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A sergeant's diary
in the world war; the diary of an enlisted member of the 150th
field artillery (Forty-second division) October 27, 1917, to
August 7, 1919,
Elmer Frank Straub
Indianapolis, Indiana Historical Commission, 1923.
CHAPTER V
Up With the Guns
May 9, 1918: - Today there was not much
doing. After mess I saddled up my horse and went to Baccarat
where I played around and bought a few things that I needed.
While there I ran into A1 [Albert R.] Brunner, Earl Pitsenburger
and-Casey, and we all took a walk down to the Y.M.C.A. We then
started in towards Gelacourt but on the way in found a good
hotel where we stopped and had some fried eggs and potato salad
for our evening meal. I was tired after my afternoon off and
went to bed.
May 10, 1918: - This morning early I saddled my horse and went
out to the guns to relieve Perry [Lesh]. When I got out there
Perry went directly to Duval. I wrote letters until noon mess
time and only took time enough to eat, and that's all, because
there were a great number of letters remaining for me to answer.
During the afternoon I only went outside the telephone dug-out a
few times and then only to get a breath of good fresh air and
smoke a cigarette. At 5:00 I went down to evening mess and after
took a walk down to Reherrey to have a talk with the
intelligence officer about different reports.
May 11, 1918: - I slept and played around all day long. About
3:00 this afternoon a Boche plane came over while I was up at
the machine gun emplacement so I fired 24 rounds at him. [Leo
A.] Biddle, the machine gun man then took the gun and fired
quite a few more rounds at him. He was hit by anti-aircraft
shells and his motor stopped but he glided over behind his own
lines. They are issuing some clothes out here at the guns this
evening. It happened that I could get nothing but a pair of
gloves as there was nothing but gloves that would fit me. When I
got back into the telephone dug-out I overheard a conversation
between the officers about Ed Bassett. I immediately told Ed to
see Lieut. [Clarence E.] Trotter and as a result he is
transferred to the aviation leaving immediately. We also fired
thirty rounds this evening. I am now standing a telephone shift
for the fellows, and as a pastime writing some more letters.
May 12, 1918: - Today is the day set aside by General Pershing
as Mother's Day. Every fellow has been urged to write home, I
will venture to say that 90% of them have done it. It is very
cold and rainy today. A little mail came in and I received four
letters. I immediately sat down and wrote answers to all of them.
I am now standing a telephone shift for the boys and I will stay
up until about 11:00.
May 13, 1918: - Perry [Lesh] and I changed places this morning.
We have made a new observation post just behind the old one
because Duval is so caved in and is now such a death trap that
we do not use it any more. Our new one is up in the trees
directly behind the entrance to the old Duval. This O.P. is a
very good one and we can see from the left of Domevre far over
to the right of Blamont. It is all camouflaged with branches of
trees so that we can not be seen. These branches are changed
every morning so that the place remains as near the color of the
surrounding trees as is possible to make it. The weather in this
country has gotten to be a joke; in the morning it clouds up and
probably rains and there is never a night passes but what it is
as fair as one could wish to have it.
May 14, 1918: - This morning [Russell H.] Lamkin and [Carl]
Moorman went with me to Duval. We got up there about 9:00 and
immediately put up the scissor glasses. Visibility was very
good. During the morning we saw a great deal of activity, but at
noon it started to rain and of course from then on we could see
very little. During the early part of the afternoon the Captain
[Sidney S. Miller, still as Major of the first Bat.] and the
Colonel came up to see our new O.P. They stayed about twenty
minutes during which time they asked very many questions about
the territory in front of Duval. They had only been gone about
15 minutes when it stopped raining and the sun came out, we
could then see very fine. I was able to pick up a working party
directly behind the Chateau de St. Marie but we could not fire
on them as they were very far out of our range. About 2:00 I saw
13 men coming toward Verdenal (a little village out in 'No Man's
Land') and I immediately phoned their position in to the battery.
Lieut. [Clarence E.] Trotter told me that if I saw any more of
them there that I should let him know and he would let me have
eight rounds to fire on them. At 3:30 I saw six more in the very
same place. I immediately phoned in and Lieut. Trotter started
the eight rounds over. We could hear our guns go off and a few
seconds after we could hear the projectile going over our heads.
The first shot must have been a freak because it burst about 300
feet in the air directly over my target. The second was over and
to the left in some barbed wire entanglements. The third shot
was nearly a target and the Germans began to run from the hedge
at the side of the road where they had taken shelter. They ran
in all directions and for fifteen minutes after our fire had
been completed we could see them still running away from this
place. I don't know whether I got any of them or not, I sure
hope so. During the rest of the afternoon we saw smoke coming
from a building in Under-Champs and also from a building in
Verdenal. I should say that the day was a very exciting one,
there was quite a little activity and the day was a very
pleasant one. The French also put eighty shells on Ouve Rouge
and I could see all of them burst. German and French observation
balloons were up practically all day long. When we come up here
to Duval we always have bacon sandwiches for our noon meal and
that is the only thing that is getting very tiresome. We left
Duval at 4:45 and came right in to the guns. When we arrived
there we found the third piece had been fired with a hammer in
the cradle and that the recoil system had been badly damaged.
That was the cause of the first shot this afternoon bursting in
the air. Two of our pieces have been taken to Luneville for
repairs. The second piece went yesterday with the bore very
badly pitted, so we are left with only two pieces. We ate our
evening meal at the guns. The rest of the detail has worked all
day long here at the guns putting in electric light aiming posts.
I gave my activity report to Perry [Lesh], talked the situation
over with Lieut. [Clarence E.] Trotter and then started for
Gelacourt. I also found out that they are getting ready to leave
for somewhere, maybe home and maybe the Somme front, one can
never tell in this army. I hope home. After I had put my horse
away I went up and talked the day over with Sgt. Bruning, then
went to my quarters where I wrote up my diary and then I went to
bed.
May 15, 1918: - This morning when we got up for reveille one of
our fellows was thrown in the water trough because he did not
get up in time to make the call. John U. Bosson was in Baccarat
today and he got the pictures I had taken the last time I was in
there, so tomorrow I will send them home. After evening mess
[Carl] Moorman helped me to put a design on an empty brass
powder shell that I am going to pound out and make a brass vase
out of.
May 16, 1918: - This morning early I saddled up and went out to
the guns. [William H.] Bruning and [Perry W.] Lesh went up to
the O.P., and from the reports they have been sending in they
have not been seeing very much. The weather is very good today,
in fact it is very warm. I do not remember whether or not I
mentioned the fact that Sgt. [John H.] Skidmore and Sgt. Karl
Moore tried to find us one day when we were up at the O.P. and
when we saw them they were about 400 yards out in 'No Man's
Land' directly in front of our O.P. It is a miracle that they
were not shot. The 'snow' about going home is thicker than ever.
Some of the fellows though are quite firm in their belief that
we are going to the Somme front. Fire has now started with
aerial observation. There are three planes observing for us, and
as the observer sends down the commands we can see the sparks
fly from his wireless. The observer's message is received at Bn.
Hdqs. and is sent down to the battery by phone. Our food here at
the battery has been fairly good but most of the fellows do not
care for it because there is no variety. Breakfast usually
consists of the old standard, bacon, potatoes and coffee and
sometimes sugar. I usually draw my coffee to wash my mess kit
with because it is always good and hot and the mess water is
always very greasy and nearly always cold. The Y.M.C.A. seems to
be doing very much better work now. There are always two medical
men here at the guns in case someone gets hurt. [Charles J.]
Hoover is again back with the battery and I am sure glad because
he is the best cook we ever had. I hear too that we have fifty
more horses coming in; on the other hand I hear that we are
going to be motorized very soon. The battery fired until about
6:30 and then we all went down to mess.
May 17, 1918: - This morning Pete [Clarence E.] Clift and I went
to the telephone dug-out where we lay around until about 10:30
when our telephone line to Duval went out due to shell fire, so
Pete and I started out to repair it. We could hear where the
shells were bursting and so figured out just about where the
line was broken. I timed the interval between the bursts of the
German shells and we picked the way to the break in the line
accordingly. The shells were coming at a five minute interval.
In order to get to the break in the line we were obliged to pass
the corner of the cross roads near a little group of fir trees
where all of these shells were bursting. The shells came from a
battery of eight-inch howitzers very close to our front lines
and every time the gun would fire we could hear the report and
also hear the shell coming. Being able to hear the report of the
gun and having the interval so well timed we ventured very close
to where they were bursting. Quite a few times we flattened
ourselves against the ground to avoid any danger of being caught
by an over or a short. I had my vest-pocket kodak along and
every time a shell would come over I would stand up and try to
get a picture but they all sounded so close that I did not take
a chance and consequently got no picture that was worth while.
Pete [Clarence E. Clift] and I then debated as to what we would
do next. We decided to start directly after the next shell burst
and make a run past the fir trees, then to the break in the
line. So we waited for the next shell to burst and then started
to run; we got within about twenty feet of the fir trees and the
Germans must have changed the time interval because we heard the
gun fire and also heard the shell coming. We did not know what
to do and of course we did not have time to debate the question.
We simply ran back about thirty feet and lay down at the side of
the road. We could hear the shell coming and as it got closer
and closer of course the sound became more shrill. It was a very
exciting few moments for us but it finally burst and only within
about thirty feet of us. While I was lying at the side of the
road waiting for the shell to light, my only wish was that the
shell would not hit me right in the middle of the back. When it
burst it threw dirt and pieces of wood all over us and for fully
a half minute after debris fell all around us. I noticed too
that all up and down the road as far as I could see the dust was
raised about one foot in the air. As soon as it had burst and we
knew that we were out of danger I opened my kodak, ran up close
to the place where the shell had lit and snapped a picture of it.
We then ran on past the little group of fir trees and out into
the field. Not far from where these shells had been falling we
found the break in our line and we immediately began to repair
it. We had only started to work when we heard the gun and
another shell started on its way over. We found a very shallow
ditch close by and in it we stretched out as flat as we possibly
could until the shell went by and had burst in the little group
of firs. In all, six of them came over before we got the break
in the line repaired. They then stopped firing and we went back
to the place to see just what damage they had done. I also took
a picture of the holes that these shells had made. So far that
is as close as they have ever come to me, and when I think it
over it was as close as I ever hope one comes to me. We then
went back to the guns where we ate our noon mess after which I
lay down and slept nearly the whole afternoon. Directly after
evening mess Sgt. [Bryant W.] Gillespie and I had a long talk
about our girls and the people at home. Sgt. Bruning and [Perry
W.] Lesh came back from Duval early because in the morning at
3:00, the three of us are going up in the large woods near Duval
and build a new O.P. way up in a tree. We have to do it early,
before visibility gets good so that we will not been seen by the
Germans. It is now 10:15 and I am going to bed.
May 18, 1918: - This morning at 3:00 I got up and had no more
than gotten my clothes on when we had a gas alarm, but it was
false. Bruning, Lesh and I then started up to make the new O.P.
We worked all morning and now have an O.P. that will take in
anything our glasses will reach. It is sure a wonder; in a big
oak tree fully seventy feet above the ground. It is an easy
place for German snipers to pick someone off, but it is a much
better place from which we can observe German activity. We had
no breakfast; at 10:00 [George A.] Aurine came up as telephone
operator. I started in at 1:00 and just as I was leaving Sgt.
[Karl F.] Moore came up to look around. Our telephone line went
out and so Aurine and the rest of the men went out to find the
trouble. When I got back to the battery I got a bowl of cold
tomatoes, salt, pepper and a piece of bread. I then went back up
to the telephone dug-out got a powder temperature for the
officers and then went to bed. I slept until 5:00 when the boys
awakened me and I went down to evening mess. We got some second
class mail after mess “Stars” [Indianapolis Stars,] and other
papers from the people at home. Tomorrow Perry [Lesh] relieves
me here at the guns and I go up to the O.P. The weather is very
pleasant, very warm and far better than the rain that we have
been having.
May 19, 1918: - I went up to the O.P. alone this morning. I took
a phone and the head of the scope along. We have to pull all of
our stuff up in the tree with a wire and I had just gotten all
of this done when Bruning, Cpl. [Chester] Lumpkin and 'Spick'
[John C.] Ellis came up to look around. 'Spick' and I stayed up
on the platform all morning, Bruning and Lumpkin took a walk
down through the first line trenches.
May 20, 1918: - This morning I again went to the O.P. alone and
later [Carl] Moorman came up as the telephone operator for the
day. We played around the tree all day long and during the
afternoon I found a new O.P. in the trees far over in the German
lines but before I could locate it accurately the leaves had
blown in front of it and I could not pick it up any more during
the afternoon. The Germans had probably camouflaged it very well
for I hunted the rest of the day and could not find it. A little
later we saw four propaganda balloons coming over from the
German lines and of course [Carl] Moorman went after one of them.
He did not get one of the balloons as some French soldiers beat
him to them but he did bring back some of the literature that
these balloons carried over. This literature tends to discourage
the French soldier. The instrument detail is now staying out
here at the guns and I am staying in a room with Jimmy [James
V.] Fox. We also have our horses out here at the guns. After
mess Jimmy and I did some work on our room and we are sure
getting it so that it looks like a real place. The start of my
diary has been lost for about a week and I have been hunting all
over for it but have been unable to find it. I have been keeping
rough notes in hopes that I will find it again.
May 21, 1918: - During the day I again found and accurately
located the German O.P. that I had a glimpse of a few days ago.
The morning was very pleasant and passed without the least bit
of excitement until about noon when we heard the French anti-aircraft
firing on a German plane. We looked for it all over and at first
could not find it but suddenly, over it came, going toward the
German lines and only about five hundred meters directly above
our O.P. tree. The motor was not going and the pilot was
volplaning down. I immediately took my glasses and fortunately
caught him, which by the way is very hard to do. He fell just
inside the German lines, in a group of trees just a little to
the right of Chateau de St. Marie. That is the first German
plane I have seen brought down. A little later B Battery did
some firing and I did their observing for them. About 4:45 we
started for the guns. When we got in to the battery we found out
that another German plane had been dropped in 'No Man's Land'
during the afternoon, making two for the day. We also found out
that three French planes had gone far over behind the German
lines and had taken many pictures and had obtained very much
valuable information.
May 22, 1918: - This morning Perry [Lesh] and Sgt. Bruning went
up to the O.P., they are going to chop the tops out of several
of the trees that hide just a little of the sector in front of
us. I am staying at the guns today. Since the instrument detail
is staying here at the guns none of us have to spend the night
up at the guns. One of the telephone men also stays out here now
so that we do not have to wait for them in the morning when we
go up to the O.P. Perry [Lesh] found the beginning of my diary
in his saddle bags this morning and I was sure thankful that he
did. It was probably due to my carelessness that it got into his
saddle bag instead of my own.
May 28, 1918: - This morning we had to make a topographical map
of the territory around our guns so as to see whether or not it
would be advisable to make an entrance to the new dug-out that
the men are building, from the telephone dugout. They have been
working on this new dug-out for about one month now. The gun
sections that are off gun duty do this work. It is now about
eight and one half meters deep. Sgt. Bruning and I worked on
this until about 2:30 when we went down to the billets and
plotted it out on the plotting board. We worked on it until
evening mess and then gave our dope to Lieut. [Clarence E.]
Trotter who was very well satisfied with it. I talked to Perry [Lesh]
after he got back from the O.P. today and he said that he saw
over fifty horses in a corral behind Chateau de St. Marie during
the afternoon. He also said that the flies bothered the horses
that we ride to the O.P. so bad that they bled. All of our
horses have their tails cropped and we usually tie small
branches of trees on their tails so that they can switch the
flies off.
May 24, 1918: - This morning [George A.] Aurine, [James V.] Fox
and I went up to the O.P. We pulled the instruments up into the
tree and set them up ready to do our day's work. We brought the
scope along because yesterday in pulling the tripod up into the
tree the strap broke and consequently the tripod was broken. The
straps on the scissor case are also weak so we have sent it in
to the saddler to be fixed. We saw nothing out of the usual all
day long and our visibility was very good. The rain last night
left the weather very cool and it was very much of a relief from
the warm weather we have been having. Going back to the battery
I had a very funny accident happen to me. I claim that my horse
has a very funny and undesirable shape. He is shaped so that the
cinch will not stay forward and after riding hard it always
slips back and consequently loosens up. I was dodging from side
to side so as to avoid the low branches along the narrow path
that we always take. The saddle slipped back and became loose; I
dodged from a branch, leaning far to the side in my saddle and
off I went, head first. I did not hurt myself but believe me it
taught me a lesson. I sure tightened that cinch before I went
any farther. Fact of the matter is I nearly took all the breath
away from the horse tightening the cinch.
May 25, 1918: - There was nothing doing all day long on the
other side today. Our O.P. being in the highest tree in the
woods we could very easily see that far. About 5:00 we started
in toward the battery. When we arrived there we ate our mess and
cleaned up a bit. The ration wagon from Gelacourt was out and
they had some clothes along so I drew a new blouse. I then went
down to our stables and groomed my horse and then let him graze
for awile. Mail came in and I received thirteen letters. I sat
down and read them. It is now 10:30. I have finished reading my
letters, so I am going to bed. This batch of mail has made me so
homesick that I think I will sleep but little.
May 26, 1918: - This morning after eating my breakfast I saddled
my horse and went in to Gelacourt. I drew another new blouse and
a pair of American 'hobs' from our Q.M. I then went on in to
Baccarat where I bought a pair of wrapped putties, some service
chevrons, an overseas cap and some oranges and then came back
Gelacourt. There I changed my high shoes for my new American
'hobs' and putties. I then came on out to the guns where I sat
down and sewed all of the buttons on my blouse. They are never
on very tight when they come to us from the Q.M. I also sewed my
first gold service chevron on. (One gold chevron was awarded for
every six months service overseas).
May 27, 1918: - This morning Bruning and I took the aiming
circle and rode into Gelacourt, then on to Azerailles where we
accurately located a new gun position for possible future use.
On our way back we stopped in a cafe at Azerailles and got
something to eat. While we were there we heard that a German
plane had been brought down near Brouville so we started back.
We stopped off just outside of Gelacourt and re-located two more
reserve gun positions. From there we went on to Brouville where
we stopped in the Y.M.C.A., got something to eat and then went
on toward Merviller where we re-located another reserve battery
position. From there we went to the guns arriving there about
5:00. We learned that the plane we had heard about while in
Azerailles had been brought down just in front of our battery
position in the woods. The German plane had been far over our
lines and was attacked by a French plane. The French airman got
the German pilot with a machine gun bullet and then with
incendiary bullets set the German plane on fire. The German
pilot in spite of his wound tried to volplane to the German
lines but the French airman headed him off. While the plane was
still over one thousand feet in the air the Captain's observer
jumped out and lit about one mile from where the plane did. He
had all of his clothes burnt off and his body was so badly
charred that one could never have recognized it. The pilot was
in the plane, strapped in; and of course was simply burnt to
death. When the plane came down it was in a mass of flames and
when it lit it was mashed into a thousand pieces. All of our
fellows have pieces of the machine as souvenirs. After the
fellows had given Sgt. Bruning and I all the information
concerning the plane we went down and had our mess. While we
were eating we were told that someone would have to stay at the
O.P. all evening, until about 10:00 or so; Perry [Lesh] had
started in, so naturally the lot was mine. When I had finished
mess I went down to the billets, saddled my horse and started
off. I took nothing but a pair of glasses along. On my way I ran
in to a group of infantry boys carrying the body of the dead
German observer Captain. Following these boys came several
wagons loaded with the remains of the aeroplane. Just before I
entered the big woods while going through an open field I chased
up a little red fox, and while I was chasing him I ran into his
mate. I was nearly on both of them but they made a sharp turn
and ran on in to the woods. They were two of the prettiest
little animals I have ever seen. I got up into the O.P. about
7:00; immediately hooked a phone on and called in to the battery.
I then started my watch over the German lines. I saw very many
gun flashes back of the German lines. I tried to locate these
batteries as accurately as possible so that they could be
destroyed. About 9:00 while I was sitting up in the tree I heard
the chatter of a German machine gun but thought nothing of it. I
also heard a few of the twigs in the trees close by snap but
still I did not get wise. I had lighted a cigarette and of
course tried to keep the little light from it hidden but
evidently I did not for before I knew it the twigs in my tree
were being snapped and then I realized that I was being fired
upon by German machine guns. I lost no time in getting down out
of the tree, and all of the time I had my pistol ready to fire
if I found it necessary. My watch had certainly been a lonely
one because I was all by myself and it was very dark so I took
no unnecessary chances. When I started in toward the battery it
was about 10:00 but before I left the front lines I got the pass
word from the infantry men because I could not have gone very
far without it. The pass words were rather comical but even so
they were words that hardly anyone would think of, “Suffering
Suez”. I had to get off my horse seven times on the way in and
repeat the pass words to the guards that I passed. I had not
left the big woods before quite a little barrage started and of
course it was a sight to see all of the different star shells
going up into the air. I could look back and see red, white, and
green flares all through the heavens and it seemed as though all
of the guns on the front were firing. Red flares are the signal
to stop a barrage, green ones are gas signals and the white ones
are used to light up 'No Man's Land' after night. I got back to
the battery about 11:15 and they had gotten a gas alert signal.
That means that everyone should be prepared for a gas attack.
Last night we had three false alarms but tonight we really
expect a real one. I am now going to bed, it is 12:00.
May 28, 1918: - I went up to the guns until about 10:30. Just
before noon mess some more propaganda balloons came over. Perry
[Lesh] up at the O.P. caught one of them and is going to bring
it in when he comes, he also said that there was very little
activity. It is now 11:00 and I am going to bed fully expecting
another false gas alarm. We heard late this evening that another
German drive had started to the north of us.
May 29, 1918: - This morning [Russell] Lamkin and I went up to
the O.P. We were all pretty tired as we had two gas alarms
during the night but as usual, they were false. These gas alarms
are very far reaching because every out-fit has a guard on
during the night and these guards pick up any gas alarm that
they happen to hear. For instance, if an out-fit two or even
four miles to our left or right should happen to have a real gas
attack they would immediately start to 'honk' their klaxons and
fire two shots from a rifle which is a gas alarm signal. This
signal is passed up and down the lines as all of the guards pick
it up and most of the time the gas never reaches so far as this,
thus all of the false alarms. Last night the artillery and
machine gun fire was pretty heavy and it helped to keep us awake
most of the night. I stayed up in the O.P. all afternoon and saw
but very little until about 3:00 when I happened to turn my
glasses toward Chateau de St. Marie where to my surprise I saw
about forty horses grazing out in the open quite near the old
chateau. Even though we have seen so little activity we have
good reason to believe that the Germans are strengthening their
lines along this front. I have seen quite a few very nice air
battles lately, they seem to be coming out more since the
weather is so nice. I am now sleeping with a little Roumanian,
as Jimmy [James V.] Fox is up at the guns this week. Ruso is
sleeping with me because the rats bothered him too much where he
was. Ruso was transferred to us from some other outfit and is a
private on one of the gun squads. His father was a Colonel in
the Roumanian army and after an advance made by the Germans was
trapped in a room. After he had killed a few of the Germans he
turned the gun upon himself rather than be captured.
May 30, 1918: - Decoration Day and it has been no different to
me than any of the preceding days. Wish I were home enjoying a
good five hundred mile automobile race. I spent the morning
making a sector sketch of the territory to the left of Chateau
de St. Marie. During the afternoon I saw several horses grazing
near the chateau and after I had watched them for awhile I
leaned against the guard rail of the platform and went to sleep
for awhile. The weather has been beautiful and I have certainly
been feeling very fine lately. I believe this out-of-door life
is sure agreeing with all of the fellows because I never hear
any of them complain.
May 31, 1918: - I stayed at the guns all day long. The 'snow'
around the battery is that we are to stay here a while longer
but I surely hope not, they also say that the Germans are going
through the Allies to the north of us, that is why we are to
stay here for a while longer. It is now 9:40 and it is still
light. I can hear many machine guns firing farther up in the
lines and I suppose there is some real action for a wonder. Many
planes are up during the day now and they stay up very much
later now since it stays light so long. We had another fake gas
alarm last night and the fellows are getting so they don't pay
any attention to them any more.
June 1, 1918: - This morning I went up to the guns. Jimmy [James
V.] Fox and I sat down and worked a firing data problem and then
[Sgt. Bryant W.] Gillespie showed me around the guns and
explained the different parts because I have never had anything
to do with the guns before this. At 1:00 I stood 45 minutes of
gun drill with Sgt. Gillespie's gun section just to get familiar
with the duties of a cannonier. We also had 15 minutes of drill
with our gas masks on. The rest of the fellows worked on the big
dug-out.
June 2, 1918: - Since the flies have been so bad for the horses
here in the woods we have started tying them in the little sheds
in the woods not far from the O.P. and quite near the infantry
kitchens. When we got to the O.P. we found that our line was out
so [Carl] Moorman immediately started out to repair it. When he
found the break it sure made him sore as our own engineers had
deliberately driven through it with a team. During the afternoon
our 75s and the French 75s fired quite a bit on a lean-to on the
camouflaged road between Under Champs and Domevre. Some heavier
guns also fired on the camouflaged road between Blamont and
Barbas. At 4:00 the Germans started to fire and of course our
line went out after the first few shots. Several shells lit
directly in Migneville and several lit in the little group of
firs between the battery and Migneville. While the Germans were
firing I was able to pick up the smoke from their batteries and
on closer observation was able to locate two of their batteries.
In a few days they will be no more. The Germans are now dropping,
at a three minute interval, some three inch shells which are
lighting about four hundred feet in front of our battery
position. I have noticed too that about four out of ten of them
are 'Duds' or, shells that do not explode. Tomorrow, Sgt.
Bruning and I are going out to scout for a new O.P. because we
want to get one way to the left of our present one so that we
can see up the valley from Under Champs. Things are livening up
a bit and the Captain before we started gave us strict orders to
see that our pistols were in good working order for it is
possible that we may run into a little more action than we
expect. We will be in territory that is absolutely strange to us
and we will be within easy rifle shot of the Germans.
June 3, 1918: - Our regiment is now on the extreme left end of
the American sector and the French have all of the territory
between here and Luneville. Bill [Sgt. Bruning] and 1 left our
horses in Migneville and walked up the rest of the way. After we
had jaunted around in the big woods for about an hour we found a
tree that we thought would be just the thing for the new O.P. so
we proceeded to make a wire tree-climber and finally Sgt.
Bruning started up the tree. The first branches were about
twelve feet from the ground and Bruning was about two feet from
them when the wire climber broke and down Bruning came. He lit
square on his neck and it is a wonder that he did not hurt
himself, but luck was with him and he only jarred himself up a
bit. I then tried it without the climber and I got to the same
spot where Bill had fallen from and my strength gave way so I
let go and came down. I lit on my feet, but not right, and I
gave my ankle a slight sprain. We then decided that our tree was
not so good as we thought it might be and we started in search
of another. We found two or three that we thought would be good
but after we had climbed them we found that they were not as
good as our old O.P. in our sector so we then started to scout
around merely to see what could be found of interest. While we
were looking around we ran into a bunch of Frenchmen and they
took us to their O.P. which was sure a peach as far as comfort
and height was concerned, but their view only took in the little
village of Domevre. We then decided that a better place than our
old O.P. could not be had. From this French O.P. we could look
back into the woods to our right and see Perry [Lesh] sitting in
our O.P. After we had talked to these French soldiers for a
while we started back. We walked back in to Migneville, got our
horses and rode into the battery. Just after mess we found out
that the second platoon was to be sent to an advance position, I
don't know just how far forward; Bruning is going along. Perry
and I are going to stay here with the first platoon. While I was
up in the big woods today I saw some very wonderful machine gun
and rifle posts which had complete command of the road through
the woods; they had been built in preparing for another German
drive through this sector. I also saw some fine dug-outs,
kitchens, sleeping quarters, etc. My sprained ankle is hurting
pretty badly this evening and I think that I will now go to bed
and get a good rest.
June 4, 1918: - This morning [Claude] Moulden and I went up to
the O.P. French and American 75s did a fair amount of firing
during the day and a German battery in the Bois de Trion fired
on the road leading from Migneville to Vaxainville nearly all
day long. They also fired on E Battery of the 149th but they did
not do any damage. Moulden had to repair our line nine times
during the day due to this shell fire. About noon I began
feeling very 'bum' and by 3:00 I could hardly stay up in the
tree. I think I am getting the 'grip' because I ache all over
and my back is very sore. I also saw some Medics bring in a dead
'doughboy'. He was pretty well torn up from the burst of
shrapnel that had fallen near him. About 4:00 we went in to the
battery and I did not eat much evening mess as I am feeling
awfully bad. Hope I am feeling a great deal better by tomorrow
morning.
June 5, 1918: - Luck was not with me today and when I woke up I
felt so 'bum' that I stayed in bed and did not get up until
10:30. I had a fever of 104 degrees last night, but this morning
it was only 101 so they did not send me to the hospital. Many of
the fellows have been feeling 'bum' and quite a few of them have
been sent to the hospital. It is something like the 'flu'. Perry
[Lesh] and [Claude] Moulden went up to the O.P. today but they
came in at 3:00 because Perry got this fever while he was up at
the O.P. I received three letters and then came back down to the
billets where I sat down to try to answer at least one of them.
I have my 45 lying here on the table side of me for the sole
purpose of shooting rats as they come snooping around my door.
June 6, 1918: - The first thing we heard this morning over the
communique was that the U.S.S. President Lincoln had been sunk
after it had made five successful trips across. This is the boat
that all of our battery came across on. I have a fierce headache
and backache. By noon I had only enough 'pep' left to go up to
noon mess and after I had finished eating I came back to the
billets and wrote some letters. About 3:00 I lay down and there
I stayed until evening mess. I brought food down for [Bryant W.]
Gillespie, [James V.] Fox, [Howard H.] Maxwell and Perry [Lesh],
as all of them are feeling too sick to get up for mess. Fox
didn't want his so I sat there and nibbled away on the toast and
steak I had brought down for him. About 8:00 I began to feel the
effects of eating too much evening mess, and I sure got sick.
The doctor came down and gave me some medicine and I had a
'deuce' of a time all night long. Between Jimmy [Fox] and I,
both sick and also swatting at rats as they came in the door,
hardly anyone could have slept.
June 7, 1918: - While we were in bed last night the second
platoon came back. They only took this position temporarily as
they thought the Germans were going to drive toward Baccarat.
Jimmy [James V. Fox] and I got up about 8:30 and did nothing but
lie around all morning. At evening mess time I felt well enough
to go down to mess, and we sure had a wonderful meal of lettuce
salad, roast beef, browned potatoes and dumplings. I ate all
that I could hold because never since I have been in the army
have I had such a good meal. Thus far I have felt no ill effects
from it. After the meal, [Kenneth] Simms, who works in our Q.M.
came out with some clothes and I was lucky enough to get a tight
fit in a pair of trousers. I also drew two new suits of summer
underwear and all of the fellows were issued a box from the
“Judge Trench Xmas. Association”, a little late but nevertheless
it contained some very good things, talcum, tooth paste, etc.
Jimmy and I then wrote some letters and then we went to bed.
June 8, 1918: - The Captain came down to see the sick boys this
morning and you should have seen the fellows crawling in bed as
he came around. We are pretty sure that we are going to move
soon because the Battalion is taking down their telephone wires
between the battery and Bn. Hdqrs. We found a magnifying glass
this morning and everybody has been using it to look at pictures
that have been sent them from home. I got a pair of issue spurs
today when the ration wagon came out. I also received some mail
and some pictures from cousin Pauline [Ballweg]. All the
pictures I have received from home I have tacked up on the wall
and they sure look good.
June 9, 1918: - I went up to the O.P. this morning, but there
was little doing. Things were so quiet that at 4:00 we started
back for the battery. I might mention here that the bridge over
the Seine River at Bacarrat, is mined ready to be blown up
should the occasion arise. According to the boast of the
Germans, this is the year that Bacarrat is to be taken without
the least trouble to the Germans. It is funny to watch the
fellows who go to the hospitals from here. Fellows who can sit
up are required to change machines several times between here
and the hospital and they also have to take care of their
baggage so when asked whether or not they can sit up they say
''No” and of course they are then taken care of. Several of the
fellows are getting some very good pictures. Of course we are
not supposed to have cameras along but one can always slip
something over on any of them. We can not get them developed so
we are saving all of our rolls until we get somewhere to have
them taken care of. As a whole we are pretty well fixed now, we
always have plenty of smoking and good food as well as a pretty
fair place to sleep. Every one seems to be in pretty fair
spirits but we are all wishing for home. It stays light until
about 9:30 now and one can get quite a few letters written
during these spare moments after supper. Our horses are getting
along very fine and we take a great deal of pleasure in riding
them. There is very little doing up at the front and outside of
a few occasional shellings things are very quiet.
June 10, 1918: - It started raining about 12:00 last night and
this morning it is very miserable. Bruning and I went up to the
O.P. We did not go up to observe but to run a traverse from the
old O.P. to the new one so that we could locate it accurately.
The co-ordinates of this O.P. we will send in to the Bn. Hdqrs.
so that they can locate targets in regard to this new O.P. This
work took us until noon and then we started back to the battery.
Perry [Lesh] and Pete [Clarence E. Clift] went to Baccarat today
and brought some American cigars, a few little cakes and some
Melachrino cigarettes back and we spent the rest of the
afternoon eating and smoking. At 5:00 we went up to evening mess
and there noticed that all of our officers are out here at the
guns, so we think that there is going to be something doing
before long.
June 11, 1918: - This morning I went up to the O.P. and took Joe
[Joseph L.] Simms along with me as a telephone operator. Sgt.
Bruning and [Perry] Lesh stayed at the guns. We got up to the
O.P. in due time but visibility was so poor that I could not
even see Chateau de Saint Marie all day long; I didn't eat any
evening mess because I just felt good and lazy enough not to
walk up after my mess. About 7:00 Perry came down to the
barracks and we saddled up and went to Reherrey after some mail,
but to our dismay we got only a sack of papers and the fellows
were sure disappointed. Sgt. [Cecil L.] York and Sgt. Bruning
and I sat around for awhile talking and then we went to bed.
June 12, 1918: - This morning Sgt. Bruning and I slept until
about 8:30, Perry [Lesh] and [Joseph L.] Simms went up to the
O.P. Just as we were getting up one of the fellows from the gun
position came down and told Bruning that the divisional
inspecting officer was going to visit the O.P., so Bruning
missed his breakfast and immediately went up to the O.P. There
is a French newsboy who comes every day and while at mess I
bought a New York Daily Mail and a Herald [Paris editions] and
then went down to the billets and read all about the war. The
weather is as wonderful as one could wish for and the fellows
are getting over their spells of fever and are rounding back
into shape again. They are in very good spirits but are
disgusted because we have not more real fighting to do, and
outside of a few stray shells coming over once in awhile this is
just like seeing how long one can live away from home, contented
under these conditions. During evening mess Sgt. Bruning and I
decided to take a ride, so immediately after mess we got our
horses and went to Ogerviller about six kilometers from our gun
position over in the French territory. There we stopped off,
went into a cafe and had something to eat and drink. About 7:00
we started back and we rode very slow and enjoyed the country as
we went along. When we got back we put our horses away, gave
them some hay for the night and then went out in the open to
watch five Boche planes that were being fired on by French
antiaircraft guns. It is now 8:40 still very light and before
long we will be hopping away to bed, Oh boy it's a tough life
????
June 13, 1918: - After I had finished eating breakfast I took my
horse down to the water trough, soaped him up and gave him a
good washing. I then went in to our desk where I wrote quite a
few letters and read some of the old newspapers from home. We
had a very good noon mess and the fellows sure enjoyed it
because it is very seldom we get a meal that looks real good and
then too thoughts of a good meal at home make it so much worse.
Bill [Bruning] and I took a ride after evening mess and about
8:00 we arrived in Benamenil where we stopped into an
American-Franko Y.M.C.A.; there we bought some cakes and
chocolate and then went out into the village to look around. I
was very much surprised while walking around; the village was
full of French colored [Moroccan] troops all packed up and ready
to pull out. I stopped to talk to one of these negroes and it
seemed very strange to me when he threw up his hands as much as
to say, “You'll have to speak French to me”. It had never
occurred to me that a negro could speak anything but the
American language. About 8:45 we started back and we had to
hurry because we were sixteen kilometers from our guns. On our
way back we stopped at Pettonville and bought a few eggs for our
breakfast in the morning. We arrived at the battery about 10:00,
stopped at the telephone dug-out where we read some of the
communique and then went down to our billets, put our horses
away and went to bed.
June 14, 1918: - We have given our O.P. a name so that when we
phone down to the battery no one can tell just where it is,
except the men who know the name. In naming it we thought of
home and called it W.I., meaning West Indianapolis. Our line to
the Battery is again out and it probably will remain so unless
they change it because constant shell fire on the
Montigny-Migneville road keeps it pretty well broken up. At 4:80
[Carl] Moorman and I started in to the battery but we had to
take the long way because the Boche were dropping shells (220s)
on the road we usually take which is a short cut. I made a
sketch of about 500 mils farther to the right in our sector
today, I now have about 1450 mils finished. We spent the evening
talking to Cpl. Helt from Bn. Hdqrs. who came over to see us; he
gave us all the dope about leaving and he seems to think that we
will leave about next Sunday or Monday. Our Division
[Forty-second] has been on the front 100 days continuous now and
that is the longest time that an American Division has held a
sector by itself so far.
June 15, 1918. - As we were going to the O.P. this morning we
passed a French battery of 75s right out in an open field, they
were firing with aerial observation and just finished as we
passed. They immediately took in their signal panels and
limbered their pieces and started away, and I want to say they
sure worked with system. We had not gone far before their
observation plane came back from the front and just as we were
saying to one another how fine the plane looked, the pilot made
a big dip right down toward us. He came within 100 feet of the
ground and directly over our heads, and as he passed the
observer stood up and waved both hands at us. They were going I
should judge about 70 miles an hour and we could see all parts
of the plane and the men in it very well. It was sure a sight.
We got to the O.P. and put all of our junk up in the tree and
there we stayed until about 2:00 when it clouded up and started
to rain. We then took all of our stuff down out of the tree, ate
our lunch and fed our horses and still it rained so we started
into the battery. We arrived at the battery about 3 :00 put our
instruments away and were then told that we would have to turn
in all blankets but one so I don't know how we will keep warm
but I suppose we will make out some way.
June 16, 1918: - This morning when we got up it was very cloudy
and miserable. Bill [Bruning] and I saddled up and went up to
the O.P. We took all of the sketches along that I had made,
checked them over and made a few corrections. I then started on
a sketch 500 mils to the right so as to take in all of our
sector that could be seen. After I had finished the 500 mils
Bruning and I started in toward the battery. On the way in we
examined a few shell holes and collected the noses of quite a
few of the larger shells just to show the fellows back at the
battery. During the afternoon at the O.P. Perry made a sketch
500 mils farther on to the right, so that makes 2450 mils, which
finishes the sketch in this sector. Sgt. Bruning took the sketch
up to the Captain and he put his O.K. on it, so the next thing
is to trace it so that it can be sent in to the divisional
intelligence officer. [Carl] Moorman will start the tracing of
it tomorrow.
June 17, 1918: - Last night was a very miserable night; I was
awakened by the hard rain about 2:00 and I never did go back to
sleep again. This morning at time to get up it was still raining
and so Sgt. Bruning and I stayed in bed until nearly 10:00.
[Carl] Moorman started on the tracing of the sketch about 10:30
and I helped him as much as I could. We worked until about 4:00
and then gave it up until tomorrow because it is a very tiresome
job. Two caissons and two escort wagons came out during the day
and were loaded with ammunition and then went back in to
Gelacourt. That is always done when they are preparing to move
so I suppose we will not be here very long any more. While up at
evening mess every man got two boxes of hard tack and two cans
of 'corned willie', these are supposed to be our traveling
rations. Bruning and I did not stay up at the kitchen very long,
we came back to the billets, saddled up and went way up past
Migneville to try to find some real straight waterbirch saplings
to make new aiming posts out of. Bruning and I are very
disgusted with this life and we have decided that if things do
not go better we are going to ask for a transfer either to the
intelligence department or to the tank corps.
June 18, 1918: - This morning when we got up it was still very
cloudy; Bruning and I got up for breakfast because they had
pan-cakes and believe me all of the fellows were there.
Immediately after breakfast [Carl] Moorman started to work on
the tracing, Perry [Lesh] did not go up to the O.P. because it
was so very hazy and misty. About 8:80 just as Bruning was
leaving for a trip in to Gelacourt Pete [Clarence E.] Clift came
out to act as operator for awhile. Bruning and I went down to
the kitchen and 'bummed' a steak sandwich which we had to hide
away in our shirts until we got to our room in the billets, for
if we had shown them to the fellows all of them would have been
down to the kitchen trying to get something to eat. I believe it
is the first steak sandwich I have had since I have been on the
front. At 5:30 all of us went up to evening mess and it surely
was a good one, we had steak, potatoes, sugar, coffee, bread and
jam.
June 19, 1918: - This morning Pete [Clarence E.] Clift and I
went up to the O.P. and since I have had a few days away from it
the ride up and through the woods to the O.P. was certainly a
delightful change. The Boche have been shelling all during the
night, it seems as though they are shelling all of the small
villages behind our gun position. When we got as far as
Migneville we found little groups of 'doughboys' all along the
road with their gas masks at the alert position and we then
found out that the Germans had put over a very great deal of gas
during the night. We also noticed that several of the houses in
Migneville were on fire and that the country in and around
Migneville was simply full of shell holes. The village was still
being shelled at intervals and the 'doughboys' at first were not
going to let us pass but we convinced them that we had to get up
to our O.P. so they let us pass on. Pete [Clarence E.] and I put
our gas masks at the alert position and went through the streets
at a gallop. As we passed along we could see the heads of many
'doughboys' sticking out of the shell proof dug-outs and nearly
all of them yelled at us to “make it snappy”. When out of the
village we took the short cut toward the O.P., we could very
easily be seen by German observation balloons but we kept on
going at a good rate. We had just entered the big woods at the
little tramway and everything seemed normal when suddenly we
smelled the rich sweet odor of phosgene gas. We immediately
dropped our reins and put on our gas masks as both of us knew
just what it was, we then made haste and took the little tramway
leading through the woods. Through our masks we could even smell
the gas along the tramway and between the tracks and along the
edge there were several large shell holes which had been made
during the night. When we got as far as the infantry kitchens
along the main road we took our gas masks off, tied our horses
over in the little sheds and went on up to the O.P. Shells are
bursting within from three to four hundred meters from the O.P.
but none of them are close enough to do any damage. The French
have started to fire and the shells are whizzing over my head
from both sides, visibility is very good. At mess today we gave
our bacon sandwiches to some 'doughboys', as all of their food
had been spoiled by the gas and we started in toward the
battery. We wore our gas masks all the way through the woods and
had no trouble at all.
When we got to Migneville all of the 'doughboys' were hanging
around their dug-outs ready for a shelling at any time, we got
through without a mishap but we had not gone far out of the
village before we heard the shells falling in the streets again.
When we got to the billets [Latham W.] Connell and [Carl]
Moorman had started to take down the telephone wire to the O.P.,
they slire will have some job because this wire runs through the
big woods and nearly directly through the village of Migneville.
While I was there I got a month's pay and I immediately bought
some chocolate and cakes and started back to the battery. The
battery at Gelacourt were all packed and ready to leave at a
moment's notice The battery is now firing on Barbas, a little
village behind the German lines. This is retaliation fire. After
mess Bruning and I stayed around the guns and watched for enemy
planes while the battery fired. I fired about twenty rounds and
then I went down to the billets and got all of my junk ready so
that I could leave at any time. All indications are that we will
leave here tonight sometime. I do not know just where we will
go, some say to another front and others say that it will be our
first step towards home. |
