loyal Russian volunteers, and some units of Canadian artillery. It became apparent immediately that the town could not be held. There was grave danger that all lines of communication would be cut in the direction of Beresniki, over 100 miles distant, the force at Shenkursk annihilated, and the rear of Company B at Tulgas exposed. A hasty mounted reconnaissance disclosed a difficult and winding trail, still free from the enemy. Before midnight of the 23d, the exhausted men of Company A were aroused and directed to prepare for the journey. The artillery, preceded by mounted Cossacks, led the retreat, and by 1:00 a. m., the Infantry was under way, Companies A and C forming the rear guard. The trail was cut into countless holes and pitfalls by the wheels of the guns, and the doughboys floundered along as best they might in the intense darkness and bitter cold. All that night and all the next day the march continued. At 5.00 o'clock in the afternoon of the 24th, the weary column arrived in Shegovari, garrisoned by Company D. At 5.00 p. m. on the 25th, retreat on Beresniki was resumed by the entire Allied force. At midnight the column halted at Vistavaka and prepared to defend the position. Barbed wire was erected in front of the lines, but the frozen soil defied all efforts to construct field works. The situation here remained unchanged until early in March. The garrison consisted of Companies C and D, 339th Infantry, and detachments of British troops. During the Bolshevik offensive, Companies A and F of the 339th Infantry held the position across the Vaga River at Maximovskaya, while the third unit of the defenses was garrisoned by loyal Russians at Yeveevskaya. The constant shelling during the six weeks of the occupation of these positions had levelled the towns to ruins. Losses by death and disease reduced the effective strength of the defenders to a little over 400 men. On March 5 the Russians in a strong attack, supported by a barrage of heavy artillery, succeeded in completely surrounding the town. After two attempts, a loyal Russian relief column forced its way to the beleaguered garrison and brought a sadly needed supply of ammunition and rations. On the night of March 20, Vistavaka and its surrounding defenses were evacuated and a new position taken up, two miles south of Kitsa, which was held for the remainder of the campaign. OTHER PARTS OF THE FRONT It had been deemed advisable to reinforce the two platoons of Company G at Pinega on the extreme left flank 18 The North Russian Expedition........ of the Allied lines in December. Company M at Oberskaya was sent to make the perilous march of 150 miles on December 18. The 1st and 4th Platoons of the company, guarding a sledge train, completed the trip in nine days. With the thermometer at forty degrees below zero, the remaining two platoons followed, completing the trip even more rapidly than the other platoons. Early in March, upon the arrival of the news of Russian success on the Kodish and Vaga River fronts, the force was withdrawn. Meanwhile, on the other end of the 400 mile crescent of defense, Company H was holding the Onega valley. December and January were spent in almost constant combat patrol activity. Company headquarters were moved to Chekuevo in March, it being necessary now to patrol the trail daily from this town to Oberskaya on the railroad, over which mail, supplies and reinforcements were received. Until the middle of March, this patrolling was without incident, but the scouts who left Chekuevo on March 16 unexpectedly ran into a great force of the enemy at Bolsheozerki (Bolshi-Ozerski) and were captured. This was the force that had just annihilated a Franco-Russian detachment holding the town, and was the first intimation which the Allied Command received that their communications and flanks were seriously threatened. On March 18 and again on the 19th, strong American forces were dispatched to develop the Red positions. It was still believed that the enemy's force in the town was an unusually strong raiding party, which could easily be driven out. In reality, the Russians had in the neighborhood of 4,000 troops in position to threaten not only the Allied troops at Onega, but also the stronger forces along the railroad. Because of the danger that had been threatening the command at Archangel, the Murmansk force had been ordered on January 30 to reinforce Archangel with an Infantry battalion and half a machine gun company, part to proceed by icebreaker and the remainder by march route through Onega. The second half of the machine gun company and another Infantry battalion were ordered to Archangel on February 10 and 19, respectively. ALARM FELT OVER THE SITUATION Exaggerated reports of the Bolshevist offensive and the Allied withdrawal from Shenkursk created much alarm in England and the United States. It was feared, and not without some justification, that the Allied troops might be overwhelmed and captured or destroyed. It was clear that a great improvement had taken place both in Bolshevist morale and leadership, due doubtless to active participation by Germans or Austrians. The line of communications with Archangel during the season when ice closed the port, followed the Murmansk railroad to the shore of the White Sea and then overland and by ice breakers to Archangel. Therefore, if the Bolshevist offensive kept up and the reinforcement of the Archangel forces became necessary the railroad line from Murmansk became of the utmost importance. The British general staff decided that a reinforcement of about 1,400 technical troops for the Murmansk force could keep open the communications with Archangel. The United States was requested to send, and acquiesced, in the dispatch of 720 railway The North Russian Expedition -19 troops, consisting of one operating and one maintenance company. At the same time, Brig. Gen. W. P. Richardson was sent out to take command of the American Forces in North Russia. The reinforcements reached Murmansk April 8, 1919. General Richardson and party continued on to Archangel, where they arrived on April 17. THE BATTLE OF BOLSHEOZERKI With the idea of driving the Allies from their advanced positions before aid could reach them by water, the Bolshevists renewed their attack and on March 31-April 2 was fought the outstanding engagement of the North Russian campaign, the Battle of Bolsheozerki. The Russians had driven a threatening wedge between the Allied positions on the Onega and their positions on the railroad front. Success at this point would probably have resulted in the capture of Archangel itself and the possible annihilation of the entire North Russian Expedition. The seriousness of the situation was at once apparent and General Ironside took personal command. Companies I and E, 339th Infantry, were hurried out from Archangel. Company M, just withdrawn from Pinega, was dispatched, as well as were a company of Russian volunteers, a Russian machine gun company and two platoons of Yorks. One platoon of Company C, 310th Engineers, assisted in the throwing up of hasty entrenchments. All available artillery was hurried forward. On March 31 and April 1 the Reds hurled themselves in vain against the Americans. It became apparent that the Russian drive would be made against the railroad front. Company H on the other side of the Russian wedge made a supreme effort to create a diversion. Two platoons of the company joined in the initial attack on April 2, at daybreak. A company of British Infantry, advancing on the Allied left, soon found itself in difficulties, and Phillip's platoon of Americans was sent in to support it. By 9.00 a. m. the British troops had been driven from the field, and the second platoon of Company H was sent in to stem a heavy Russian counterattack. A British support company was rushed to the assistance of the hard-pushed Americans. A detachment of Polish machine guns assisted in the defense for a time, but was soon driven from the fight. The thin line of Allies held to the ground won all the remainder of the afternoon, and at dusk withdrew their lines to sheltered positions in the rear. At 3.00 a. m. on April 2, the Reds attacked the railroad positions, with 7,000 Infantry. The Allies repulsed the drive and slept on their arms that night. A second, but weaker, attack was repulsed on the following day. The Russians, hammered on one flank by Company H and repulsed in front by the heroic defense of the railroad, made no further advance against the American positions. In fact their Bol s h e o z e r k i column retired to Shileksa. In the Murmansk district preparations had been completed for an Allied advance southward along the line of the Murmansk railway toward Petrozavodsk, on Lake Onega, to start on May 1. This was carried out with good success, the operation ending on May 21, 1919, with the capture of Medvejiya Gora. The rapid advance down the Murmansk railway spread terror 20 _ The North Russian Expedition through the Bolshevist forces. Together with the northern movement of Admiral Kolchak's forces it relieved pressure on the entire North Russian front. AMERICANS WITHDRAW The withdrawal of American troops that had been under consideration for some time, was now completed. Company F was safely withdrawn across the ice of the Vaga on April 19. Com A temporary embarkation camp was established at Economia, where troops of the far-flung battle fronts were assembled, deloused, stripped of Russian equipment and prepared for the trip home. Beginning on the 3d of June, the American Expedition sailed in several detachments, the first of which arrived in New York on June 30, and the remainder during the early days of July. Awarding Decorations to Americans of the Forces in North Russia Nine American officers and 13 enlisted men were awarded the French croix de guerre at this formation on May 16, 1919, on the Railway Front. Brig. Gen. W. P. Richardson, commanding the American Forces, made the presentation. In the background the troops were: Hqrs. Co., Cos. I and M, and Mortar Platoon, 339th Inf., and the 337th Field Hospital panics B and C were relieved from Tulgas and Kurgomin early in April. Company K steamed out of Kholmogori in the latter part of May and Companies G, L, M, I and E, in the order named, were relieved from the railroad front at about the same time. Company F, the last to get into action during the preceding fall, had the distinction of being the last American unit to be, withdrawn to Archangel, this on June 5. The railway troops followed in July. The 1st Battalion, 310th Engineers, h^1 played no small part in the success of the expedition. They constructed emplacements and field works of all kinds, operated railroad trains, manufactured m a p s, constructed bridges and at times served as reserve units for the fighting forces themselves. T h e y accomplished a tremendous amount of work. The American North Russian Expeditionary Forces lost a total of 8 officers, 217 men, killed in action, died of The North Russian Expedition 21 wounds, or died of disease. Their officers and men were awarded a total of 188 decorations for valor in action: 72 to officers and 116 to enlisted men. These decorations were awarded by the American, French, British and Russian governments. LATER DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH RUSSIA The British now entered into the expedition on a larger scale. On May 26, 5,200 reinforcements arrived at Archangel, on June 6, 1,600 more debarked, and on June 20, they were joined by a force of 7,800 men. Headquarters of the Archangel Expedition were moved to Beresniki (junction of Vaga and Dvina Rivers) on June 21 in order to be closer to the scene of a new offensive soon to begin along the Dvina River with Kotlas as an objective. The British planned to have all of their troops out of North Russia by November, whether or not junctions with Kolchak's forces could be effected by that time. The operations were delayed from the start by low water in the river and difficulty of transport. By the middle of July the situation had changed considerably. Friendly Russian troops revolted, killing their officers in some instances, and joined the Bolshevist army. Kolchak meanwhile far from reaching Viatka and Kotlas, had been driven out of Perm. Much uneasiness now arose throughout the Archangel area due to the fear of a general uprising of the populace in favor of the Bolshevists. To offset this state of affairs, the British executed a double envelopment of the Bolshevist positions by both banks of the Dvina. This prompt action, executed on August 10, practically destroyed the advanced Bolshevik forces on the Dvina, steadied public sentiment, and permitted the British to withdraw unmolested from Archangel by September 27, 1919. The Allied strength in the Archangel area reached its peak in September, 1919, at which time General Ironside had under his command 11,000 British and 19,000 Russian troops. Murmansk was evacuated on October 12, 1919, by 5,000 British, 1,400 French and Serbian, and 7,000 Russian troops. The provisional government of North Russia, set up at the time of Allied intervention, decided to defend Archangel after the withdrawal of the British troops. It held out against the Bolshevists until February 20, 1920. As a result of this expedition there appears to have been little, if any, effect on the Central Powers that can be traced to the presence of Allied troops in North Russia. Notwithstanding the fears of the British Admiralty no indications have been learned of German attempts or plans to establish submarine bases at the northern ports. Of course, these ports if unoccupied would have been a constant menace, therefore their control by the Allies was necessary. The German-Finnish threat to the Murmansk railway came after the British landed at Murmansk and was a 'purely defensive move on Germany's part to forestall Allied attempts to reach Petrograd. What might have happened had intervention not taken place is only a matter of conjecture. The Custer Division in the World War ITH feverish haste in July of 1917, there was constructed at Camp Custer, Michigan, a cantonment to house the 85th National Army Division, known as the Custer Division. Before the camp was completed the division commander, Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman, his staff, and the cadre of officers had arrived. Officially the division came into being on August 3, 1917, but not until August 29 did the company officers report from the training camp at Fort Sheridan, Ill., and on September 5 the first contingent of draftees was received by them for organization. Organization and training began at once despite the lack of material and the incompleteness of the camp. The discarded Krag-Jorgensen rifles were collected and issued for drill purposes, for no others were available in the quantity needed to arm the forces that America was raising. On September 19 another large quota of draftees, who like the officers and the previously arrived group hailed from Michigan and Wisconsin, reported to the camp and they were soon fitted into the organization, and the division was then better prepared to go ahead with the programs of instruction. The principal units of the division were the following: 169th and 170th Infantry Brigades, 160th Field Artillery Brigade, 310th Engineers, 310th Field Signal Battalion, 328th Machine Gun Battalion, and the Trains. Training pp r o g r e s s e d favorably through the fall, but as the severe winter set in the handicap was felt by those responsible for the fitness of the 22 division to take its place on the Western Front. As in all divisions, schools for officers, for noncommissioned officers and privates were held daily. The division toiled in earnest. Rumors were about that the division would be a replacement unit but this was not evidenced by the character of the training that was preparing it for a combined fighting unit. In June of 1918, the division knew definitely that it was going to France, and it received several thousand replacements from Camp Grant, Ill., and Camp Taylor, Ky. At full strength, the command was soon en route, the major portion of the troops landing in England in the latter part of July. Decision had already been reached by the American Government to participate in the North Russian Expedition, and soon after the landing the 85th Division had instructions to furnish the American contingent. Upon arrival in England on August 3, 1918, the 339th Infantry, together with the 1st Battalion, 310th Engineers, the 337th Field Hospital and 337th Ambulance Company, were detached and designated as a part of the Allied Force operating in North Russia under British command. With subsequent replacements, numbering approximately 5,500 men, and under the command of Col. George E. Stewart, the expedition, from this time on to be known as the American North Russian Expeditionary torces, was hastily reoutfitted for the climate and warfare of the Arctic, and sailed from Neweastle-on-Tyne on August 25. The participation of this detachmeit in the Custef er D ivisioi on i n the World War 23 North Russian theatre is described in another article in this issue. IN FRANCE From this time on it was certain that the 85th Division was not to participate in combat as a complete unit, and, as was the case with many divisions, was a keen disappointment to all the personnel. On arrival in France in August, about one month after departure from Camp Custer, the division, less its detachment to Russia and its artillery brigade, proceeded to the training area in the Department of Cher. The artillery was sent to Coetquidon for continuation of its instruction. Demands were made upon the Infantry regiments for replacements soon after their arrival in the training area. Detachments were sent from time to time, while in October the artillery was attached to other units, the 328th Field Artillery to the 92d Division; the 329th to the Fourth Corps; and the regiment of heavies, the 330th, to the Second Corps. The 328th and 329th Regiments participated in defensive sector occupation from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11. The 310th Field Signal Battalion was detached August 20 and assigned to the Fourth Corps at Toul, and it participated in the St. Mihiel Offensive, September 12 to 16, and the occupation of the Toul Sector until the Armistice, when it marched to Germany with the Third Army. The 310th Engineers, less the 1st Battalion in Russia, joined the Fifth Corps on September 10, and it participated in the St. Mihiel and MeuseArgonne offensives, and later served in the Army of Occupation. For administrative purposes it was joined with the 1st Battalion of the 602d Engineers, and the unit was known as the 310th-602d Provisional Engineer Regiment. On October 30 the division, less its detached units, was transferred to the Second Army and became a regional replacement depot. Its elements were stationed in various parts of the Second Army Area, where they remained until assembled for return home. Division headquarters and most of the units arrived in New York on March 30. During April these were demobilized at Camp Custer. In the Infantry regiments only a small proportion of those who had left for France returned with them for demobilization. Many of the original Custer Division had made the supreme sacrifice with other combat divisions for whom they had been replacements. While the necessity for detachment of units and for replacements was necessary under the circumstances, and the 85th Division had to forego its identity as a combat division, its units and its individuals gave excellent accounts of themselves in the varied and often onerous tasks they were called upon to perform. COMMANDERS The commanders of the division were successively: Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman, Aug. 17 to Nov. 24, 1917; Brig. Gen. S. W. Miller, Nov. 24 to Dec. 13, 1917; Maj. Gen. James Parker, Dec. 13, 1917, to Feb. 21, 1918; Maj. Gen. Chase W. Kennedy, Feb. 21, to Dec. 23, 1918; Brig. Gen. George D. Moore, Dec. 23 to Dec. 31, 1918. The 169th Infantry Brigade was commanded, successively, by Brig. Gen. B. C. Morse, Brig. Gen. T. B, Dugan, CoL B. W. Atkinson and Brig. Gen. G. D. Moore; the 170th Infantry Bri 24 Custer Division in the World War gade by Brig. Gen. J. A. Penn and Brig. Gen. B. W. Atkinson; the 160th F. A. Brigade by Brig. Gen. J. E. McMahon, Brig. Gen. Guy H. Preston and Col. F. E. Hopkins. Upon organization of the 337 Infantry, Col. W. C. Short was placed in. command and he had as his assistants Lieut. Col. Raymond Sheldon and Majs. G. W. Harris and E. J. Moran of the Regular Army. Later regimental commanders were: Cols. Robert H. Allen and B. W. Atkinson. The 338th Infantry had assigned as its first commander Col. Frank L. Wells and Lieut. Col. J. K. Parsons and Majs. S. A. Harris and F. L. Sword were the original field officers. Lieut. Col. Douglas A. Potts, Major Harris, Lieut. Col. G. E. Ball and Col. Daniel G. Berry were successively the commanders of the regiment. The 339th Infantry was commanded by Col. J. W. Craig until June 15, 1918, and Col. G. E. Stewart commanded it until mustered out. Col. J. S. Parker commanded the 340th Infantry until'Sept. 22, 1918, and Col. G. E. Ball until demobilization. The successive commanders of other units were: 328th F. A., Cols. F. E. Hopkins and C. M. Seaman; 329th F. A., Col. T. Campbell; 330th F. A., Lieut. Col. R. T. Ellis, Col. H. E. Cloke and Col. J. F. Barnes; 310th Engineers, Col. W. G. Caples; 310th F. S. Bn., Maj. E. 0. Baker. A View of a Section of the City of Archangel Headquarters of 85th Division Troops in Russia in 1918-19 The 85th Division, 1921 -1926 HE post-war history of the 85th Division commences on October 1, 1921, when it was reconstituted as a part of the Army of the United States, in conformity with the National Defense Act of 1920. A board of officers decided upon the allocation of the various units of the division within the State of Michigan, and these allocations, with minor changes, have been maintained. In accordance with existing policy, the various regiments and similar units, in so far as they existed in war-strength tables or organization, were allotted the same numerical designations as during the World War. Headquarters were established as follows: Detroit85th Division 170th Infantry Brigade 160th Field Artillery Brigade Special Troops 310th Engineers 310th Medical Regiment Division Air Service 339th Infantry 328th Field Artillery. Grand Rapids- 169th Infantry Brigade 337th Infantry. Lansing338th Infantry. Saginaw340th Infantry Division Quartermaster Train. Col. Thomas J. Powers, Inf., was the first chief of staff of the division. Assisted by Capt. Thomas G. Cherry, Inf., who joined in December, 1921, Colonel Powers took most effective steps in establishing the division. There were many unassigned Reserve officers of all grades and arms of the service in Michigan and the immediate need was to build up the division in commissioned personnel. Though working with an inadequate clerical force and in undesirable quarters, rapid progress was made and great interest created among Reserve officers in the State. Additional Regular officers and enlisted men were assigned in 1923, and by midsummer of that year the first of the regiments of the division was brought up to strength in commissioned personnel. The summer of 1923 likewise marked the first date on which regiments of the division were ordered to active duty as units in summer camps. Under varying conditions which existed throughout the State of Michigan, it is natural to find that the upbuilding and training of the various elements of the division were varied. Tracing of post-war history of the division itself is therefore difficult and a clearer conception may be had of it by an examination of the separate histories of the various sub-units. DIVISION STAFF The division staff was assembled for two weeks in April, 1926, for their first tour of active duty training. A resume of this training by Maj. Russell V. Venable, Inf., A. C., of S. G-3, 85th Division, is to be found in another article of this edition. The staff will again be assembled for active duty training at Camp Custer July 5-19, 1926. Col. Raymond Sheldon, Inf., is the present chief of staff; Maj. Russell V. Venable, Inf., G-3, and Capt. Donald A. Stroh, Inf., adjutant, G-4 and acting G-1. 25 26 The 85th Division, 192 1-1926 SPECIAL TROOPS Due to diversification which exists among the sub-units which make up the special troops of a division, little opportunity for cohesive training activities is possible. Only a handful of officers is assigned to each of the various companies, most of whom are of different arms of the service, and it has been found very difficult to give them team training. The 85th Division Signal Company and the 310th Ordnance Company will receive their first active duty training during the present summer. The former will be at Fort Sheridan, Ill., with the Citizens' Military Training Camps, July 25-August 8. The 310th Ordnance Company will go to Camp Grayling, Mich., August 7-21, for associate training with the 32d Division, Michigan National Guard. Lieut. Col. Leslie N. Conger, Inf. Res., commands the Special Troops. Maj. Russell V. Venable, Inf., is executive officer. 337TH INFANTRY This organization was one of the first to receive training as a unit, attending a general camp at Camp Custer, Mich., in the summer of 1924. Its personnel is scattered over the entire western half of Michigan, including the Upper Peninslila, and it is practically impossible to assemble its officers for inactive duty training as a unit. The 337th Infantry will be the ay Infantry unit of the division to recer active duty training during the present summer. From July 4 to 18, fifty of its oficers will be on duty at Camp Custer for training with the C. M. T. C. Lieut. Col. Arthur F. Shaw is the commanding officer, and Capt. Lucian D. Bogan, Inf., the executive officer. 338~T INFANTRY On October 7, 1921, Maj. A. D. Cowley, Inf., arrived in Lansing and proceeded with the establishment of the regiment. Col. J. C. McCullough, veteran of the 32d Division, was assigned as its first commanding officer. In December, 1921, Major Cowley called a meeting of all the Infantry Reserve officers at his office in Lansing for the purpose of organizing units of the regiment in and about that city. In January, 1922, similar meetings were held at Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. Colonel McCullough, together with the battalion commanders, and Major Cowley, went energetically about the organization and as a result the 338th was the first Infantry unit of the division to obtain the complete assignment of officers. During July, 1924, forty-five officers of the regiment attended the general camp at Camp Custer. This was the first gathering of the members of the regiment as a complete unit. The 1924 camp was a splendid success and it is believed that the 338th was the largest Reserve unit in camp. In August, 1925, the regiment was again called to active duty and was superimposed upon the 3d Battalion, 6th Infantry, at Camp Custer. During the school year 1925-1926, troop schools were established at Lansing, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Jackson, for the personnel of the regiment. With the exception of the Lansing school, these were conducted by officers of the regiment itself. As now organized, the regiment has units in fourteen towns, extending from Behton Harbor to Ann Arbor, and from Owosso to Three Rivers. All T h e 8 5 t h Division, 192 1- 1926 27 of its field officers and captains, 80 per cent of its first lieutenants, and 25 per cent of the second lieutenants have had commissioned service in the World War. Col. Jay C. McCullough commands the regiment, with First Lieut. Zane I. Adair, Inf., as executive officer. 339TH INFANTRY This regiment is the only Infantry unit in the Division to be entirely al in Detroit on November 11, 1923. The first meeting of the present regimental officers was held at Fort Wayne on November 20, 1923, followed by five other meetings throughout the winter. On December 6, a regimental pistol team captured first place among Reserve regiments in a match at Fort Wayne. In August, 1924, the regiment was ordered to Camp Custer as a unit and served for two weeks under its own 85th Division Officers in Memorial Day Parade, 1926 Front row, left to right: Col. Raymond Sheldon, chief of staff; Capt. D. A. Stroh, adjutant; Brig. Gen. E. G. Heckel, commander of 170th Brigade; Maj. R. V. Venable, G-3; Maj. H. W. Stuckey, executive, 310th Med. Regt. The colors of the 339th Infantry are carried by members of the Detroit High Schools located to one city and has, therefore, an advantage in matters of organization and training. By the summer of 1923 the regiment was up to strength in official personnel. At this time a stand of colors was issued to the regiment by the War Department, which received their official baptism when they were carried by members of the regiment in the Armistice Day parade officers, assisting in the training of over three thousand students at Citizens' Military Training Camps. Regimental meetings continued at frequent intervals during 1924-25. Two successful regimental dances were held. The regimental pistol team again defeated all the other Reserve teams in a match at Selfridge Field in June, 1925. In September, 1925, the 28 lThe 85th Division, 1921-1.926 regiment was again honored by being selected to attend its own camp at Selfridge Field. There it functioned for two weeks as if actually mobilized to meet a major emergency. Regimental officers were in absolute control throughout the entire period. Col. George W. Blackinton is the commanding officer, and Capt. Donald A. Stroh, Inf., the executive officer. 340TH INFANTRY The 340th Infantry is allocated to eastern Michigan, with headquarters at Saginaw. Its post-war activities have been seriously impaired by the fact that its officers are scattered throughout a wide area, most of which has insufficient transportation facilities. The regiment attended camp as a unit at Camp Custer in the summer of 1925. Col. C. F. Von dem Bussche has recently been assigned as commanding officer; Lieut. Col. Collin H. Ball, Inf., is executive officer. 328TH FIELD ARTILLERY This regiment is also allocated entirely to Wayne County (Detroit). It has been one of the most active of the division units, with active duty at Camp Custer in 1924 and at Camp Sparta, Wisconsin, in 1925. Under the leadership of Lieut. Col. Harold S. Baker, the regimental commander, a high esprit has been developed. The regiment holds frequent assemblies and has its own regimental coat-of-arms. Capt. Edmund C. Fleming,'F. A.j is the regimental executive. 329TH FIELD ARTILLERY The 329th Field Artillery is widely scattered over western Michigan. A change in the allocation of many bat teries of this unit from the Upper to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in the summer of 1925, has made organization and training difficult.- The regiment went to camp for the first time as a unit in 1925. Maj. Orla G. Miller now commands the regiment, with Capt. Edmund C. Fleming, F. A., as executive officer. 310TH AMMUNITION TRAIN The personnel of the 310th Ammunition Train, allocated to northwestern Michigan, has taken an active leadership in all local affairs. Since its organization, its officers have always taken the lead in patriotic events, including Decoration Day programs, Fourth of July celebrations, Defense Test Days. On the Defense Test Day in 1924, 319 registrations were secured for the 310th Ammunition Train. In 1925, nearly 200 were signed up. These registrations were secured at Crystal Falls, a community of about 5,000 inhabitants. Maj. August Kroon has recently been assigned to command; Capt. Edmund C. Fleming, F. A., is executive officer. 310TH ENGINEERS (COMBAT) This regiment is one of the four in the division allocated to Detroit. With its proud war traditions behind it, of service in Russia as well as in France, the regiment is carrying on in excellent fashion. It attended.Camp Custer as a unit in 1924 and 1925. Unit assemblies of its officers are held at frequent intervals throughout the periods of inactive duty training and are noted as being among the largest attended of any similar meeting of Reserve regiments in Michigan. Col. J. Vinton Birch, assisted by an active and com The 8 5th D ivision, l 92 1 -1 9 26 29. $. petent staff, has put his regiment among the leaders of the United States. Capt. Donald A. Stroh, Inf., is acting executive officer. 310TH MEDICAL REGIMENT This organization is the fourth allocated to Detroit. The problems involved in the training of a medical regiment are different from those encountered in a line organization, inasmuch as most of its members are of the medical profession and hence find their evenings necessarily taken up with their professional duties. An encouraging proportion of its officers have attended two active duty camps at Fort Snelling, Minn. Col. B. R. Shurly commands this unit, with Maj. Harrison W. Stuckey, M. C., executive officer. DIVISION QUARTERMASTER TRAIN Widely scattered over central Michigan, it has been found impossible to bring together any large number of officers for training and it has not yet -attended a summer camp of instruction. The allocation of many of its sub-units has recently been changed, which has also interferred seriously with its activities. Maj. Harry E. Walsworth is in command; Lieut. Col. Collin H. Ball, Inf., is acting executive officer. DIVISION AIR SERVICE Allocated entirely to the city of Detroit, this organization numbers among its personnel many leaders in the rapidly growing aviation industry in the City of the Straits. Frequent assemblies have been held during the past winter and a high esprit has been developed. The 310th Observation Squadron will be on active duty for the first time at Chanute Field from August 1-15, 1926. It is planned to train 21 officers and two enlisted men at this time. Maj. Floyd E. Evans is -in command; First Lieut. Donald R. Goodrich, A. S., is executive officer. Dr. Frank Crane Says: The trouble with the nations of the old world is that soldiering has been a profession and the army has been an exclusive class. Out of this condition of things has come the skeptic idea that patriotism means, somehow, only fighting and killing. When we get an army that shall be co-terminous with citizenry, when every man and woman realizes that every citizen 's supreme duty is to the nation and to humanity, and not to self, then we are going to begin to see that patriotism is something that is not called for only in time of war, but is useful every day in time of peace. We shall then perceive that all business should be as patriotic as fighting. Preparedness: The Guarantee of Peace By Lieutenant Colonel 0. P. Robinson, Infantry N intelligent discussion of the subject makes necessary an understanding of what war is, what brings it about, why nations do not always settle their differences amicably and why special measures are necessary to insure or guarantee peace in the family of nations. In their intercourse with each other all nations have well determined policies. History shows that in the development and maintenance of these policies nations have been guided not by any broad abstract principle but by self interest. When the national policies of two or more na- Our Preside tions come into such stantly war direct and violent op- pie that pr position t h a t both necessary n feel that a with- s essfl co drawal from the posi- but more tion taken will affect means of pr vitally their national honor or interest, all peaceable measures fail and war follows. War, therefore, is a continuation of policy. The means of putting policy into effect only has changed from peaceful diplomacy to force. The nation's armed force steps in and takes the place of the diplomat. The United States, like all other nations, has its policies. From our point of view none of our policies are aggressive in character; yet we are an aggressive nation commercially, and no less an authority than Mr. Hughes, our exSecretary of State, has said in substance that when our interests are concerned we are just as unmovable as 380 any nation. Some of the well known policies of the United States are the Monroe Doctrine, the Freedom of the Seas, the Open Door in China, etc. To defend her policies the United States has, several times, been forced to resort to war or to a threat of war. In defense of the Monroe Doctrine we forced France in 1867 to abandon her attempt to colonize Mexico. Mr. Cleveland, while President, threatened war on Great Britain if she attempted to force her boundary claim on Venezuela. The United States nts have conned our peoeparedness is ot only for induct of war often as a eventing war was forced into the World War in 1917 by German attacks on her policies: namely, the Zimmerman note, an attempted violation of the Monroe Doctrine; and the unrestricted submarine warfare, an attack on the policy of the Freedom of the Seas. To insure the Freedom of the Seas, we made war in 1801 on the Barbary States in North Africa and again in 1812 for the same purpose we made war on Great Britain. Our commercial agencies claim as their vested right the privilege of trading, in the world's markets and our people strongly resent anything savoring of unfair methods in foreign commerce. The recent manipulation of the rubber market, while a small matter, created quite a little sensation in our commercial life. The United States has, adopted a definite policy that the European