By James Patton
The following is an extract from the History of the 353rd Infantry Regiment 89th Division, National Army September 1917–June 1919 by Capt. Charles F. Dienst and associates, published by the 353rd Infantry Society in 1921. It has been extensively edited for length, style, and clarity. [Editor's Note: Most of the photos included in Part 4 are generic AEF images, not specific to the 353rd Infantry.]
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40 hommes 8 chevaux
The Transport to the Training Area |
From 21 June to 5 August the 89th Division was transported to a training area in eastern France known as the Rimaucourt Sector (Map Below). The 353rd Infantry was assigned to a subsector called the Reynel Training Area in three camps around different villages, one for each battalion of the regiment. Their training regime was the same, but the men had slightly different expeiences and memories of this period of their service.
The 353rd's First Battalion:
The First Battalion entrained at Manois, and Colonel Reeves made his HQ with them, so every evening the band gave concerts of popular American selections, and La Marsellaise.
The schedule was doubly strenuous. Scarcity of open ground meant that the drill field had to be on a high bluff. The march uphill twice a day in the hot sun with tin hats and full packs was more than a day's work in itself; at first, many fell out.
July brought the long-awaited payday. The men learned that a franc was worth only 19 cents. Now they could buy fresh fruit and some vin rouge, and these purchases always included French lessons.
The First was honored to be called to represent the 89th Division at the July 14th parade in Chaumont. It was 18 dusty miles to Chaumont in the hot sun, so they wore campaign hats and only undershirts. En route a staff officer ordered them to put on blouses. "Under no conditions would American soldiers appear in France without complete uniform!" Once there they traded in their canvas leggings and campaign hats for spiral puttees and over-seas caps. The occasion itself could be depended upon to produce the required military bearing.
Accommodations were far better than at Manois, including real baths. Everybody bought razor blades and welcomed a change from [the issue] Bull Durham tobacco. The Y. M. C. A. had a good canteen, with real American girls serving. Canny French shopkeepers had stocked up on over-seas caps, but most were too small.
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First Battalion–Manois; Second Battalion–St. Blin;
Third Battalion–Rimaucourt;
AEF GHQ at Chaumont off Map, 18 Miles SW of Manois |
The big day was bright and hot, and the men ditched their undershirts. The formation was carefully planned. As the streets were narrow, companies marched in column of platoons of two squads each. The battalion was well up to war strength of 1,000 men, and the men were at their best. An artillery band led the way between the lines of people. At the command, "Eyes Right," each man "turned his head toward the right oblique and fixed his eyes" as nearly as possible on Pershing, who was favorably impressed. Three weeks to the day, the 89th Division was called to the front.
While on the return journey the following day, word came from Andelot that coffee would be served there. Thus came into the life of the regiment, Y.M.C.A. volunteers “Mother” Fitzgerald and Miss Heermance. It later became impossible to tell whether they belonged to the regiment or whether the regiment belonged to them. During seven long weeks of heavy campaigning, they stuck to their posts near Bouillonville, Beney, and Gesnes and served hot chocolate and coffee day in and day out without even removing a shoe, until Colonel Reeves ordered them to rest.
On the march the men suffered from lack of water. They were limited to one canteen for the trip, as training for the trenches. It was hot, and the canteens were soon empty so they broke ranks at a fountain, disregarding the sign "Condemned Water."
Back at Manois, the men were "rewarded" by General Order Number 9:
In Conversing with numerous members of the newly arrived troops, Companies "A," "B," "C," and "D" of the 353rd Infantry, it was ascertained that they are only too willing to impart information. Full details were obtained of their trip across the Atlantic, their wretched stay of ten days in England, crossing the channel on a destroyer and an encounter enroute [sic]. The name of their camp at Manois, the conditions there (bad water, fair food, not paid for several months, etc.), were discussed freely between themselves. It was further ascertained that they had not been directed to refrain discussing military matters.
Any violation of the above paragraph in the future will be followed by the most stringent disciplinary measures.
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| Bayonet Practice |
The men fairly tore up the dummies with their bayonets. Some were still afraid of grenades, but fear only helped them to throw farther. No one was able to make high score with the Chauchat [rifle]. The targets looked like they had been hit by shrapnel; yet the men insisted they had aimed and held the same for each shot. The French instructors said that this dispersion was more destructive to the enemy’s morale than direct hits, but the soldiers were never satisfied and distrusted the Chauchat in campaigns. More attention was now paid to extended formations than in the past.
The final training was nine miles away, in the trench system at Dome Fé. The battalion took its place in the outpost line in support and reserve. Each man carried his own equipment and the kitchens followed. Reliefs were made conscientiously. Actual demonstrations of raid and patrol helped to clear up the theoretical instruction that had been received.
The 353rd's Second Battalion
At 1 o'clock in the moonlight on June 25th, 1918, the Second Battalion train pulled up "somewhere in France." The men rolled up their equipment, slung packs and formed in a column of squads. The question was, "What is the name of this place?" "Gare," it was said, but the billeting officer Second Battalion: At 1 o'clock in the moonlight on June 25th, 1918, the Second Battalion train pulled up "somewhere in France." The men rolled up their equipment, slung packs and formed in a column of squads. The question was, "What is the name of this place?" "Gare," it was said, but the billeting officer explained that was French for depot; the billets were in St. Blin.
After placing guards on the baggage, they marched to the narrow winding streets of St. Blin. The billeting officer showed the way to the low wooden barracks, with hay-filled double-decker bunks, and the men were counted out a hundred to a building. Meanwhile trucks had delivered rations and field stoves, so the mess cooks had breakfast waiting when morning came—the first American rations since the states. Some of the barrack bags had arrived, but word was received that all "freight" had been “salvaged” at the base port. Thus most of the personal baggage had been lost, and the word "salvage" came into their vocabulary.
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| The Kitchen at One of the Division's Camps |
Everybody turned out after breakfast to see the village, situated at the foot of a big hill. A little stream fed by springs rippled through. They learned that all of the young men were at the front and the young women in the munition factory of a nearby city. The men could scarcely believe that the pleasant Madame who sold the vin rouge had lost her husband and three brothers at Verdun.
They saw a strange group of laborers. At first they were taken for German prisoners, but there were no guards and they weren’t speaking German. It was learned that they were Russians. Serving in France when Russia dropped out of the war they were now employed at building roads and air fields. Some of them wore red kepis and scraps of old French uniforms.
The men were told that they had six weeks to get ready for a place in the line. Since the Second had been hit hard by transfers, many were recent additions who had not even had a full week's drill.
Work began on the following day at 5:15 a. m. The grueling schedule was timed to the minute. The drill ground was two miles away. When there the men engaged in attacking formations, specialist training, gas defense, preparation of strong points, and lots of drill.
Occasionally there was a ten-mile march made in the evening. The men would bivouac for the night, then resume training on the bivouac ground before the return march.
On 10 July, Division HQ issued the following:
It is important that time which is now lost during the hours of drill while soldiers are at rest or are awaiting the development of tactical situations should be fully utilized in such training as can be given by lecture and simple illustration. The following are suggested as subjects:
1. Assignment and identification of targets and sectors of fire.
2. Foot care.
3. March discipline.
4. First aid.
5. Use of cover and importance of digging hasty entrenchments.
6. Trench routine.
There was allowed no time for rest. The junior officers felt the schedule must be less stringent as a means of survival. Often the men rested and not a few slept undisturbed while lieutenants lectured. Everyone now looked back to Camp Funston as the good old days. Even the strenuous training at Smoky Hill Flats was easy.
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| French "Blue Devils" (Chasseurs Alpins) Instructing the Troops |
The French officers attached as instructors warned against haste and over work. Sometimes they were even impatient with the impetuosity of the Americans. "Four years ago," said Lieutenant Chereau, "we were as eager as you are now. We learned since that this war cannot be won in a single mighty effort."
Lieutenant Lescadron, a Chasseurs Alpins, came to the officers' mess with wine. "Such," he said, "is our custom; the new officer brings his welcome with him." Most of his time he was scrounging fresh vegetables and "cheekins."
During this time, officers were detached for schooling. Many were gone until the battalion moved to the front. So a captain commanded the battalion, lieutenants companies, and in many instances sergeants led platoons. These duties imposed upon junior officers and sergeants helped to fit them for greater responsibilities that would come during battle.
In addition to the strenuous training, battalion and company commanders were organizing their men. This was difficult because of lack of precedent and definite guidance. One man with an automatic rifle was considered equal to six men with ordinary rifles. Men were no longer deployed in skirmish line at half-pace intervals in battle formation; instead they were to be in co-operating groups that could cover the intervening ground with fire. The increased individual effectiveness and the consequent wider dispersion of personnel increased the demand for direction and control.
Company commanders picked runners and signalers. These plus the mechanics, cooks, and supply detail, were formed into a headquarters platoon. The company was supposed to have an administrative officer who would relieve the company commander of detail work, but none were available, so first sergeants did the work.
There was no opportunity for the training of these personnel. Runners and signalers therefore either drilled or wasted their time on visual signaling. Mechanics and pioneers did odd jobs while the problem of constructing cover and shelter remained untouched. Limited space on the drill ground made the service of runners unnecessary, and safe distance from danger made shelter and cover useless. As a result, they carried to the front false ideas of distance and terrain.
Battalion headquarters were created too, numbering approximately 100, included scouts, snipers, pioneers, runners, and ammunition men. Special liaison problems were provided for these runners and signalers, but the limited time allowed robbed them of real significance. The handicaps resulting were corrected at the front.
Late in July, the battalion was inspected. The men were deemed ready for action, possessing only their arms, their packs, and a surplus kit of one shirt, one extra pair of shoe laces, one blanket, and a box of shoe dubbing.
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| The Men Were Sometimes Entertained by Traveling Troupes |
The 353rd's Third Battalion
Early on 25 June, the long train of "Side-door Pullmans" slipped into Rimaucourt, carrying the Third Battalion. Many of the half-awake passengers looked listlessly out, wondering, "Where are we at." A Frenchman replied "finis."
The "hard-boiled” sergeants rousted everybody out. Soon they marched drowsily into the sleeping town. The billeting party led them to the long wooden barracks which had been previously been occupied by the New England 26th Division. The officers were shown their billets, but was only after considerable knocking that they were able to rouse slumbering housewives.
Lucky was the man who had paid attention during those French lessons in far-away Kansas, instead of napping, which then seemed to be much more beneficial. Now he could display his superiority in French. Quite a few villagers knew some English, which they had picked up from the 26th, mostly words and phrases which are well known as typically American and highly expressive.
Rimaucourt was the metropolis of the towns occupied by the regiment. The 89th Division Railhead (supply point), the division’s admin, the post office (A. P. O. 701) and the Division Trains were here. Rimaucourt also had the Mecca of all AEF troops, the Sales Commissary, and a "Y", plus Andelot was nearby with the hospitable "Y" run by the afore-mentioned "Mother" Fitzgerald and Miss Heermance.
The HQ of the 177th Infantry Brigade was billeted in a well-appointed modern chateau. The entire Third was quartered in Adrian Barracks, which as billeting places go are as superior to a French barn as cheese is to chalk. These advantages caused the Third to be regarded by the rest of the regiment as being "in luck."
The division quartermaster called for details to unload rations and equipment, so there never was any delay or mix-up in getting rations for the Third.
When they sorted out the regimental baggage, there was found a surplus of five new Royal typewriters marked for the British Army. Pending an official investigation, each line company and Battalion HQ were assigned one to care for and use only in case of emergency. An emergency immediately arose—a tremendous "paper barrage".
There was there an engineer battalion, who were building Base Hospital 238. After St. Mihiel some of the 353rd wounded were evacuated to this hospital.
Rimaucourt didn’t have military police, so the Third was ordered to provide them. The businesslike way in which these improvised MPs handled the situation kept trouble to a minimum.
The Third’s MPs were sent to Andelot where a baggage guard detail from a National Guard Division had refused to obey orders. They were force-marched to Rimaucourt, protesting that National Guard was superior to the National Army and claiming their orders were invalid. After serving in “billets” two feet wide and six feet long, they became well-behaved and could return to their baggage.
We were in the Reynel Training Area, one of the 22established for the Americans. As before related, a number of men were received in the last few days before leaving Camp Funston and their training had barely begun.
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| A Practice Trench in the Otherwise Peaceful French Countryside |
A French officer made such an eloquent presentation about reverse slopes that he converted the temporary battalion commander. So our drill field was changed to a place with a fine system of reverse slopes. Many a bloodless battle raged here. Trenches were taken and lost many times during the hot July days, but the most popular was the capture of a "strong point" which gave the victors a chance to rest in the shade of a thick grove of trees.
A bayonet course was required with trenches and shell holes. The ground was too solid for picks, but the 508th Engineers had dynamite. At exploding one charger, they had a water spout. They had broken a main line and the city had no water. Everyone had a little French for personal use, and the French people had been extremely patient, but few could get up to "second gear," and this emergency required some American to go into "high" immediately.
Pvt. Snyder of “M” Company was able to explain that this was unintended. The mayor agreed to send the superintendent to shut off the flow at the source, but there was a single key to the building, and neither superintendent nor key could be located. The mayor reluctantly gave permission to force the lock, the 508th mended the break, and friendly relations were resumed. This was handled so diplomatically that it did not get into the official reports. Snyder was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to intelligence.
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| Learning to Fire the French Automatic "Chauchat" Rifle |
The bayonet course was completed. Groups practiced throwing dummy grenades. Automatic riflemen worked over their Chauchats, taking them apart and putting them together again so as to become familiar with their operation and the replacement of parts.
Trenches were outlined and automatic riflemen, hand bombers, rifle grenadiers and ordinary riflemen practiced raids and made assaults, reaching through the first and second line to the third line trenches. The men were rapidly becoming efficient soldiers. Discipline was good, and morale was high. Training was finished by a long hike to a system of trenches near Gondrecourt. Here a night was spent in trying to find the way into the platoon sectors, while wearing gas masks, the supposed enemy being particularly active in that sector that night.
The Third fully expected orders to move to the front at the close of training in early August, 1918. The situation seemed to indicate that this was a good time to get into the game. After victory in the second battle of the Marne, Americans were playing a worthy part but there could be no peace without complete victory. Just what part of the line would be taken over no one knew. Rumors were abroad that it would be in the Toul Sector. At any rate, it would be a "quiet" sector for a while; all else was "secret."
The final task in the training area, as the first had been, was policing. The barracks were stripped, floors scrubbed, and doors nailed shut. Kitchen waste was buried and the yard swept. The drill field was policed up and the trenches filled.
Next Friday: The All-Kansas regiment moves to the front line.
James Patton
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