HISTORY
OF THE SEVENTY SEVENTH DIVISION
Phase7
Advance on Sedan
The final push of
the 77th Division from the Aire to the Meuse may well be
called the " Advance on Sedan "; for it was
before that historic French city that this Division
halted its victorious march forward when Germany cried,
Enough! "
Where Prussian beat
Frenchman, so American beat Prussian, and as far as the
77th Division is concerned, on the very same spot that
the war of 1870 was decided.
It was on Sedan
that American guns were trained and it was this same city
that was about to be liberated by the Liberty Division
when Berlin's acceptance of' the Allied terms was
announced.
Sedan was reached
after a hard campaign. Through line after line of enemy
islets of resistance, so linked as to form an
uninterrupted chain of fire, the 77th pushed its way
forward for a distance of thirty-seven and one-half
kilometers in the last days of the war, until it reached
the heights overlooking the site of the deciding battle
of the Franco-Prussian conflict, almost 50 years before.
In the latter stages of the campaign, the rapidity of the
movement forward, the rainy weather, poor condition of
the roads and the overcoming of obstacles left by the
fleeing Germans converted the operation into one of
endurance rather than combat. The spirit of determination
was everywhere-The Yank was not to be outdone by the
Boche-and every man in the Division, from the commander
down to private, was working as if the whole issue of the
struggle depended upon him alone.
The divisions on
the left flank of the 77th during the advance were the
78th, 42d and a French unit, while the right flank was
brought up by the 80th, 1st and 2d.
The beginning of
the drive found the now heroes of the Forest d'Argonne in
a support position in the rear of their last objective, a
line running' approximately between Grand-Pre and St.
Juvin. Here they remained for two weeks, re-equipping
themselves and refilling the depleted ranks. They were
constantly under the shellfire of the Boche and lived in
dugouts and huts recently wrested from the Germans. One
of the brigades alone had lacked some 3,500 men, more
than twice the strength of the old "peace-time"
regiment.
The spirit of the men was excellent. The end of the day
would find them, not around a campfire, because they were
not permitted so close to the enemy lines, but gathered
in little groups here and there, each trying to outdo the
other in a song fest.
Even the news of
the fall of Turkey, the passing of Austria and the
imminent capitulation of Germany had no bad effect on the
Yankee soldier. He went ahead just as if he had the whole
four and one-half years before, instead of behind him.
Relief night is a
big event in the life of a soldier. To the observer who
is not trained along military lines it would remind him
of the cook's fatal mistake-pouring salt into the
half-filled sugar barrel. The task is a big one and
sometimes, to simplify matters, the various units are
relieved on different nights. But not so with the 77th
Division this time. It was to attack immediately after
the relief was complete and it was important that every
unit go into position at practically the same time. For
precautionary reasons, however, a light screen of the
78th Division was left in the front line almost to zero
hour. In this way the Americans succeeded in withholding
from the Boche all information as to the relief until it
was too late.
It was a busy night
along the roads in that vicinity on the night of October
31st, and the intense darkness added to the difficulties
of getting into place. The highways were filled with
troops and transport, but the only noise that could be
heard was the low commands of the officers and the
rumbling of the heavy wagons. Certainly, it was said, the
Boche would fire if he only knew what a fine target he
had. To make matters worse, a light rain began to fall
shortly after midnight.
Not withstanding the grim seriousness of a relief, there
were amusing sides. Outstanding of these, at this
particular time, is the reprimand of a major at the hands
of a wagoner from the 307th Infantry supply train.
"Put out that
cigarette and do it quick. You doughboys will get us
killed by your carelessness," the wagoner said in a
stern voice. When he learned of his mistake he "laid
the whip" to the horses and disappeared in the
darkness.
Division Orders
Nos. 59 and 60, which called for the advance of the 77th
Division, placed the 153d Brigade as the forward element
with the 154th Brigade and 304th Machine-gun Battalion as
the divisional reserve. The 305th Infantry was assigned
the front line duties of the attacking brigade, while the
other regiment constituted the brigade reserve. The 305th
Infantry moved into position in the Ravine Aux Pierres on
the line of departure. The 306th Infantry was stationed a
short distance south of St. Juvin. Next came the
disposition of the divisional reserve. The 307th Infantry
was ordered to Pylon with orders to follow the attacking
brigade at not less than one kilometer. The 308th
Infantry remained in the -vicinity of Marcq, the
headquarters of the divisional reserve.
Heavy guns and
caissons, coupled with the reconnaissance of the terrain,
makes the disposing of artillery units slower than that
of the foot-troops, so that organization was forced to
start much earlier in making its preparations. The 152d
Artillery Brigade, "Our Artillery," as the
doughboys call it, began taking position on the night of
October 26th. The light regiments were placed between
Marcq and Sommerance for operation against the now famed
Kriemhilde Stellung, while the heavy regiment was divided
between La Besogne and Cornay.
Long before the
various units reached their assigned positions, observers
and scouts were reconnoitering the front in anticipation
of the forward movement. They found that the German
defensive tactics over wide areas, especially in
rear-guard actions, had not changed, it was based almost
wholly on the use of artillery and machine guns. Among
the most important disclosures was the fact that the
enemy had organized all forest crests and ravines into
fortresses for prolonged machine-gun resistance. Along
the military crests of hills, on forward and reverse
slopes, so as to command an approach from the front, rear
and flank, the Boche had established machine-gun nests
manned by the heavy type of gun. Near these positions,
deep dugouts were built to shelter the crew. Scattered
about on the slopes of wooded hills were higher
machine-gun positions, consisting of shallow funk-holes,
so placed that the guns shooting from them along the
surface of the ground created interlocking bands of fire
extending completely around the base of the hill. At the
end of every trail and covering every road, railroad,
tramway and path, there was a machine gun of the light or
heavy type. There is another type of machine gunner;
although he cannot be observed before the fight he
invariably springs up during an advance. He is the
sniper, who takes his chance position whenever
opportunity presents itself.
This extensive
system of machine-gun defense and a few isolated
batteries of artillery is what the New Yorkers faced.
Sullen skies hung over the battlefield in front of
Champigneulle on the morning of November 1, and the grey
streaks of dawn piercing the blackened heavens told the
infantryman that the hour for the " hopover "
was drawing near. At that hour of the morning, it
appeared that it would be an ideal day for the attack. A
mist hung in the air.
The artillery
preparation had been in progress for almost two hours,
tearing the enemy resistance out by the roots. All
Hunland was lighted by the bursting of American shells.
The roar of the big guns in the rear was deafening.
Observation had
showed a formidable trench system on the hills, southwest
of Champigneulle, commanding the valley to the south of
the town. This was one of the main targets of the
American artillery, as well as a small trench system to
the east of the first day's objective. With the artillery
preparation over, the infantry began the advance up the
steep hill leading to Champigneulle.
The first day's
fight bore little fruit, although a small advance was
made. In the face of stubborn resistance, mostly machine
guns which had escaped the terrific bombardment of the
American artillery, troops of the 77th Division moved
forward. Two companies reached the intermediate
objective-a road running between Champigneulle and St.
Georges. The heaviest resistance came from the trench
system, southeast of Champigneulle and from Min Mohin,
but was soon overcome when machine gun was placed against
machine gun. The Germans were no match for the Americans
in this instance, despite the expert reputation of the
enemy in the handling and disposition of the deadly
automatic weapon. One of the advanced companies was
counter-attacked three times during the afternoon, but
drove back the enemy to the valley north of the front
line position each time. Three hundred Germans were seen
to enter this valley three different times for
reformation preparatory to the launching of a new counter
stroke. The day's operation netted only a small gain in
ground and nine Boche machine guns of the light and heavy
types. It was only a nibble from the 77th's point of
view.
It began to look as
if the Germans were to employ their "fight to the
last man" tactics and the publication of an
intercepted Boche message left little doubt of it. Some
idea of the German estimate of the importance of holding
the general line on which the 77th was attacking may be
gained from this communication. It was signed by General
Von der Marwitz, then in command of the German
forces-which were opposing the Americans, and pointed out
that if the United States troops broke through the
Longuyon-Sedan railroad practically the only German
escape from the west would be cut. The German commander's
appeal to the ranks gave added evidence of the gradual
weakening morale of the Teutonic armies.
The second day of
the advance found Colonel George Vidmer in command of the
153d Brigade, with both regiments in line. After a short
artillery preparation, the men leaped from their
positions and rushed Champigneulle, determined to make up
for the check of the day before. The town fell after a
half-hour's bitter fighting. The actual entrance into the
town was delayed a few minutes because of "our own
artillery fire" the infantry reaching the objective
ahead of schedule.
A German officer
who was captured at this point told intelligence officers
that he could not understand American tactics in the
field. "Your men came from the front, rear and
flanks," he concluded.
Champigneulle was
taken early in the morning and the greater part of a day
still remained. Officers hurriedly reformed platoons and
pushed on. Both regiments kept up a steady advance until,
at noon, aeroplanes reported that the forward elements
were north of Verpel, a little town four kilometers north
of Champigneulle. It was taken about 10 o'clock in the
morning by men of the 306th Infantry. Nineteen prisoners
were also seized. It now became necessary for the Brigade
Commander to move his headquarters forward and the town
which was taken early in the morning was selected as the
place.
So rapid did the
advance become, with such little opposition, that it was
thought probable that the movement could be given added
impetus by supplying motor trucks for the foot troops.
Automobiles were sent ahead but, owing to the poor
condition of the roads and the rapid advance of the
column, they were unable to catch up and were forced to
return to the brigade base. During the afternoon and
evening still further progress was made and the night
summary at brigade head-quarters showed Harricourt,
Thenorgues and Bar in the hands of the 77th Division. At
Harricourt, considerable enemy shelling and machine-gun
resistance was encountered but was soon overcome by the
effectiveness of the American machine gun and artillery.
Patrols were sent out in the direction of Autruche and
contact was regained with the enemy, who by this time
appeared to be transforming his retreat into a rout.
Nevertheless the German official communication of that
day, said:-
"We have
readjusted our position to a depth of ten miles."
At Harricourt there
occurred a good example of the excitement which an
infantryman experiences, breaking the monotony of an
advance. A forward company was entering the town, when
suddenly one of the runners noticed three men standing on
the crest of the hill. As they got close, the Germans
were ordered to come down on the road. The Germans
replied, "Welche Kompani? " thinking that the
Americans were a part of a retreating company of Germans.
The soldiers drew their automatics and the old familiar
cry of " Kamerad " came from the Boche.
The prisoners were
taken to battalion headquarters and quizzed. They said
that they were establishing a machine-gun post on the
crest of the hill. One of the prisoners said that he was
a cook and that he had a pot of stewed rabbit on the fire
in a dugout near the proposed machine-gun post. With the
permission of the battalion commander, the runner was
directed to the dugout by the captured German; and the
stewed rabbit, as well as turnips, potatoes and coffee,
was brought into camp.
Aeroplane
photographs, showing several machine-gun emplacements
just outside of the town of Verpel, were verified when
the infantry cleared the place of hostile troops. These
machine guns had been located in a commanding position
and could have seriously delayed the advance had it not
been for the close cooperation of the artillery. The
concealment of the German automatics was almost perfect,
being hidden in the center of a large cabbage patch,
which, to use the words of a private, was converted into
a sauerkraut field when the artillery opened fire.
The defense of
Thenorgues, which consisted of a line of foxholes and a
few machine guns, was hastily abandoned by the Germans as
a result of the terrific onslaught of the Americans.
Cross Roads in
Town of Champigneulle
So far as the
divisional reserve was concerned, it was just a question
of maintaining proper distance between the attacking
troops and its front-line elements. This necessitated a
move to Verpel and eventually to Germont, the reserve
going to the latter town owing to the congested condition
of the highways.
The 306th Infantry
continued the advance on the following day, the 305th
reverting back to brigade reserve. At the start of the
movement, there was little resistance encountered for the
first few kilometers. The Boche had apparently retreated
to the heights outside of Oche, the intelligence officers
thought, and later developments proved their surmise
nearly correct. The towns of Autruche and Fontenoy were
taken with ease, but there accompanied the liberation the
usual overcoming of determined Boche machine gunners. The
support "wave," sweeping by Autruche, saw two
gunners, still at their posts in the emplacement, with
two extra belts of cartridges in the laps of the lifeless
forms. Between Fontenoy and Harricourt, three light
German batteries bad remained in position until the last
minute, making every effort to stay the advance of the
Yankee forces. Soon the Germans decided that the time for
retirement was at hand, but for two of the batteries it
was too late. When the American infantry rushed the
remaining batteries, the rammer staffs were in the guns
and the breech blocks were found lying in some copse
within throwing distance.
Eight cannon is no small prize for a platoon of infantry,
and the brigade commander recognized the fact in his
report to the division commander.
At Autruche, a
major, one of the first to enter the place, went into a
house which was marked in English, "For Officers
Only." On the mantelpiece there were two German
pistols and several officers' helmets. Above these,
tacked on the wall, was a sign, which read:
"Souvenirs for you Americans. We will be home by
Christmas and you won't. "
The Heights of St.
Pierremont could be seen in the distance as the soldiers
continued their march. The town itself was entered with
little or no resistance, but off to the right, on the top
of a large hill, machine guns continued to harass the
Americans. The Battalion Commander ordered the nest
exterminated and a platoon of infantry and a section of
machine gunners were selected for the job. To get into a
commanding position it was necessary for the men to cross
an open field for a distance of about five hundred yards.
The infantry crossed the open spot deployed. Their
presence did not interest the Germans, but when the
section of machine gunners, following about fifty yards
behind, made their appearance, they met with heavy fire.
The sergeant of the section was killed, leaving the men
without a leader. All were lying flat looking to the
other to suggest the next move. Finally one of the men
located a dead horse about two hundred yards away. He
motioned to the remainder of the trio and they all
proceeded to crawl for what seemed to be the only bit of
cover in the whole field. One of the men dragged a gun,
the other a tripod, while the third managed to drag a
couple of boxes of ammunition. Once behind the horse the
gun was mounted and a steady stream of bullets was played
on the machine-gun nest, allowing the infantry to advance
and take what Germans were left at the point of a
bayonet.
Up to St.
Pierremont, the 304th Machine-gun Battalion accompanied
the first line of infantry over marshy fields, through
woods and across brooks, covering over twenty-five
kilometers during November 2d and 3d, with every man in
the battalion carrying either gun, tripod or two boxes of
ammunition. Immediately on arriving at St. Pierremont,
Company A of this battalion went into action against the
enemy machine-gun nests in the vicinity of the town,
while Company B helped protect the left flank of the
divisional advance. Fifty-seven of the machine gunners
were cited for their work on these two days.
Further up the line
lay the town of Oche, which will be long remembered by
the men of both brigades as well as the artillerymen and
other special branches who were there. This was the
strongest point of resistance since the Champigneulle
fight, and it was here that the beginning of the end
became more and more apparent.
The ration limbers
were held tip in the traffic congestion, first sergeants
told their men, and there was little chance of mess that
night. Things began to take on a rather gloomy aspect,
but brightened a little later when it was said that
"Corps headquarters announces the abdication of the
Kaiser. "
A roar of cheers
sped through the night. Two German prisoners and one
Russian, when told what it was all about, clapped their
hands and danced with glee, much to the indignation of
the guard.
A " Leap-frog " is a running relief, and this
is what occurred between Oche and St. Pierremont. The
153d Brigade, which up until now had been bearing the
brunt of the fighting with both regiments in line, was
relieved by the other infantry brigade of the Division,
which pressed the campaign on with extreme vigor.
Observers and intelligence officers told unit commanders
that the enemy had retreated to the Meuse River, leaving
between the American forces and the river a light screen
of machine gunners with orders to " fight until the
last " in an effort to retard " our advance.
" So with fresh troops in the front line, the 77th
Division continued its advance on the Meuse River.
Busancy,
November, 1918
The 154th Brigade
was attacking in line of regiments with one battalion of
each of the two units in the front position. They did not
go far that day, because the "leap frog" had
taken up the greater part of the time, and nightfall
found the troops dug-in a short distance north of Oche.
During the day, the enemy shelled roads, towns and
support positions, causing many casualties.
The town of Oche
was unofficially captured by the interpreter of the 308th
Infantry, who had been sent ahead to locate a place for a
regimental headquarters. When he entered the town there
were only a few civilians there, with a few Boche on the
other side of the town. The Germans evidently had come
back to the town during the night to gather information,
and forgetting that time moves rapidly, left a little
late. The interpreter saw them fleeing over the hills
north of the town. The fighting on the heights to the
west of Oche was most severe. It was here that the
advance had been temporarily held up on the preceding
day.
In the meantime,
the infantry regiments were moving ahead. The attack
began at 6:30 A. M., after a short artillery preparation.
One company of infantry was sent to the town of La
Berliere to "mop up," but there remained only a
few civilians in the town. The civilians told the
Americans that the Germans had gone in the direction of
Stonne, another one of the many towns that stood in the
path of the 77th Division.
White flags flew
from the church steeple in Stonne. The flash from these
flags on the day before had been interpreted as German
signals by the regimental commanders, but entrance into
the town soon disproved this. The white flags were merely
a simple appeal from the French civilians, who still
remained there, to their American liberators not to fire
on the village. As the troops approached, the townspeople
swarmed from the church, greeting them joyously and
offering them the little food they had in their
possession. This food they had received from the enemy
and consisted mostly of black bread and jam. A French
girl offered a soldier some candy, but he refused it,
telling her she would need it later. She protested,
"Mais non! non! C'est le sucre que les Americains
nous ont envoye. "
The town of Stonne
is at the top of a commanding hill that overlooks the
rolling country in all directions. As the liberated
people moved about hysterically among the advancing
troops, an American plane swooped down to the housetops
and dropped a message:
"La Besace-No
Germans. A Few Americans. Lots of civilians, vive la
America. Germans in woods to your right. Think they are
prisoners."
The troops moved
on, combing the woods to the right, capturing the few
Germans who were hiding there. When told that they could
have gotten away, they replied that they wished to be
captured that they might get something to eat. Outposts
were established about a kilometer north of Stonne.
During the night enemy artillery played a harassing fire
into the town, wounding some civilians and causing others
to depart in the downpour of rain.
While the 154th
Brigade was making its brilliant advance in the direction
of Stonne, the divisional area or sector was widened, and
it became necessary for the Commander to order the 153d
Brigade back into the, line. The 77th Division,
therefore, was now attacking in line of brigades, the
154th Brigade on the left and the 153d on the right. The
general direction took a sharp turn to the northeast,
owing to the course of the Meuse River.
The 153d Brigade
was held up a short time at La Polka Farm and Farm d'
Isly by German machine guns, which were quickly reduced
by artillery. Thereafter the advance was uninterrupted
until La Besace was reached. La Besace was entered by
troops of the 306th Infantry about 10A. M. At first sight
of the town, no civilians could be seen and it was
believed that the report of the aviator at Stonne had
been exaggerated. A. short stay in the town told the
story. The place was literally riddled with machine-gun
bullets and the French civilians who were there were
found hiding in the cellars. During the march upon La
Besace, the roads were heavily shelled with high
explosives and gas and it was no uncommon sight to see
the infantryman drop flat, get tip and run a hundred
yards or so and then drop again. White flags also were
flying from the housetops and the church. The civil-ians
told the Americans that the Germans had said that they
"were going home. "
Fourteen
-kilometers, almost twice as much as was wrested from the
enemy on any preceding day, were liberated by the 77th
Division on the last day of actual operations toward
Sedan. The advance was made from Stonne- La Besace amid
great difficulties, for the wearied enemy was destroying
bridges, tearing great holes in the roads with his mines
and putting the torch to buildings. Just outside of the
town of Stonne, the Germans mined the road, which
traversed a steep hill. His work of destruction here held
up the mounted Sections of the Division for over twelve
hours.
The 154th Brigade
started to push forward early in the morning, one
regiment going in the direction of the Bois de Raucourt
and Malmaison farm, while other units moved on Flaba. The
infantry moving through the woods drew fire from the
direction of Malmaison farm, but a quick despatch to the
artillery soon weakened the enemy resistance. The farm
was carried late in the morning. In the Mieantime, the
advance on Flaba and Raucourt was continuing. The leading
elements, after passing Flaba, were fired upon from the
heights to the southwest of Raucourt, and the movement
was held up for some time.
The artillery was
called upon again, and it was here that the men who man
these monster guns got the satisfaction, which an
artilleryman rarely gets. The Commander had to bring his
gun into position, a distance of one kilometer, lay it,
compute the data and find an observation post, and he had
only forty-five minutes to complete the task. The first
shot dropped about where it was wanted. From the
observation post, the enemy machine gunners could not be
seen, but " our infantry, " huddled up behind a
small depression of ground, waiting for the word
"Go, " were plainly visible. At the end of
fifteen minutes the fire was shifted to a second target
and the first operation repeated. Then came the great
moment for the proud artillerymen. They saw the infantry
advance, apparently without resistance. As to the direct
effect of the fire there were varying reports, ranging
from a direct hit to scaring the Boche to death. The
general opinion was that the Boche decided he was in
rather an unhealthy place and executed a typical Teutonic
"successful operation," worthy of his high
command.
The entrance into
Raucourt was probably the most impressive scene along the
whole line of advance. Troops of the 307th Infantry, with
their Colonel in the lead, marched into the town early in
the afternoon.
Hundred of
civilians, wildly excited, some crying, some singing and
some laughing, met the soldiers with hot food and coffee.
An old man, grey-faced, weather-beaten and showing every
sign of the bondage he had been in for the past four
years, went solemnly about the task of knocking down the
German signs from the front of his house with a shovel.
"We are free
at last, " came a shrill voice in good English from
across the street, where an elderly woman was waving a
small American flag from the second-story window of her
home. The finishing touch to it all came, when a young
French maiden appeared in the doorway with a violin, and
soon the notes of the Star Spangled Banner were floating
through the air. An American doughboy, a singer of repute
"back in the States," joined in the chorus and,
when the number was finished, the mademoiselle kissed
him. "We are very grateful," she said in her
own language between sobs.
Raucourt, however,
was seven kilometers from the Meuse and troops comprising
the first line could not tarry long here. The reception
would have to be given to the support forces, which
entered the city a few hours later. Keeping close to the
heels of the retreating Germans, the troops of the 307th
Infantry moved on Harricourt, which was entered a little
after 3 o'clock that afternoon. The same reception that
was given the soldiers in Raucourt was accorded them
here. Then came the orders from Brigade Headquarters to
push on to the Meuse River with all possible speed.
Between Harricourt and the Meuse lay Angecourt and
Remilly sur Meuse, smaller than the two towns which had
been captured earlier in the afternoon. Angecourt fell at
4 o'clock, the Boche fleeing from the north end of the
town as the Americans entered the south end. A half-hour
later, Remilly sur Meuse was seized and the river was
reached at nightfall. The remaining units of the Brigade,
which constituted the brigade reserve, moved into
Harricourt.
Raucourt,
November, 1918
While the 154th
Brigade was making its rapid advance on the left of the
divisional sector, the 153d Brigade was meeting with
equal success, reaching the Meuse river a few hours ahead
of the other brigade. This was possible because of the
diagonal course of the river, making the route much
shorter than that of the other unit. Flaba, a small town
filled with refugees, was taken by the 305th Infantry in
the morning; and after that the advance was pushed on
with increased vigor. Early in the afternoon, patrols had
reached Autrecourt on the west banks of the Meuse. The
town was not occupied by the enemy, but many civilians
were there. When the main force reached Autrecourt, a
series of explosions were heard in the direction of the
river. The bridges across the Meuse bad been destroyed
and as a result the 153d Brigade, with the exception of a
few reconnoitering parties, remained stationary for the
night.
It was pitch dark
and deathly still on the heights where the front line of
the Division stopped on the night of November 6th. The
hour was 12 by the watch of the sentry, who stood guard
while his comrades snatched a few hours of much needed
sleep. What was before him he did not know, for all that
could be seen by a look over the steep precipice was a
sea of black.
Harricourt,
November, 1918
Suddenly there were
several sharp reports and flames swept up to the heavens.
The town of Allicourt was burning, casting a glow over
the entire valley. It was like throwing the spotlight on
the darkened stage, but in this case the center of
interest was not the living. By the light of the burning
village, Sedan loomed in the distance.
When the Meuse
River was reached, orders came from the high command for
a reorganization of the American forces, to remain on the
ground now held and in the meantime to prepare for a
further advance. The leading elements of the Division
pushed up to the river, preparatory to a crossing. The
river was found unfordable and it was necessary to await
the erection of bridges.
It was here that a detachment of the 302d engineers
displayed great bravery in their efforts to place a
passageway over the stream. Attempt after attempt was
made in the face of German machine guns to build a bridge
at Villers. Parties carrying material suffered most. No
sooner would they make their appearance than a Boche
automatic or sniper would open fire, causing them to take
to cover in the woods, which bordered the river. Finally
a covering party of machine gunners, infantry and
artillery was called upon to protect the engineers while
they proceeded with their work. The operation was
completed late in the afternoon, and two platoons from
the 305th Infantry were pushed to the other side of the
river. Here they dug in and awaited developments.
Another attempt was
made to bridge the river at Remilly sur Meuse, but was
temporarily defeated. This was in the area of the 154th
Brigade. The attempt was finally successful and two
patrols from the 307th Infantry were sent across the
river nightly. Two automatic rifle posts also were
established on the other side of the natural obstacle. It
was the Division's first stationary warfare since the
Vesle.
To gain some idea
of the doughboy's feeling on a patrol, the story of a
private from the 307th Infantry is recounted here. It
follows-.
"About 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the platoon
sergeant came around and told me that I need not go on
the ration detail tonight, because I had been selected by
the lieutenant to go with the automatic-rifle sergeant
and a couple of others into Hunland. It was my second
patrol, but with the end of the war so near, I did not
relish the idea.
"That night,
about 7:30 o'clock, we went down to company headquarters
and got a good hot meal. Our lieutenant came (town to
give us instructions and make sure that we thoroughly
understood all details. The first thing he did was to
take off my bayonet and I was forced to give up a few
metal souvenirs that I had in my pocket. The officer said
that they might rattle out there in No Man's Land and.
give our whereabouts away. We also gave up all matches,
and were then told to find out just how close to the
river the German outposts were.
"Then we
started out. We crossed the river at 11 o'clock. It
looked as if the Boche were expecting us, for we no more
than got across when up went a great number of Very
lights. We all dropped to the ground and. waited for
darkness. We proceeded for a distance of about four
hundred yards more and then the sergeant, who has a
better ear than I, dropped to the ground again. 'What's
up?' I whispered. I was given a good stiff pinch in the
arm by the sergeant in reply. I took it that he wanted me
to keep quiet. Then through the darkness, about a hundred
yards forward it seemed came the sound of voices.
On November 11,
1918. Sedan Can be Seen Across the Meuse, 21/2 Kilometers
Away
They were speaking
German. We could see the radium-faced watch which one of
the Boche was wearing on his wrist.
"My heart was
in my throat and was beating twice as fast as normal.
That was enough for me and I breathed a great sigh of
relief when the sergeant motioned to go back. Our report
was that the German outposts were five hundred yards
north of the Meuse River."
A bridge once built
across the Meuse did not mean that the Division had a
permanent crossing at which troops could go and come
whenever they pleased. It must be remembered that the
Boche still had artillery and, to use the words of Corps
headquarters, his artillery "shoots with the
greatest of accuracy. " It did not take long for the
bridge constructed at Villers to be destroyed. A big
shell landed squarely on the narrow span, leaving five
men on the other side of the river. The engineers were
called again to reconstruct the bridge, and during the
operation the bridgemen got into contact with the five
men who had been cut off from their unit.
The fact that there
was no bridge across the Meuse river did not keep the
305th Infantry from sending a patrol to gather
information about the Germans. During the night of
November 8th, one officer and a corporal, the latter
being of German stock and having a good knowledge of the
enemy's language, stole across the river on a raft and
penetrated the German lines for a distance of one
kilometer and a half. The route of the two passed through
Amblimont, a small town on the north bank of the Meuse.
When they were about half through with their work, they
were challenged by a German sentry. The corporal replied
to the challenge and gave a satisfactory explanation of
their presence. The sentry passed them on. They returned
after the completion of their ten kilometer journey
behind the enemy's line and were able to report to their
commanding officer the exact location of a field piece
which had been harassing the troops, the disposition of
machine guns protecting the German side of the Meuse and
the number of troops hidden in the hills to the right of
Sedan. For this feat, both were awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross and the commendation of the commanding
general.
Autrecourt,
November, 1918
The next day came
the orders for the widening of the divisional sector. The
77th Division was taking over the corps front-twenty-five
kilometers. One regiment alone was holding seven
kilometers.
Peace rumors were
flying thick and fast. Some claimed that the conference
was in session in Paris now, others that the war already
had ended. The incessant shelling of the Boche disproved
the latter, however, and it was not until the following
day that the "real news" came. forward. It was
brought up by an officer, so, in the doughboy's opinion,
it could not be wrong.
In the operations
department, the sighting of the peace dove had little
effect. Here these officers continued to play their
chess-like game. "Be prepared to move forward"
was among the orders issued and these preparations were
under way. The same was true at the French headquarters.
To take Sedan and even up the score of 1870 had been one
of the chief aims of the French, ever since the great
Allied drive began on July 18 at Chateau Thierry. By a
previous agreement, the French were to be permitted to
occupy the sector opposite Sedan, and in consequence, the
77th Division prepared to give over to the French
Colonials.
The night of
November 10th and the early morning hours of November
11th will be long remembered by the men of the 77th
Division. Outside, the stillness of the night was broken
now and then by the explosion of a solitary shell, which
seemed to be a gentle reminder from the Boche that the
war still continued. From the forward units came word
that a quiet night bad been spent, and a glance at the
casualty report shows that not a man was killed on the
final night of hostilities. Over on the German side of
the Meuse, some Very pistol man continued to send up
rockets in groups of threes-a red, a white and a blue.
This was taken by the Americans as an effort on the part
of the Germans, who now saw that their fate was sealed,
to fraternize with the Yankee soldier- and the incident
was ignored. The absence of planes, the big guns not
roaring, and the rifles not cracking, put a mysterious
touch into life at the front that night. The whole
battlefield seemed deserted. The doughboy said it was a
sign of good news.
The last day of
hostilities found the sun shining, quite a contrast from
the preceding days of the campaign. Men in the front and
rear areas alike were up early to hear the news, the news
which would tell them whether Berlin refused or accepted.
Finally the news came from the various regimental
headquarters. It was nothing more than the terse
announcement:
"ARMISTICE EFFECTIVE 11 O'CLOCK. CEASE FIRE."
So on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the
eleventh month, hostilities of the greatest war in
history ended with the 77th Division holding a front
larger than any unit had ever attempted even in the quiet
sectors of position warfare.