A History of Troop A Cavalry, Connecticut National Guard and Its Service in the Great War as Co. D, 102d Machine Gun Battalion
History
A History of Troop A Cavalry, Connecticut National Guard and Its Service in the Great War as Co. D, 102d Machine Gun Battalion
United States. Army. Machine Gun Battalion, 102nd. Company D; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- United States
Shelling became very heavy at this interval. Many of the casualties
of the day were suffered by the Company while the men remained in
their positions around the guns during the barrage of gas and high
explosive shells. The total losses of the Company during the day
included Callahan and Kapitzke, killed; Ed Malone, Farnsworth, Harry
O'Neill, Raymond Smith, Brock, Diamara, and Moses, wounded; Jim Brown,
shell-shocked; Corporal Malone, Oscar Johnson, Lesocke, Kostrzewski,
Eddy and Jacobs, gassed.
The night was spent in mud holes, for there were no trenches or
shelters, but in spite of the rain which fell all night and the German
shells directed against batteries in the rear, whining and banging all
through the hours of darkness, the men slept as only exhausted men can
sleep, and in the morning were rewarded with an excellent meal from the
kitchen, which Lieutenant Bacharach had manœuvered to Verdilly.
Artillery of all kinds and calibers arrived during the night and in the
morning the 101st Engineers made the attack in place of the infantry,
which had suffered severe casualties and needed a rest. This served to
keep the Boche busy for the day, although no progress was made until
night, when the persistence of the Engineers and French successes to
the north of Epieds forced the Hun to fall back to Epieds, beyond which
point he was driven by parts of the 102d Infantry and units of the 28th
Division, who took up the attack when he attempted to make a stand in
Trugny.
[Illustration: _Left, top to bottom_—Sgt. I. F. Carey, Cpl. E. F.
Clark, Cpl. B. J. Fitch, Sgt. H. J. Dockendorff, Sgt. C. J. Dowers,
Sgt. M. T. Krakovec.
_Center, top to bottom_—Sgt. M. A. Guerrant.—Scene toward German lines
from Jury woods.—Pvt. A. G. Kapitzke with German helmet and rifle.
_Right, top to bottom_—Cpl. R. B. Martin, Cpl. W. I. Bassett, Sgt. F.
P. Malone, 1st Sgt. T. J. Reilly, Sgt. F. R. Curtiss.]
[Illustration: _Left, top to bottom_—Orphan adopted by company.—Mess
time in Besombois.—Top of Lt. Nelson's dugout in Ormont.—Company billet
in Mansigne.
_Center, top to bottom_—Tallest and shortest men in the company.—Group
at Brest just before embarking.
_Right, top to bottom_—Waiting for barrage to lift, Oct. 27,
1918.—Newspaper "kiddies," Certilleux.—On road to Ormont woods.—Foster,
Stevens, Fitch and Hobart at company headquarters, Besombois.]
Passing a large German gun abandoned at the side of the road near
Trugny and many dead Hun machine gunners at their tiny emplacements
along the Verdilly-Epieds road, the Company marched with carts
carrying their guns through Epieds, scarred by the devices of battle,
up the hill to the east and then northeast again through the woods,
shell-splintered and torn, about seven kilometers, to the Fere en
Tardenois road, where the advance was halted. There the first platoon
took up front line positions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account