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.
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| Heading Toward the St. Mihiel Salient |
The trucks were waiting, the men were ready and the order to load was given. Cheering and waving civilians shouted " Bonswa," and "Boche partee toot sweet," as the First Battalion moved out. It was dark and rainy, so it was difficult to keep the truck train together. Thirty-five men to a truck with all their equipment made a heavy load. At Toul the train halted to allow straggling trucks to catch up. Flashes of fire lit the darkness ahead; the roar of big guns broke the stillness. Areoplanes could be heard overhead. Surely the front was not far away? Yet the trucks continued to move forward. At Francheville breakfast was prepared; already the journey had lasted nearly eighteen hours. Later in the day they arrived at Domevre-en-Haye. This little town seemed almost intact. The billets were somewhat worse for wear, but they were satisfactory. Reconnaissance patrols went ahead on August 5th and at dark Companies "A" and "C" took over the support positions of the out-guard line. On the next evening "B" and "D" moved forward to the front line in the vicinity of Limey.
All movement took place at night to avoid the risk of shelling. Companies marched in half platoon sections, each in column of two's with its files on either side of the road. Commands were given in low tones and passed on. These precautions were perhaps a bit much, but the men were receptive to lessons in safety. After all, when the 354th had relieved the left flank they were caught in a severe gas barrage and suffered many casualties.
Scarcity of maps and compasses made orientation difficult. They were at the Lucey Sector on the southern leg of the St. Mihiel salient. They relieved the 82nd Division who assured them "Nothing much doing, there's nobody over there." But then a shaft of light shot up and four stars dropped. "Where do those come from if there's nobody over there?" anxiously inquired the relief. "They say the Germans have left a wooden-legged man to send those up, but we never could find him."
Much still needed to be learned. Orders were given that men would be disciplined as to their conduct in the trenches. They must not stand about and gaze at aeroplanes. They must not show themselves above the trenches. They must avoid any unnecessary activity that indicates relief is coming. They must hold gas drills daily, and at least weekly gas masks must be worn for at least one-half hour. They must not carry any document, map or letter to the front which might be of value to the enemy.
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| The 353rd Infantry Would Concentrate Around Limey During August — Map Shows Position on 12 September of Full Division and Subsequent Advance |
Nervousness soon wore off and the new situation became intensely interesting. Despite the orders, aerial battles always drew good crowds of spectators. The sector was covered with wire entanglements, dugouts and trenches, which men would boldly explore, often drawing a few shells from sharp-eyed Fritz.
Opportunity for wandering about did not last long. The engineers were busy so the men in support were put on work details. One of these was to deepen a communications trench. Occasionally a shell whirred overhead and exploded in the distance, and flares appeared frequently, but "D" Company was in front of them so everybody felt fairly safe. Suddenly our machine guns begun to clatter and bullets whistled overhead. Hardly had the men resumed digging when the machine gunners opened up again with increased volume. They insisted that they had seen a red rocket, the signal for indirect fire. No one knew who had sent up the signal. The men in the detail were sore. They expected Fritz’s machine guns to shoot at them but not their own. This was the only “Action” seen by the First; the official report said that Fritz had fired the rocket.
Experience was developing the men into effective soldiers. They continued to work on the positions and their No Man's Land patrols advanced a little farther each night. The First had suffered no casualties at the lines but on the way back to Manonville Company "C" caught the peculiar hum of a German machine overhead. A bright light appeared, flickered and then a bomb hit, a near-miss. From the ditches the men taunted "Not yet, Jerry, and remember we'll be back in a few days."
On August 3, 1918, the inhabitants of St. Blin crowded the streets. Amid the cheers, the Second bade good-bye to the peaceful, sleepy ways of Haute Marne, and was off to the front at last.
They moved northward from St. Blin, through Liffol-le-Grande, Neufchateau and Toul. Time after time the column of more than a hundred and fifty trucks was halted to permit a straggler back into its place. Night fell after leaving Neufchateau, but lights could not be used. The vicinity of Toul was one of the favorite playgrounds for Fritzie's bombing planes. Flashes of artillery could be seen on the northern horizon. After many delays it was dawn when the convoy reached the villages of Bouvron and Francheville. The men limped stiffly to their billets. A good old hay loft was paradise.
But this was a brief stay. An advance party of the officers was sent to their assigned positions in the line. By two-thirty in the afternoon, After a short nap and a scanty but warm meal, the Second was on the move. This was perhaps the only time that ample transportation was furnished. Ten large trucks and the entire regimental wagon train accompanied the battalion, so there was plenty of room for packs. Great shell holes along the way suggested for the first time helmets and gas masks to be a real precautionary measure.
After a hike of twelve kilometers, the battalion arrived in Domevre-en-Hayek. Here everything was confusion. A French heavy artillery regiment was moving through the town, so our wagon train was hopelessly blocked. It was late at night before rolling kitchens, water carts and escort wagons could be sorted out, and the men had to push and pull them up the steep streets that led to the billets.
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| The Regiment Would Start Taking Its First Combat Casualties in This Sector |
On August 5th officers and sergeants were briefed by the retiring 82nd Division, and that night Companies "E" and "G" moved up to the support positions in the Le Ray Woods and the Haye Woods, with dugouts along the St. Jean-Noviant road. Next evening, Company "H" entered the line of resistance on the right in Montjoie Woods and Company "F" on the left in the western part of the Haye Woods. The sector covered was approximately five kilometers wide.
The remarkable caution and silence observed while making the relief surprised the outgoing units who knew that enemy outposts were more than three kilometers farther in front, but such discipline was not to be taken lightly. While Companies "E" and "G" were entering the lines, there was a severe gas barrage on the left, and those men were initiated into rattlers and green rockets. Otherwise the relief was uneventful, weather was fine, and conditions for green troops to begin real service could not have been more favorable.
Work in the support position was largely digging trenches for the new "Army Line of Resistance." The support position itself was not entrenched, consisting of splinter-proof shelters in the woods. Only two or three dugouts were at all shell-proof. These hillside shelters were neat and cozy, and at that season of the year, seemed like summer cottages. The stream that flowed past the foot of the hill was ideal for bathing. The Battalion HQ was located on a steep slope and life there was most peaceful, except for one dinnertime. The duty officers were eating when a large hissing shell came tearing through, just missing the table, and burying itself in the dirt floor. Everyone had leapt out. The shell hole smoked threateningly but it was a "dud"! One officer was slightly burned by hot fragments of roof metal.
While "E" Company was lining up for "chow," a big one struck the narrow gauge track not ten meters from thirty or forty men. But like so many of Fritz's long range shells these days, it was another "dud," and what might have been a disaster was but a lesson about not assembling in large groups when in artillery range.
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| Limey from the Air |
On the night of August 14-15 the Second relieved the First in the front line position around Limey. Here companies were disposed as follows: Company "H" on the right front, in Limey and the trenches north of the Metz road east of Limey; Company "G" on the left front, in trenches north and south of the Metz Road, west of Limey; Company "E" in support of "H" in and around the Bois de St. Jacques; Company "F" in support of "G" between the Voisogne Wood and Lironville; with Battalion P. C. along the Lironville trench about midway between Lironville and Limey. To the front was the strongly fortified Bois de Mort Mare, the Promenade de Moines, Ansoncourt Farm, Robert Menil Farm, and the organized village of Remenauville. No Man's Land was from one to two kilometers wide, but the communications trenches practically connected the opposing lines, having been but a few meters apart earlier in the war.
Night patrolling began. Daring groups were able to get valuable information as to dispositions of the enemy. But none found the origin of the four star rockets which were fired at regular intervals. Rumor was this was the same peg-legged old man.
On August 19th the Germans put down a heavy barrage. For a time it looked as if they were preparing to come over. Everyone hurried to the stand-to positions, but the outguard line reported no one in sight.
Evidently Fritz was trying a diversion. During the night raiding parties were repulsed. Daylight showed some well-spotted trenches in the Second’s area but there were no casualties. The men stood their ground like veterans, knowing that direct hits with heavy artillery are comparatively rare. Our heavy guns had held their fire, awaiting orders. Only a single small-caliber gun somewhere in the rear replied to the heavy bombardment. "It was consoling to know that we, too, had some artillery," the men agreed.
It was a problem to supply the outposts with hot food. Kitchens had to be located some distance back, as stove smoke attracted shelling. In some cases "chow" details were caught by bombardments and dumped the marmite cans in their scramble for cover. "G" Company had to locate their kitchen more than a kilometer nearer the front line than anyone had previously dared.
On the night of August 22-23 the Second was relieved and moved six kilometers to the rear. After a long truck ride to Menil-le-Tour, the Battalion was "deloused," except for "F" Company. Most of the clothing was replaced, mostly by second-hand articles.
Being relieved only meant more training. Drill gave way to learning the new "diamond" attack formations. Special maneuvers simulated the plans of attack for the near future. Night movements on designated compass bearings were added to the schedule. The men came to realize that this training was preparation for leading the big offensive.
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| Limey from Ground Level |
The Third finished training on August 6th, confident that they were ready for the formidable "Fritz." Dawn found the camp bustling with activity. With much cursing and shouting, surplus kits, barracks bags, kitchen accessories, ordnance and quartermaster supplies were piled up by the road. In a cloud of white dust ghastly shapes of dun-colored canvas structures arrived, emitting a roar like a thousand trip hammers: the thirty odd trucks. The piles of supplies disappeared, rations were safely loaded, but the men couldn't conceive how the whole battalion could possibly fit those in the empty trucks. Twenty-three men with full gear were jammed into each truck, complaining loudly.
The trucks moved without stopping. As they rolled on, roads converged and other convoys joined the queue until the road was a teeming line of trucks. A screech of the brakes and a sudden lurch to avoid a crash into the truck ahead often brought hearts into throats. Beyond Toul great jagged stretches of barbed wire appeared. They saw a German flare ahead, gracefully arcing, suddenly burst into a flood of blinding light. Maybe the loud churning of the engines had revealed their arrival, and signals for an artillery barrage were going up from hidden observation posts?
In the dead of night came a halt in Bouvron. The billeting detail stowed them away in hay lofts, woodsheds, and barns. The night here was worse than in the trucks. Rodents were so voracious that it seemed they hadn't eaten since the war of 1870. After little "shut-eye" came the wake-up from surly, sleepy sergeants. Odors of coffee and "canned willy" brought men into the "chow" line.
No Boche were visible until late afternoon when a hostile aviator appeared, puffs of white and black smoke from the anti-aircraft guns following him. By now the officers had given up trying to keep the men from watching.
The battalion moved at night, the menacing star-shells rising in graceful curves ahead. They trudged onward, only the noise of hobs on the stones, the rumble of the field train and the roar of artillery broke the silence. Some began to tire from the back-breaking load of full packs, but the tramp continued onward. Early in the morning, they stopped in the edge of a dense wood. A nervous sentinel accidentally fired. Since a single rifle shot was the gas alarm "Gas"' was immediately shouted. There was a wild scramble. Masks were quickly donned; some who could not find theirs in the dark pulled sand bags over their heads.
After much confusion and some minutes of impatient waiting, the battalion was finally crowded into the town of Domevre. The small barracks were surrounded by a dense tangle of roots, quite effectively hidden in the darkness. Many a man stumbled and as he crashed to the ground under the weight of full field equipment his silence gave way to expressions of rage.
Strict orders to avoid aerial observation kept the battalion concealed in the woods for the day. After the cooks had the iron rations simmering, "police call" brought from the bunks a surly, wearied battalion. With the exception of a few more battles in the sky, nothing broke the monotony of the day, but the stay there was brief. A three-kilometer march landed the Third in Manonville on the night of August 9th.
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| Trenches Around Limey |
Manonville was the home of Regimental HQ and the reserve battalion. It had once been occupied by the Germans. Although not destroyed it was in dangerous territory. Most of its inhabitants had fled; bombs and shells occasionally dropped into the village. The little city had been sadly neglected and the Third was detailed to "police it up."
It was a five day job. Streets were swept, billets scrubbed, tin cans and rubbish gathered and hauled away. The work was disagreeable, but all took it on, fully realizing the necessity in order to preserve their own good health and the health of those who would follow.
On the night of August 14th the Third moved to the support position in the woods just south of Lironville, relieving the Second. On August 21st at 9:45 p. m. sharp, enemy artillery startled shelling" L" Company. It was difficult to determine the nature of the attack; some shells were high explosive but others were gas, and soon small clouds were arising and as the wind carried them toward the positions, gas alarms were sounded. Most of the men were asleep, but quickly got into their masks. One man, however, inserted his head into the mess kit carrier of his haversack. But the gas instruction had been thorough; discipline was splendid, and the men helped one another.
The attack was thoroughly systematic. As soon as the gas from one round had passed over and the men began to move about, another shelling followed. Shrapnel was thrown over so as to catch those who might be driven out of their dugouts by gas. It became necessary to move two platoons in order to avoid the mustard gas which was splashed all over the woods.
The men of the company had spent several hours in their gas masks. No casualties resulted from the attack--a real victory. The men had learned the odor of gas and the sound of gas shells. Each man had used his mask under actual conditions, and now every man had great confidence in his mask and regarded it as a true friend. The next morning the contaminated areas were wired off, packs and other equipment damaged by gas were destroyed and chloride of lime was thrown into the shell holes.
In the night of August 22-23, the Third relieved the Second in the front line, "M" Company at the shell-torn village of Limey and "L" Company to their left. "K" Company supported "L" Company, "I" Company supported "M" Company. The trench along the Metz highway was the outpost position for the battalion.
Nightly patrols went out .Volunteers were plentiful, for everyone wished to see the notorious "No Man's Land," wondering what could be found there. On August 29th the division ordered a demonstration of flares and rockets in order to familiarize the men with their appearance. Unfortunately, three large patrols were scheduled to go out this same night. At 9:00 p. m. the skies were illuminated with fireworks of every description--red and green rockets, parachutes, yellow smoke rockets and flares. "Fritz," not being in on the plan, took the matter seriously and let go with artillery, machine guns and gas. The patrols were caught in "No Man's Land" when this sudden outburst of fireworks from behind and in front seemingly trapped them. They attempted a rear guard action, and all night long men snuck back into friendly trenches.
This was no longer a "quiet" sector. The Boche were nervous, sending out nightly patrols to our outposts and advance listening posts. Observation balloons increased in numbers and could be seen at all times. Aeroplanes made frequent trips over the lines, for the Americans were massing artillery; six infantry divisions were concentrating on the right of the salient. Night after night the roads were congested with traffic; supplies, ammunition, caterpillars and everything necessary for a big battle were being hauled forward.
Just before dawn on August 27th a well-organized raiding party came through old communications trenches. Disused for over four years, but the enemy had the maps and knew the vulnerable points. A heavy bombardment on "L" and "K" Companies preceded the raid, while a box barrage was laid down on "L" Company's outpost position. The 354th Infantry was to the left of this position and the space between the two regiments was a combined liaison post. This was considered most vulnerable, and following their barrage closely, the Germans approached, calling in good English, "Don't shoot. We are from the 354th." Our men weren’t fooled, and the enemy withdrew.
The enemy were on the left flank in V-shaped formation; a point of six men was in the lead. A larger body remained about three hundred meters to their rear. Throwing hand grenades, the point had reached the first dugout which had just been vacated. The support was already getting a machine gun in place. Just at this time a man who was returning from a listening post ran into the hostile point walking along the parapet. His first shot killed the leader while his second shot wounded one of the others. The point retreated in confusion.
A well-placed Chauchat had a good position and played havoc with the Germans. A skirmish line was organized and advanced, firing as they moved. They had a trench mortar and crew attached but it was not in position to shoot to the extreme left flank, so the mortar was moved and the corporal in charge supported it with his hands and knees, while his men fed the ammunition. This played on the Germans with such deadly effect that they broke and ran. Two dead were left behind, but no wounded. Prisoners later said that the raiders had carried back six dead and twelve wounded. "L" Company suffered only five casualties; which were not serious enough to be evacuated, and the Germans failed to take any prisoners.
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| Site of One of the Enemy's Strongest Trench Raids |
The Boche raiding party had outnumbered ours by at least three to one and it was made up of special storm troops with plenty of artillery support. Coming in the early hours of the morning, these attacks were an acid test for new troops and usually got results, but “L” Company had met the attack and beaten them.
As a result of the bombardment, the men learned that shell fire is not fatal to every one within ear shot; it can take many shells to cause few casualties. The ground occupied by "K" and "L" Companies was literally covered with shell fragments but little damage had resulted.
Thus the Third won the distinction of being the first in the 353rd Infantry to come into actual contact with the enemy and draw blood. The Boche had tested their mettle and gained a sample of what to expect in the future.
The Third was ordered to advance the lines forward in preparation for the big offensive. On the night of September 2nd, they occupied old trench systems to the north, and the new position was the jump-off line for the St. Mihiel drive. After two weeks at the front lines the battalion ended its eventful tour in the Lucey sector, moving back to Manonville to be the reserve.
In the Lucey Sector the 353rd Infantry was centered around the deserted and shell-torn town of Limey, located on the border of "No Man's Land." Trenches were in front of it, through it, and back of it. The ruined church could be seen from all parts of the advance position. Its damaged steeple was a registration point for German artillerymen. When the First returned to the outpost for the second time on September 4th Company "D" was assigned the position to the front and left of Limey. Company "B" held Limey and to the right; Company "A" and "C" were in support to the rear. Company "D" had to cross an open space of three hundred meters to reach their position; but thanks to Fritz's methodical tendencies the men safely reached their objective between salvos.
The three forward platoons covered a front of about five hundred meters. The intervening ground was covered by the Chauchats. Since the outposts were too widely scattered to support each other, communication was by runner. The outpost line was to give warning of an attack, delay the enemy until the troops on the line of resistance could be called to arms and if necessary hold out to the last man. This was the most trying duty that had fallen to these new soldiers. Guard had to be maintained at all hours and "stand-to" was observed both at dawn and dusk. An enemy patrol or raiding party might attempt to penetrate between the outpost positions, and must be repulsed. In any event no one must be taken prisoner. The ten days spent on the outpost line sapped the strength and vitality of the men.
Delivery of water and rations was sketchy. Company “D” even had to send a detail back to carry water. Carrying the food to the line in heavy marmite cans was hard work. A long pole was run through the handles of these cans, a man on either end placed the pole on his shoulders and started tandem fashion through the winding trenches to the messing stations. In some cases the journey was more than two kilometers.
Charcoal was scarce; so the kitchen stoves had to burn wood, which could be used only if the smoke was camouflaged. Inevitably Fritz spotted the kitchen and scored a direct hit, and the stove and the marmite cans were perforated like sieves by the fragments. So all cooking was done at night.
At 4:50 AM on September 7, the enemy suddenly opened up with a box barrage. Rockets for a counter-barrage were immediately sent up, but only a lone gun responded. It was up to the men to make their stand alone. The enemy would try to break through on the flanks, so half of the reserve platoon moved to the right flank and the cooks and headquarters men moved to the left flank. About seventy-five Germans hit the left flank and forced part of the men back. "Potato masher grenades" were flying thick and fast, but hand-to-hand fighting kept the Germans from accomplishing their mission.
Unseen, about fifty Germans worked their way behind the left flank platoon. Someone called out in good English, "Don't shoot." The password was requested. Silence- could he have forgotten the password? Many were French names, difficult to remember. The reply was a wild pistol shot. The return fire was more accurate, after all, this was Fritz who had knocked out the kitchen yesterday. Three enemy were captured; two others received severe wounds. Ignoring orders, the skirmish line chased them all the way to the wire. Along the retreat a Chauchat outpost killed two and captured another.
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| German Artillery Detonated a Divisional Ammo Dump in This Period |
Only one platoon had been involved; two other platoons were puzzled that, with fighting on the left and the rear, with bullets whistling everywhere, no enemy were visible. The platoon on the extreme right was hit by the barrage; two men were killed and four wounded.
At dawn the barrage lifted. The enemy had gone, carrying with them many wounded and leaving eight behind. The company had three dead and seven wounded, one sadly killed by an errant shot. It seemed miraculous that the losses were not greater.
The raid had been repulsed and prisoners taken. Needed information was obtained. The enemy, instead of gaining intelligence, had given it. However, the losses were keenly felt in the company. It was sad to see these men make the supreme sacrifice at the very beginning of the campaign. For even while this raid was on, artillery was moving into position to open the way for the big drive on September 12th.
Next Friday: The All-Kansas regiment in the St. Mihiel Offensive.
James Patton
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